Dopamine Detox and Addiction with Dr. Anna Lembke | The Neuroscience of Addiction

In this podcast we talk with Anna Lembke, MD about her new book Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence We cover topics like: What can everyday people learn from recovering addicts in a dopamine-saturated world? How do you stay balanced in a world of consumption and excess? What role does pain play in keeping the body balanced? Check out Anna’s book👇 Anna Lembke, MD is a professor of psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine and chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic. A clinician scholar, she has published more than a hundred peer-reviewed papers, book chapters, and commentaries. She sits on the board of several state and national addiction-focused organizations, has testified before various committees in the United States House of Representatives and Senate, keeps an active speaking calendar, and maintains a thriving clinical practice. In 2016, she published Drug Dealer, MD – How Doctors Were Duped, Patients Got Hooked, and Why It’s So Hard to Stop (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2016), which was highlighted in the New York Times as one of the top five books to read to understand the opioid epidemic (Zuger, 2018). Dr. Lembke recently appeared on the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma, an unvarnished look at the impact of social media on our lives. Her new book, Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence (Dutton/Penguin Random House, August 2021), an instant New York Times bestseller, explores how to moderate compulsive overconsumption in a dopamine-overloaded world. For substance use or mental health support for teens and young adults call (855) 958-5511 or live chat with us at What Activities Release Dopamine In The Brain? Many activities can release dopamine in the brain. The brain’s reward system helps you learn new things by giving us a reward of dopamine when you do something that makes you feel good. Some of these things make you feel good at the moment, like eating or working out. Young girl thinking with glowing brain illustration Other activities to release dopamine include: Exercise Socializing Meditation Creative activities, like art Exploring the outdoors Listening to music Other lifestyle changes to increase dopamine include healthy eating and sleeping habits. Being mindful of your overall health care will increase your brain’s functioning. You can reduce the impact of withdrawal from drug and alcohol dependence during detoxification by including physical health activities in your addiction treatment. As your brain develops and you understand long-term consequences, your brain improves in decision-making. While immediate “feel-good” chemicals are powerful, you will seek better things in the long term. How Can Healing The Brain Affect Both Short-Term And Long-Term Recovery? Healing the brain during detoxification can affect both short-term and long-term recovery. During addiction treatment, the brain begins to heal when new neural connections are formed, and damaged connections are repaired. Detoxification rids your brain of harmful substances that have caused impairments in important brain functions. One thing that happens is the “foggy” feelings go away. You can start to think more clearly and have more energy. When cognitive skills return, you start thinking better. When you think better, you can learn the skills needed to stay sober in recovery. Once a young adult or teen starts doing better in school, they can see a path to success. Then, you are less likely to go back to alcohol or drug use. Success builds self-esteem, self-esteem creates dopamine, and the reward system begins working properly again. AI (Artificial Intelligence) concept. Deep learning. Mindfulness. Psychology. Damaged neural connections also leave you vulnerable to develop comorbidity of psychiatric disorders and substance abuse. Neurobiology and mental health are connected. With poor cognition, you might make bad choices that lead to depression or other mental disorders. You can now think of better choices to make that are helpful to your mental health. Any improvement to your mental health will help you from self-medicating with alcohol consumption or drug use. When you have better decision-making skills, you can get out of other situations that lead to alcohol and substance use disorders. For example, environmental factors like your community and home can impact your exposure to drugs and alcohol. Making better choices regarding your environment can help your addiction treatment and recovery. #addictionhelp #Mentalhealthpodcast #Sobertribe