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.

00:00: Introduction

05:30: The Paradox of Modern Life

10:00: The Role of Dopamine in Addiction

12:27: The Downside of Pleasure-Seeking

14:43: Addiction and Susceptibility

17:44: The Rise of Digital Addictions

20:25: Identifying Addiction and Seeking Help

30:36: Observing Our Thoughts and Behaviors

32:22: The Difference Between Shame and Guilt

33:22: Setting Boundaries with Digital Devices

34:04: Differentiating Shame and Guilt

34:41: The Role of Community in Addressing Shame

38:08: The Impact of Dopamine-Inducing Behaviors on Enjoyment of Simple Pleasures

39:13: Embracing Boredom and the Default Mode Network

41:45: The Benefits of Dopamine Fasting

43:31: Rediscovering the Joy of Simple Things

45:23: Navigating Boredom and Finding Meaning

49:10: The Recommended Duration of Dopamine Fasting

52:15: Commonalities in Successful Recovery

55:17: Parenting in the Modern World