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The Weekend University

Reset Your Dopamine System - Dr Anna Lembke

Aug 25, 2023
Dr Anna Lembke, esteemed psychiatrist and Stanford professor, explores the impact of our neurobiological mechanism designed for a world of scarcity and danger in the current world of abundance and leisure. She discusses the addictive potential of smartphones, social media, online pornography, video games, and online shopping. She also delves into the increasing accessibility and potency of substances like opioids and pornography, the impact of COVID on addiction recovery, and the usefulness of a 30-day dopamine fast to improve mental and emotional well-being.
23:12

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Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • The modern world's abundance and access to addictive substances and behaviors overload our dopamine system, leading to symptoms like anxiety and irritability.
  • A 30-day dopamine fast or abstinence from addictive substances and behaviors can help individuals reset their reward pathways and gain perspective on their addictive behaviors.

Deep dives

The Impact of Modern World on Addiction

The modern world with its overwhelming abundance and access to addictive substances and behaviors has created an addictogenic environment. With 24/7 access to drugs and activities, increased quantity and potency of addictive substances, and constant novelty provided by algorithms and engineered content, our neurobiological reward pathways are being overloaded with dopamine. This dopamine overload leads to a dopamine deficit state, causing symptoms like anxiety, irritability, insomnia, and dysphoria, which are on the rise, correlated with socioeconomic wealth. The author suggests that restoring homeostasis through abstinence or a dopamine fast can help individuals regain pleasure in modest everyday rewards and gain insight into the true impact of their addictive behaviors.

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