What's the Deal with Dopamine?

Why we can get "a little bit" addicted to just about anything

I have a personal rule that if I hear something 3 times in close proximity, the universe is trying to tell me something.

Photo by Lisa Yount on Unsplash

This works well for some things. It’s how I started Yoga with Adrianne and it’s why I’m here on the Substack platform.

It works less well for others. If I thought the universe was trying to tell me something every time I saw 3 news stories in a row on the Kardashians, then well… I’m not sure where that road would lead (no hate to the Kardashians. I just think we are inundated on news about their family).

So last week my rule of 3’s came in like a wrecking ball with posts or interviews with Dr. Anna Lembke, author of the book Dopamine Nation, not 1… not 2… but you guessed it… 3 times back to back.

So I accepted the assignment. I started listening to her book on Audible and I also heard her interview on the Sober Powered podcast.

Here are three key takeaways so far:

• Dr. Lembke recognizes “addiction is a spectrum disorder, and it is possible to be a little bit addicted. Also, the same brain mechanisms that mediate severe addiction also mediate our minor addictions. So we're all evolutionarily designed to approach pleasure and avoid pain.” Which is why addiction doesn’t just apply to alcohol or drugs, but anything that produces pleasure.

• That being said, when we repeatedly expose ourselves to any pleasure producing stimuli, our brains adjust to where we need more and more of that stimuli. When we are not using our drug of choice, whether it be alcohol, sex, compulsive gambling, etc., then “our drug of choice doesn’t even get us high. It just makes us feel normal. And when we’re not using, we’re experiencing the universal symptoms of withdrawal from any addictive substance, which are anxiety, irritability, insomnia, dysphoria and craving.” (aka hangovers!)

• In her interview with the Sober Powered podcast, Dr. Anna Lembke suggests a practice of ‘radical honesty’ as a way to help manage our limbic system and make better decisions. “We can wake up in the morning and say, today, I'm going to try to go through the whole day and not tell a single lie about anything. And if I do, I'm going to try to correct it as soon as I possibly can, even if it seems small and inconsequential.” It sounds inconsequential, but making these small daily choices strengthens our prefrontal cortex and helps us manage future planning, delayed gratification, and our overall mental health.

One thing I’ve learned in my recovery is that for me, knowledge is power. Understanding the ‘why’ helps me immensely and also drives me to keep going. When I read This Naked Mind for the first time, it helped me understand alcohol/addiction and our brains in an entirely new way. And Dopamine Nation does something similar, by showing us what is at the root of cravings, addiction, triggers and treatment. When I feel a craving or catch myself wanted to watch ‘just one more’ episode of something on Netflix, I can think to Dr. Lembke’s research and say to myself “Ah, I know what’s happening here.” That is powerful!

If you are struggling… if you are stuck… or if you are trying to stay strong in your recovery, I highly recommend you continue to seek out resources and research. Our brains are malleable and we can reshape our neuropathways through new habits, education, and new experiences. In other words? We CAN teach an old dog new tricks. Not that any of us are old :)

My Podcast Recommendations

I don’t listen to a lot of podcasts, but Sober Powered is a GREAT one that I keep coming back to — I even reference it in my upcoming book! I also love We Can Do Hard Things, though that is not specific to addiction/recovery. If you have a favorite, feel free to add it in the comments.

To learn more about dopamine and its effect on our brain as well as Dr. Lembke’s treatment strategy, you can find her book on Amazon here.