Reiner: New Brain Science to Model Drug Addiction Psychiatry, Mental Illness, AI

By David Stephen —

To solve drug addiction and mental illness in psychiatry, model electrical and chemical signals — in clusters of neurons — to link mechanisms and experiences, matching inputs and changes to outcomes, to become a new way to closely describe what is happening within, as well as to place the type of intervention that is needed in a moment.

There is a new [December 15, 2025] story in The New York Times, Nick Reiner’s Struggles With Drugs Left His Parents ‘Desperate’, stating that, “Michele Reiner had said a few years ago of her son’s struggles: “We’ve tried everything. We don’t know what else to do.” When his son told his parents that a drug-treatment program was not working for him, Mr. Reiner said, “we wouldn’t listen.””

““We were desperate, and because the people had diplomas on their wall, we listened to them when we should have been listening to our son,” he added in the interview.”

Addiction Psychiatry

Every evidence in neuroscience, for all functions of the brain, for human experiences are established to be linked with neurons and their electrical and chemical signals. Neurons are shown to be in clusters.

Therefore, it is possible to conceptually describe all situations of drug addiction and mental illness by the mechanisms of electrical and chemical signals in sets, in clusters of neurons. Or, simply that they configure and grade the extents of all functions.

The goal of this description is to solve one problem, at least for now, what is the mechanism of this experience in the brain, by the components of functions? The answer will make it easy to prospect paths to progress as well as measure risk level, in any episode for the individual and for loved ones.

For example, how is it possible to explain acute agitation due to substance use, or substance-induced behavioral disinhibition or intoxication with agitation and aggression? The question is not just about answering with other labels or F or R grouping in International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification [ICD-10-CM].

It is simply about this, what are electrical and chemical signals doing, in sets, in clusters of neurons during those events? How does seeing this show a better picture of the situation and how to seek therapy, care or take the issue more seriously.

Electrical and chemical signals

Conceptually, there are two ways to describe electrical and chemical signals in sets. The first is that they interact — to bring functions about. The next is that at the time of their interactions, they have states [or attributes] that determine the extents of their interactions.

So, to have any specific function, it is theorized that electrical and chemical signals have to interact. The functional reach or capacity is then determined by the extents of the interaction, or the states [or attributes] of both signals to interaction.

Interactions can be assumed to be near-constant but attributes vary. Explanations of experiences and challenges in drug addiction and mental illness can be placed by attributes, for respective displays of what is happening within.

For example, if there is a function for caution and there is another for consequences, by sets of electrical and chemical signals, in cases of drug addiction the intensity of electrical signals may be low or their relays may be diverted, so that whatever actions people take, the caution of it or the consequences are not present, hence the reckless action.

Attributes of electrical signals include splits, intensity, old and new sequences, dimensions by size or width, and so on. Attributes of chemical signals include thick and thin sets, volume variation from side-to-side, spaces of constant diameter and so forth. It is simply not about one neurotransmitter or simply about one part of the brain, but directly about electrical and chemical signals and what they are doing.

Electrical signals are underscored by ions. Chemical signals are underscored by molecules. Membrane voltage change — from which ions result in electrical signals, moving down the axon — is theorized here to bear a configuration to decide a function in interpretation [by interaction at the junction of chemical signals] or carry a configuration for a function to another function [after interaction].

Explanation of cases of drug addiction and mental disorders through conceptual brain science — provided as a display to described conditions — would be useful against continuous number of casualties, in the unknown scenario. It is possible to develop this extensively before January 31, 2026.