We are Drowning in Dopamine: A Review of Dopamine Nation

Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence, by Anna Lembke, MD. 2021. ISBN: 1524746746

Dopamine Nation is a fascinating examination of how we have overwhelmed ourselves with artificial sources of pleasure that often lead to dangerous and unhealthy addictions. We are all vulnerable to compulsive overconsumption of the things that give us intense pleasure… or that once gave us that extreme pleasure. (Keep reading.)

We are drowning in a tsunami of our own creation. Or, as Dr. Tom Finucane states, “We are cacti in the rainforest.”

Or, as Dr. Anna Lembke states in her book, Dopamine Nation, "The smartphone is the modern-day hypodermic needle, delivering digital dopamine 24/7 for a wired generation."

We live in a world where we have access to a multitude of rewarding activities that give us untold pleasures – until they don’t because of diminishing returns.

Dr Lembke highlights some of these, including: drugs, food, news, gambling, shopping, gaming, texting, sexting, Facebooking, Instagramming, YouTubing, etc.

Big Food has used this knowledge to its advantage, creating foods that trigger a “bliss point” and are hyperpalatable – meaning you can’t just eat one serving because of the pleasure your brain gets from consuming these ultra-processed foods.

Dopamine, first identified as a neurotransmitter in the human brain in 1857, is an essential chemical messenger in your brain; it is involved in many functions, including reward, motivation, memory, attention, and regulation of body movements.

Dopamine activates the reward pathway in the brain, leading people to desire these activities more. Thus, dopamine is a kind of universal currency for measuring the addictive potential of any experience. The more dopamine in the brain’s reward pathway, the more addictive the experience.

The book aims to unpack the neuroscience of reward and, in doing so, enable us to find a better, healthier balance between pleasure and pain.

Are we distracting ourselves with pleasurable activities at the cost of it contributing to depression and anxiety?

Lembke states that we’re all running from pain. Some of us take pills. Some of us couch surf while binge-watching Netflix. Some of us read romance novels or watch Hallmark movies.

We’ll do almost anything to distract ourselves from OURSELVES… but in doing so, it seems to have made the pain worse – which she supports with data from various “happiness” studies that people in the U.S. are becoming less happy with their lives.

One issue with dopamine is tolerance. With repeated exposure to the same or similar pleasure stimulus, the pleasure feeling gets weaker and shorter – and we need more and more to get that same feeling.

The good news is while addiction creates permanent changes in the brain, we can detour the damage by creating new neural networks.

One reason why I am such a supporter of psychedelics is that research shows that these substances help create new neural networks in the brain by promoting neuroplasticity via BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor) with just a single dosage of the substance. Learn more: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-023-01316-5

Dr. Lembke has also published a companion workbook that includes interactive exercises and inspiring examples: The Official Dopamine Nation Workbook: A Practical Guide to Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence.

Buck Culture: Healthy Ways to Promote Dopamine

Separate from the book review, here are some natural ways to boost dopamine without worries of any kind of addictive behavior.

1. Eating Whole, Nutrient-Rich Foods. Get rid of processed meats and ultra-processed foods and focus on foods that contain the dopamine-creating tyrosine (an essential amino acid), which is found in protein-rich foods, including eggs, fish, chicken, nuts, and seeds. (Just remember to invest in farm-fresh or organic foods.)

2. Spending Time in Nature. Because we are nature, this is a wonderful activity. Take a walk or hike, sit by a lake or ocean, or enjoy the sounds of a river or stream. Even just sitting with the sun on your skin is a mood lifter.

3. Breathwork and Meditation/Prayer. These activities help calm the nervous system and give a boost to your dopamine, especially when used in tandem. Ideally, make this a daily practice.

4. Movement/Exercise. Taking a brisk walk or bike ride, practicing yoga, doing housework, or dancing up a storm all boost dopamine. The key is physical activity; it does not have to be in a gym or fitness center.

5. Partaking in a Favorite Hobby. Dopamine gets released when we enjoy doing something we love, whether reading a favorite author, gardening, crafting, sewing, or making music.

6. Listening to a Favorite Musician. Relaxing to music you love creates a natural dopamine release. Add this activity to meditation or time in nature for an extra dopamine boost.

7. Connecting With Your People. Whether family, friends, or your neighbor, enjoying deep conversations, laughter, and physical contact (hugs) is one of the most powerful dopamine producers.

8. Track Your Accomplishments. Our brains love it when we achieve things, large or small. Start tracking all the little things you get done and you’ll get that dopamine boost.

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