Finding Mastery with Dr. Michael Gervais Pain, Pleasure, and the Addictive Chase for Dopamine | Dr. Anna Lembke
Dec 22, 2021
Dr. Anna Lembke, a Stanford psychiatry professor and author of Dopamine Nation, dives deep into the complexities of addiction in a dopamine-driven world. She discusses how constant access to pleasure can lead to dissatisfaction and addiction, challenging the hustle culture. Anna explores the need to experience pain to truly appreciate pleasure and shares insights on navigating emotional challenges and rebuilding balance. Personal habits, relationships, and the impact of social media are also examined, revealing their roles in shaping well-being and identity.
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Pleasure-Pain Balance
- The brain's pleasure and pain centers are co-located, working like a balance.
- Pleasure triggers dopamine release, but the brain seeks homeostasis by downregulating dopamine, causing a pain aftereffect.
Triggers and Cravings
- Environmental cues trigger dopamine, leading to cravings even before the reward.
- This explains how modern abundance and constant triggers make us vulnerable to addiction.
The Bored Student
- A South Korean Stanford student, constantly plugged in, was horrified by the suggestion of walking to class without any media.
- Trying it, she found it boring at first but then began noticing her surroundings, like trees.
