Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine Sawbones: Dopamine Detox
Nov 18, 2025
The hosts explore the perplexing trend of dopamine detox, discussing how it's marketed and the bizarre ads surrounding it. Dr. Sydnee explains dopamine's role in movement disorders like Parkinson's and clarifies misconceptions about its ties to pleasure and addiction. They trace the detox phenomenon back to a 2019 LinkedIn article and how it fits into Silicon Valley health culture. Ultimately, they advocate for balanced approaches like CBT and moderation, while cautioning against equating all behaviors with severe substance addictions.
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Dopamine’s Core Role In Movement
- Dopamine is a distinct neurotransmitter, not just a precursor for others like norepinephrine.
- Lack of dopamine causes Parkinson-like movement problems and treating with L-DOPA helps restore movement.
Too Much Dopamine And Psychosis
- Excess dopamine activity became linked to psychosis and influenced schizophrenia treatment strategies.
- Modern psychiatry sees schizophrenia as more nuanced with other neurotransmitters involved, not just dopamine overactivity.
Dopamine Reinforces, Not Solely Pleasures
- Dopamine helps connect behaviors to reward by reinforcing the desire to repeat actions, but it is not the sole 'pleasure' chemical.
- Other neurochemicals like serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins contribute to pleasure and motivation alongside dopamine.