Dopamine Nation – Freeing Ourselves from Overconsumption / Instant Gratification

About this episode

The episode discusses the dangers of overconsumption and instant gratification through the lens of dopamine's role in pleasure and addiction.

It seems clear to me, that if we are constantly striving to experience only pleasure we will certainly land in a hurting world of pain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter (or chemical messenger, which the brain produces) that plays a big role in the experience of pleasure. Instant hits of pleasure can keep us hooked into a cycle of gratification that results in an escalating need for reward, but instead leads to anxiety and a thirst for satisfaction that is never fulfilled. Our brains produce chemical jolts that can be evoked by emoji text messages; Facebook "likes"; shopping excursions we cannot afford; as well as drugs, alcohol and sex. Many of these reward pathways are more accessible than ever, often keeping us constantly seeking more, without a lasting satiety. Listen our conversation with Dr. Anna Lembke, M.D., Psychiatrist, Professor, Author. She is Chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic. She is also the author of bestseller "Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence" as well as "Drug Dealer, MD, How Doctors were Duped, Patients Got Hooked, and Why It's So Hard to Stop". Dr. Lembke's books help us to understand that brain chemicals are…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Anna Baranowsky

Guest: Dr. Anna Lembke

Topics covered

• dopamine
• overconsumption
• instant gratification
• mental health
• addiction
• pleasure and pain

Keywords

• dopamine
• instant gratification
• addiction
• mental health
• pleasure
• reward pathways
• Dr. Anna Lembke

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic

Books & works: Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence, Drug Dealer, MD, How Doctors were Duped, Patients Got Hooked, and Why It's So Hard to Stop

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