Episode #192: The Dopamine Illusion — Why Pleasure Isn’t the Same as Joy

Oct 19, 2025

Discover how modern screens are tricking our brains into mistaking fleeting pleasure for true joy. Learn about the dopamine trap and how overstimulation rewires our reward circuits, leading to addiction and mental health struggles. Dr. Trish shares hope through neuroplasticity and outlines practical brain hacks like digital detoxes, journaling, and stillness practices. Shift from chasing quick fixes to nurturing lasting contentment and purpose in life. Rewire your mind and embrace a more fulfilling existence!

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INSIGHT

Dopamine's Original Purpose Is Misunderstood

Dopamine's role is to nudge you toward meaningful pursuits, not constant pleasure.
Dr. Trish Leigh warns modern screens have hijacked that signal into a scream driving harmful escalation.

INSIGHT

Screens Build Tolerance Like Substances

Repeated spikes from swipes and likes desensitize reward circuits, raising tolerance.
This escalation forces ever-stronger stimulation just to feel 'normal,' Dr. Trish Leigh explains.

INSIGHT

Reward Circuits Shift From Purpose To Novelty

Overstimulation reroutes mesolimbic reward pathways from purpose to novelty-seeking.
Dopamine dominates while serotonin and oxytocin decline, fracturing lasting contentment and connection.

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The Dopamine Illusion — Why Pleasure Isn’t the Same as Joy

Your brain isn’t broken—it’s been tricked into chasing quick dopamine spikes and calling them happiness. That’s the illusion. Every swipe, scroll, and surge of stimulation rewires your reward circuits, dulling the calm rhythm of your mind—the peak alpha state where real joy and creativity live.

But here’s the hope: your brain is neuroplastic. It can change, grow, and heal when given the right input. Through stillness, intention, and the right kind of rewiring, pleasure becomes purpose again—and joy returns to its rightful place.

If you’re ready to step out of the dopamine illusion and live a supernormal life, visit drtrishleigh.com to work together with me. I can help you see your brain and create a personalized neurofeedback-guided plan to rewire your pathways. Your brain can change. Your life can expand. I want it for you.

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