107: Dr. Anna Lembke — Find Joy and Focus in a Dopamine-Overloaded World
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Dr. Anna Lembke is 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, which was highlighted in the New York Times as one of the top five books to read to understand the opioid epidemic. Dr. Lembke also appeared on the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma, an unvarnished look at the impact of social media on our lives.
Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence, an instant New York Times Bestseller, explores how to moderate compulsive overconsumption in a dopamine-overloaded world. Dr. Lembke explores the exciting new scientific discoveries that explain why the relentless pursuit of pleasure leads to pain. Most important, she tells readers how to find the delicate balance between the two. 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.
On this episode, Dr. Anna Lemke discusses the paradox of modern life, where despite unprecedented wealth and technological progress, people seem to be unhappier and in more pain than ever before. She explains how our brains are not well-suited for the world we live in, which is filled with constant access to pleasurable substances and behaviors. This leads to a downregulation of feel-good neurotransmitters and a chronic dopamine deficit state. Dr. Lemke also highlights the rise of digital addictions and the importance of mindfulness in observing our thoughts and behaviors without judgment.
We also discuss the impact of digital devices and dopamine-inducing behaviors on our lives, the difference between shame and guilt, the role of community in addressing shame, and the importance of embracing boredom. They also explore the benefits of dopamine fasting, the impact of these behaviors on our ability to enjoy simple pleasures, and the recommended duration of dopamine fasting. Dr. Lembke shares commonalities she has observed in successful recovery and offers advice for parents navigating the modern world.
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