In 'Dopamine Nation,' Dr. Anna Lembke delves into the scientific discoveries that explain why overindulgence in high-reward, high-dopamine stimuli leads to pain. The book combines personal narratives from her clinical practice with the latest psychology research to illustrate how to find contentment and connectedness by keeping dopamine in check. Lembke discusses the impact of modern addictions, such as those related to smartphones, food, and other behaviors, and provides strategies for managing consumption and transforming lives. The book emphasizes the importance of balancing the science of desire with the wisdom of recovery[1][3][5].
In 'Blood and Thunder', Hampton Sides provides a detailed and engaging history of the American West, focusing on the life of Kit Carson, a trapper, scout, and soldier. The book spans over three decades, from the early days of the trappers to the final pacification of the Navajo by General Sherman. It explores the complexities of Carson's personality, his respect for and interactions with Native American tribes, and his role in the devastating conflicts that shaped the region. The narrative also delves into the broader historical context, including the Mexican-American War and the ideology of 'Manifest Destiny', highlighting the brutal and often overlooked aspects of the American West's conquest[1][3][4].
Angle of Repose is a novel by Wallace Stegner that weaves together the stories of two couples living a century apart. It explores themes of love, betrayal, and the quest for independence through the lens of a historian, Lyman Ward, who delves into his grandparents' lives in the American West. The novel won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1972 and is widely regarded as one of the greatest novels about the American West.
From the time you were born, dopamine receptors in your brain have been firing off to keep you alive, to keep you motivated and keep you focused on pursuing something worthwhile. If you were born in the digital age of technology where electronic devices and social media started affecting your life directly or indirectly. You easily start feeling like you're not enough, there’s something missing or like you should be doing more than you are.
Anna Lembke is a professor of psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine and chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic. She writes, “humans are the ultimate seekers.” Because of the way we are wired with the flood of hormones and chemicals released physiologically, we are always looking for the next dopamine hit without ever consciously identifying and labeling it. So, if it is in your nature to pursue a reward that is ever elusive, what reward do you decide to focus on?
In this episode, Anna and Tom explore why using the love of the pursuit as a drug of choice to get dopamine rewards can be very dangerous. Anna also explains the pleasure pain balance and why too much pleasure and too much positive overload is still a form of stress to watch out for.
Order Anna Lembke’s book, Dopamine Nation, Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/152474672X?tag=randohouseinc7986-20
SHOW NOTES:
0:00 | Introduction to Anna Lembke
1:00 | Pursuit is Rewarding
10:12 | Dopamine Insensitivity
16:17 | Pleasure Pain Balance
26:24 | Dopamine Reset
29:21 | Cannabis Use & Potency
34:07 | Pornography Addiction
39:56 | Truth Telling Reward
50:38 | Spirituality in Neurochemistry
59:05 | Social Media Connection
1:12:16 | To Exert Will or Not
1:25:10 | Danger in Striving
Follow Anna Lembke:
Website: https://www.annalembke.com/
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