The Science Behind Dopamine Fasts

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Recovery from addiction typically involves 30 days of complete abstinence, which can cause pain, discomfort, craving, anxiety, and insomnia due to a drop in dopamine. However, immediate and sustained abstinence may not be suitable for severe alcohol or opiate addiction, requiring tapering off the substance with the help of an addiction specialist. For addictions like food and sex, the goal is not necessarily elimination but setting constraints through binding behaviors. Binding behaviors involve engaging in the addictive behavior only in specific places and times, clamping or directing engagement with dopamine-releasing behaviors. Such behaviors train the prefrontal cortex to understand appropriate amounts and contexts for activities like eating, sex, or playing video games.

In this episode, I explain how dopamine dynamics — meaning changes and interactions between our baseline and peak levels of dopamine drive our cravings and sense of motivation. I also explain how to leverage dopamine dynamics to overcome procrastination. I cover behavioral, cognitive, nutrition-based and supplementation-based tools to optimize baseline and peak dopamine levels to ensure a persistently motivated state. I also discuss how to boost motivation when you are in a rut, why you might not want to stack behaviors/substances that spike dopamine and how to build and maintain a “growth mindset” for pursuing goals of any kind. Dopamine is an incredibly powerful neuromodulator involved in basic functions (e.g., hunger, romantic attraction, etc.) and feats of cognitive and physical performance; by understanding the dynamics of dopamine, listeners ought to be better positioned to overcome procrastination, maintain motivation, and improve confidence.

For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com.