Nonfiction

Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence

Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence

  • Downloads：1769
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2023-04-03 02:17:15
  • Update Date：2025-09-23
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Anna Lembke
  • ISBN：1472294157
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary

This book is about pleasure。 It's also about pain。 Most important， it's about how to find the delicate balance between the two， and why now more than ever finding balance is essential。 We're living in a time of unprecedented access to high-reward， high-dopamine stimuli: drugs， food， news， gambling， shopping， gaming， texting， sexting， Facebooking， Instagramming， YouTubing， tweeting。。。 The increased numbers， variety， and potency is staggering。 The smartphone is the modern-day hypodermic needle， delivering digital dopamine 24/7 for a wired generation。 As such we've all become vulnerable to compulsive overconsumption。

In Dopamine Nation， Dr。 Anna Lembke， psychiatrist and author， explores the exciting new scientific discoveries that explain why the relentless pursuit of pleasure leads to pain。。。and what to do about it。 Condensing complex neuroscience into easy-to-understand metaphors， Lembke illustrates how finding contentment and connectedness means keeping dopamine in check。 The lived experiences of her patients are the gripping fabric of her narrative。 Their riveting stories of suffering and redemption give us all hope for managing our consumption and transforming our lives。 In essence， Dopamine Nation shows that the secret to finding balance is combining the science of desire with the wisdom of recovery。

"Brilliant。。。 riveting， scary， cogent， and cleverly argued。"--Beth Macy， author of Dopesick

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Reviews

Colby Grant ，

Oversimplifies a lot of complex science and information to arrive at a very kumbaya conclusion with little actual work done towards fixing the structural problems causing an epidemic of unhappiness。

Amy ，

Really enjoyed this book。 It changed my brain。 It gave me awareness of what happens when addiction occurs。 I loved learning about brain。 Chemistry， the triggers of our dopamine， heavy world， how cells finding techniques are useful， and each patient stories。

Kendall ，

Dopamine Nation was an interesting book。 I learned some new information about addiction and the role of dopamine for craving and motivation。 I thought some of the practical advice in breaking addictions was really interesting and made me feel motivated to curb habits I've developed and want to regulate。 However I wish there was a bit more biology and science in the book and less anecdotal evidence and stories。 I thought some comments made presented nuanced issues around things like eating disord Dopamine Nation was an interesting book。 I learned some new information about addiction and the role of dopamine for craving and motivation。 I thought some of the practical advice in breaking addictions was really interesting and made me feel motivated to curb habits I've developed and want to regulate。 However I wish there was a bit more biology and science in the book and less anecdotal evidence and stories。 I thought some comments made presented nuanced issues around things like eating disorders in a pretty shallow way， but the wisdom around taking responsibility and being honest and accountable were all worthy of reinforcement。 Overall an interesting read but not one I'd strongly recommend。 。。。more

Dan Francis ，

A primer on addiction at best。 I didn’t hear any dopamine science， just a few addiction case studies and some rudimentary tips， like try locking your liquor cabinet。

Rhiannon Lastinger ，

Such a great and interesting read！ I feel like I see the world differently now， knowing the connection between pleasure and pain as it relates to over consumption disorders and life itself。 This book really enlightened me on the way that humans think and the way that addiction works。

Salman Mustafa ，

Practical and insightful。 The author deconstructs our overstimulated， overmedicated， pain averse modern lifestyle。 I took a lot away from this one and it’s changed how I see the pleasure/pain balance

Holly ，

DNF’ed it。 Got about 40 pages in and I just couldn’t stand it anymore。

Vojtech Podhajsky ，

It's alright。 Pretty slow to start and about half the book is the index， so it's way shorter than it seems。 But overall it's good given the length。 It's alright。 Pretty slow to start and about half the book is the index， so it's way shorter than it seems。 But overall it's good given the length。 。。。more

Joel Cigan ，

Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence is about the dichotomy between pleasure and pain as it relates to our propensity to run on the hedonistic treadmill。 The author spends a lot of time telling stories about people suffering from addictions to drugs， alcohol and other substances inter-dispersed with various diagrams and drawings illustrating the neurotransmitter receptors or for example， a rat that is being injected with cocaine。I didn’t totally enjoy this book overall but I Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence is about the dichotomy between pleasure and pain as it relates to our propensity to run on the hedonistic treadmill。 The author spends a lot of time telling stories about people suffering from addictions to drugs， alcohol and other substances inter-dispersed with various diagrams and drawings illustrating the neurotransmitter receptors or for example， a rat that is being injected with cocaine。I didn’t totally enjoy this book overall but I did find interesting that some people choose pain and become addicted to the pain。 The author states that the human body is always trying to reach homeostasis or equilibrium and further states that our propensity for overconsumption will lead to shaming。 。。。more

Rachel Davis ，

4。5？ Not sure the book helps us find balance as the title suggests but definitely good food for though for the need for it！

Janet Gao ，

There were a number of concepts that resonated heavily with me in this book。 Although many are things that we know or have likely heard of before， it was a good reminder for me to read about and to actually strive to do。 First， I would like to practice exposure therapy to overcome uncomfortable emotions， like how a patient in the book forced himself to make small talk with his coworkers， because talking to strangers was his biggest fear。 Exposing yourself to the very thing you are terrified of i There were a number of concepts that resonated heavily with me in this book。 Although many are things that we know or have likely heard of before， it was a good reminder for me to read about and to actually strive to do。 First， I would like to practice exposure therapy to overcome uncomfortable emotions， like how a patient in the book forced himself to make small talk with his coworkers， because talking to strangers was his biggest fear。 Exposing yourself to the very thing you are terrified of is a way to grow， as uncomfortable as it may be。 On another note， I’m inspired to take cold showers now。 Apparently cold water immersion leads to elevated dopamine and serotonin levels for hours， as unpleasant the experience itself may be。Next， I would like to practice radical honesty。 Telling the truth draws people in， especially when we’re willing to expose our own vulnerabilities。 This is counterintuitive because sometimes we think people may want to distance themselves when they learn about our character flaws and transgressions。 Also， there is a line between honest self disclosure and a manipulative story shared to entertain and show off rather than teach and learn。 The stories that we narrate about our lives can also shape our behavior。 We must fight the victim narrative and take responsibility for our part in bad outcomes。 We must be accountable in order to move forward in our lives。I must also fight the “false self，” a self constructed persona in defense against intolerable external demands and stressors。 In my own life， I can see how this can lead to feelings of profound emptiness。 For instance， social media allows us to curate narratives of our lives that are far from reality。 When our lived experience diverges from our projected image， we are prone to feel detached and unreal。 Again， I want to work towards my honest self and being authentic。 Instead of trying to maintain the lies and managing my environment， we are better able to feel invigorated and connected with the spontaneity of the natural world and with my own inner nature。I don’t want to lie anymore。 For me， honesty is a daily struggle。 There’s a part of me who wants to embellish the story a slight bit just to make myself look better or excuse myself for bad behavior。 Now， everyday is a battle to fight that urge。 Everyday I wake up and decide， “ today I won’t lie about anything。”A particularly interesting section was how psychotropic drugs may cause us to lose a part of our humanity。 For instance， some patients noticed that while their psychiatric medications offered short-term relief from painful emotions， they also limited their ability to experience the full range of emotions， especially powerful ones like awe and grief。 I think the lows are worth it; they are an essential part of the human condition。 。。。more

Robyn ，

Ok， I thought so much of the information on this book is so good and it really made me think。 I would normally have given it four stars but it randomly had three f-words in one story that surprised me， especially since I was listening to the audiobook。 Also， the very first chapter talks about one man's addiction which was described too graphically for me。 If that chapter was removed or modified， I would make my big kids read this。 Overall， it was insightful in reviewing some of the ways that our Ok， I thought so much of the information on this book is so good and it really made me think。 I would normally have given it four stars but it randomly had three f-words in one story that surprised me， especially since I was listening to the audiobook。 Also， the very first chapter talks about one man's addiction which was described too graphically for me。 If that chapter was removed or modified， I would make my big kids read this。 Overall， it was insightful in reviewing some of the ways that our society over consumes so many things that create and imbalance in our brains when it comes to dopamine。 It gives realistic strategies in helping this as well。 。。。more

Tyson Wilson ，

I learned so much from this book。 It is a mus read if you are passionate about neuroscience or just bettering your life from damaging behaviors

Sarah Reffstrup ，

Jeg er ikke altid lige stor fan af hendes retorik， som forekommer mig mere skræmmetaktisk end videnskabelig nogle steder， men jeg synes bestemt at den bringer lys og ideer omkring et vigtigt emne。 Også selvom Lembke selv synes hun har svaret， og jeg ikke er enig ☺️

Oliver Stafurik ，

While Dopamine Nation does provide some interesting insights and serves as a reminder to be mindful of our digital consumption， it ultimately falls short of delivering groundbreaking revelations。 If you're new to the topic or looking for a quick overview， this book might be worth a read。 However， if you're already well-versed in discussions around the digital age and mental health， you may find Dopamine Nation to be more of a refresher than a novel contribution to the conversation。 While Dopamine Nation does provide some interesting insights and serves as a reminder to be mindful of our digital consumption， it ultimately falls short of delivering groundbreaking revelations。 If you're new to the topic or looking for a quick overview， this book might be worth a read。 However， if you're already well-versed in discussions around the digital age and mental health， you may find Dopamine Nation to be more of a refresher than a novel contribution to the conversation。 。。。more

Taylor Ball ，

Saw this book at the airport and thought it would help curb my tik tok obsession。 Turns out it was a fascinating read on addiction and the challenges of breaking away from these behaviours in our modern society。 More focused on drugs， alcohol and sex addictions than a tik tok obsession， but I still walked away with some helpful tips。The second half of the book was notes and references， so when I read it on my kobo， the ending felt like a jump scare because I didn’t see it coming at all。 But that Saw this book at the airport and thought it would help curb my tik tok obsession。 Turns out it was a fascinating read on addiction and the challenges of breaking away from these behaviours in our modern society。 More focused on drugs， alcohol and sex addictions than a tik tok obsession， but I still walked away with some helpful tips。The second half of the book was notes and references， so when I read it on my kobo， the ending felt like a jump scare because I didn’t see it coming at all。 But that’s on me， not the author。Read in 3 hours on my kobo 。。。more

Jacob Hudgins ，

Lembke’s thesis feels circumstantial。 Americans report higher rates of pain than any other nation on earth。 Why？ She posits that our dopamine fixation has made us so desperate for pleasure that we have lower pain tolerance and define a lack of pleasure as pain。 She argues （with some evidence） that our brains seek homeostasis even about pleasure and pain， producing pain to offset pleasure （and in the second half of the book， pleasure to offset pain）。 So her prescription is that we starve ourselve Lembke’s thesis feels circumstantial。 Americans report higher rates of pain than any other nation on earth。 Why？ She posits that our dopamine fixation has made us so desperate for pleasure that we have lower pain tolerance and define a lack of pleasure as pain。 She argues （with some evidence） that our brains seek homeostasis even about pleasure and pain， producing pain to offset pleasure （and in the second half of the book， pleasure to offset pain）。 So her prescription is that we starve ourselves from our most dopamine-rich habits/addictions （widely defined as everything from porn to video games to cell phones） for a month to break the addictive cycle， then introduce pain to reset the balance （usually in the form of exercise， but also cold showers and the like）。 I enjoyed Lembke’s analysis of modern American culture as dopamine-fixated， pain-averse， and unwilling to delay gratification to a crippling degree。 I find myself in her criticism。 But I still felt there was a significant amount lacking in the analysis。 Interesting read， but not a game-changer for me。 。。。more

André Selonke ，

A dependência e suas consequênciasBusca da gratificação eternaComo o processo neurobiologico explica essas situações e como é possível um tratamento

Erin ，

This book was excellent！ So many things we do in this life to numb the pain or push away the feelings of loneliness。 Some things worse than others， of course。。。 we each have our own trials in life。 But you can't fix something you don't even know is broken。 This book is very enlightening。 Be prepared to shine a spotlight on the types of books you read， the tv shows you watch， or the amount of time you spend on your phone。 Be kind to yourself！ This book was excellent！ So many things we do in this life to numb the pain or push away the feelings of loneliness。 Some things worse than others， of course。。。 we each have our own trials in life。 But you can't fix something you don't even know is broken。 This book is very enlightening。 Be prepared to shine a spotlight on the types of books you read， the tv shows you watch， or the amount of time you spend on your phone。 Be kind to yourself！ 。。。more

GONZA ，

As much as I found several parts of this book very interesting， in some ways it seemed to me that in order to gain （perhaps） more approval， the author tended to exaggerate both in a moralistic sense a number of recommendations for which it was sufficient to be based on chemistry and the latest psychological and psychiatric studies。 But that is only my opinion。 Per quanto io abbia trovato parecchie parti di questo libro molto interessanti， per certi versi mi é sembrato che per ottenere （forse） un As much as I found several parts of this book very interesting， in some ways it seemed to me that in order to gain （perhaps） more approval， the author tended to exaggerate both in a moralistic sense a number of recommendations for which it was sufficient to be based on chemistry and the latest psychological and psychiatric studies。 But that is only my opinion。 Per quanto io abbia trovato parecchie parti di questo libro molto interessanti， per certi versi mi é sembrato che per ottenere （forse） un maggior numero di consensi， l'autrice abbia teso ad esagerare sia in senso moralistico una serie di raccomandazioni per le quali bastava basarsi sulla chimica e sui piú recenti studi psicologici e psichiatrici。 Ma questa é soltanto la mia opinione。 。。。more

Aly Lerman ，

Not my normal read but felt it had good info and interesting stories。 Quick read too。 3。5 stars

Abbey ，

Exercise ， cold shower， how pain increases dopamine

Sophia Duprass ，

I picked up this book looking for an analysis of how our brain's natural responses to dopamine are being exploited for profit and making us build unhealthy habits in the process。 Instead， I got puritanical moralizing。 The author immediately focuses on-- of all things-- masturbation as a bad habit。 While there is certainly room for discussion about masturbation as it relates to dopamine， it's not inherently negative， and it's certainly not the most widespread or most pressing concern in the dopam I picked up this book looking for an analysis of how our brain's natural responses to dopamine are being exploited for profit and making us build unhealthy habits in the process。 Instead， I got puritanical moralizing。 The author immediately focuses on-- of all things-- masturbation as a bad habit。 While there is certainly room for discussion about masturbation as it relates to dopamine， it's not inherently negative， and it's certainly not the most widespread or most pressing concern in the dopamine conversation。 Honestly， it made me feel sad that the author feels so much shame around masturbation， and does not recognize shame and stigma as factors in maladaptive masturbation habits。。。If you can relate to my disappointment expressed here， I recommend reading The Power of Fun by Catherine Price， instead。 。。。more

Doug Stotland ，

Interesting case studies， some of which， provided a helpful overview of how our reward system functions and the dynamics when it gets out of whack。 The author’s opinions were interesting but were more anecdotal than rigorous survey （ala Michael pollan or Mukherjee） and she didn’t present much in the way of her own research。 In the end， it was more salacious and curious than illuminating or applicable to daily life。

Gianmarco ，

Siamo inondati di dopamina， che fa pendere la bilancia eccessivamente dalla parte del “piacere”。 Questo causa un “craving”， che si manifesta come “dolore” come controparte。 Le dipendenze sono ora ancor più di prima: ad alcool e droghe， si aggiunge dipendenza dai social media， binge-watching， shopping compulsivo ed altro。 In fondo， queste dipendenze sono state ‘studiare’ ad hoc da chi le offre。 L’autocontrollo， l’astinenza e l’onestà radicale sono rimedi che servono per uscire da questa schiavitù Siamo inondati di dopamina， che fa pendere la bilancia eccessivamente dalla parte del “piacere”。 Questo causa un “craving”， che si manifesta come “dolore” come controparte。 Le dipendenze sono ora ancor più di prima: ad alcool e droghe， si aggiunge dipendenza dai social media， binge-watching， shopping compulsivo ed altro。 In fondo， queste dipendenze sono state ‘studiare’ ad hoc da chi le offre。 L’autocontrollo， l’astinenza e l’onestà radicale sono rimedi che servono per uscire da questa schiavitù di dipendenze。 La consapevolezza di queste schiavitù ne è il primo passo。 Ho trovato molti spunti di riflessione in questa lettura， che mi ha permesso di individuare aree in cui lavorare （le mie “dipendenze”） o dare una giustificazione alle risposte del mio corpo-mente （aka， tristezza o craving dopo intense inondate di dopamina）。 。。。more

liz - dear virginia ，

Intellectual & scientific but still informative and understandable to everyday readers who are curious about more of the neuroscience of addiction and addictive behaviors。 Fascinating and nonjudgmental。 Some patient examples are quite extreme and very adult content so not for all readers。

Dawn ，

This book was amazing。 I wish every teenager & adult would read this book。 I will be reading this book again。 So grateful for Anna Lembke。

Hannah Moore ，

Her case studies are wild 😂 but there was some good information on how dopamine works in general。

Jean ，

Great book for you to gain a better understanding of addiction and dopamine if you have no real understanding。

Vincent ，

This is the first time that I write a review for a book。 I decided to review this one because this is one of the books once I read I can't put down。The books give many good points to the readers。 The author doesn't try to convince anyone， instead， gives many interesting real life examples for us to think ourselves。 The shaming model in the book is very relatable to my life in the past and it's fascinating。 All in all， this book helps me big time give it a try if you can！ This is the first time that I write a review for a book。 I decided to review this one because this is one of the books once I read I can't put down。The books give many good points to the readers。 The author doesn't try to convince anyone， instead， gives many interesting real life examples for us to think ourselves。 The shaming model in the book is very relatable to my life in the past and it's fascinating。 All in all， this book helps me big time give it a try if you can！ 。。。more

tpg0 ，

As an AI language model， I do not have personal opinions。 However， I can provide you with information about the book: Written by Dr。 Anna Lembke， 'Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence' is a book that explores how our brains have evolved to seek pleasure and reward， and how the modern world with its endless sources of instant gratification is affecting our mental health and addiction levels。 The author examines the role of dopamine， a neurotransmitter that is associated with pleasure and reward， in shaping our behaviors and desires。 She argues that our increasing reliance on dopamine-triggering activities such as social media， video games， and drugs is leading to a dopamine dysregulation syndrome， which is a type of addiction where our brain becomes less sensitive to dopamine over time， leading us to seek more and more stimulation to feel pleasure。 'Dopamine Nation' offers practical advice and insight for people living in a culture of excess and instant gratification， offering a path towards balance and self-awareness。 It aims to empower readers to take back control of their lives and find a healthier way to navigate the world of instant gratification。

tpg1 ，

As an AI language model， I do not have personal preferences or opinions。 However， "Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence" is a non-fiction book written by Dr。 Anna Lembke， a psychiatrist and addiction medicine specialist。 The book explores the idea that dopamine， a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward， drives many of our behaviors and can lead to addiction and other negative consequences in today's world of constant stimulation and instant gratification。 It offers practical advice on how to find balance， regulate dopamine， and reduce cravings in our daily lives， drawing on research and case studies。 Overall， if you are interested in the topic of addiction and the impact of dopamine in modern society， "Dopamine Nation" may be a thought-provoking and informative read。

tpg2 ，

As an AI language model， I do not have personal preferences or opinions about books。 However， "Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence" is a non-fiction book written by Anna Lembke， a psychiatrist and addiction medicine specialist。 The book explores how modern society's addiction to instant gratification， fueled by dopamine release in the brain， is leading to widespread problems with substance abuse， overeating， technology addiction， and other compulsive behaviors。 Through personal stories and scientific research， Lembke offers practical advice and strategies for finding balance and reducing the negative impact of dopamine on our lives。

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