It’s a probably familiar moment: it’s only been 1 minute and a half since you put your phone in your pocket, but without realizing it, your finger is scrolling the screen again in search of likes or other news on the timeline. But there is nothing interesting. After all, only 90 seconds have passed.
Or: amidst the monotony of the night, a no-strings-attached tour of the internet. A product on sale appears. Deep down, you know that it will have almost no use, but the temptation to take advantage of the 15% discount is stronger. And it’s so nice to receive the purchase confirmation email…
For the American psychiatrist Anna Lembke, moments like these have permeated modern life in an excessive way and contributed to a constant feeling of dissatisfaction, in which peaks of excitement are increasingly rare.
Lembke is the head of the clinic specializing in addictions at Stanford University in the United States and author of “Dopamine Nation: Why Excess Pleasure Is Making Us Unhappy and What We Can Do to Change” (Editora VestÃgio, 2022).
The book focuses on the functioning of dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain whose discovery is relatively recent – ​​it was made in 1957 by the Swedish neuropharmacologist Arvid Carlsson, research that won him a Nobel Prize in 2000.
This chemical messenger in the brain is erroneously known as the “pleasure hormone.”
In fact, its characteristics are linked to motivation or reinforcing stimulus, with a prominent role in the brain reward system. The feeling of pleasure has other chemical components involved.
Dopamine, however, is a fundamental molecule in a process that has matured over millions of years of evolution: the body instinctively avoids pain. Look for the opposite.
“When dopamine is released and its levels rise in response to something we eat or do, the body feels pleasure, reward, euphoria. And so, of course, we’re always looking to recreate that feeling,” says Lembke in an interview with BBC News. Brazil.
An experiment with rats gives an idea of ​​how some activities and substances cause the neurotransmitter to fire above basal levels:
- Chocolate: +55%
- Gender: +100%
- Nicotine: +150%
- Cocaine: +225%
- Amphetamines: +1,000%.
But our organism always tries to restore an internal balance, called homeostasis. That is, if the dopamine level has gone up, the body tries to compensate the other side of the scale.
“It’s that ‘down’ after any pleasurable experience. Sometimes this drop occurs in an obvious way, like a hangover after a binge. But other times it’s much more subtle”, says the psychiatrist.
“Essentially, it’s free-falling dopamine, which doesn’t just go back to baseline levels, but drops below them. So for every pleasure, there’s a cost. And the cost is a temporary sense of withdrawal from a substance. Something universally translated. in anxiety, irritability, depression and craving for the drug of choice.”
the tolerance
With repeated exposure to those stimuli that we are so attracted to – whether substances or behaviors – a process known in the world of addiction begins: tolerance.
The brain needs larger and more frequent doses to get the same sensation as the first few times.
Lembke treats serious cases of substance abuse or addiction in sex or gambling at the Stanford clinic, but notes that the attractions that have emerged with the internet and digital technology have massified and trivialized the dynamics of dopamine shots and compulsion.
She believes we can all learn from severe cases of addiction, “extreme versions of what we are all capable of”.
“The wealth, abundance and technology of our time makes almost every human experience have the potential for addiction, for a drug. Social media is human connection in the form of a drug. What makes something addictive? Something that triggers dopamine in the brain’s reward system quickly,” she says.
“And we have easy access, unlimited quantity, great potency and unlimited novelty. Dopamine meets all these conditions.”
“News itself is kind of a novelty drug, right? It’s the realization that the world has transformative events all the time. But after a while we need more and more shocking events to feel something. We go from horrified to numb people – and it’s a worrisome thing because it speaks to the antisocial nature that surrounds addiction, in which the addict becomes indifferent to the suffering of others.”
The author herself admits in the book that she is not immune to compulsions. In her case, there was an “unhealthy fixation” with soft erotica books.
​Lembke describes her routine starting to be taken up by generic “50 Shades of Grey” novels instead of socializing, cooking, sleeping and caring for her family – she claims that even the break between appointments at the clinic at Stanford had to be used to satiate the will.
Lembke says it was not easy to make these revelations about herself.
“Actually it was a big risk. Look, I’m a Stanford professor and a doctor. The expectation on us is that we’re never vulnerable, right? But I tell so many real stories from my patients, and they’ve given permission to do so. [ninguém é identificado]. So if they were brave enough, so could I.”
embrace the discomfort
The Stanford University psychiatrist believes that the idea of ​​eliminating pain at any cost as a paradigm has disadvantaged society.
Lembke is referring both to the automatic escape from discomforts such as boredom and monotony and to the indiscriminate use of pain medication – something that has played a large role in the opioid crisis, which has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans in recent decades.
“Avoiding pain deprives us of experiences that build the mental calluses to face future challenges. And I speak of pain in a broad way: emotional, spiritual, all different types of physical and psychological suffering.”
Reconnecting with discomfort is exemplified in the book by something frugal: ice bath therapy (and indeed, research suggests benefits of cold water not only for improving circulation, but also for relieving depression).
“Along with increasing access to medication and behaviors that separate us from traditional pain experiences, we have developed a narrative in which pain should be avoided in ourselves or our children,” he says.
“As a result, parents have become fearful of letting their children experience any kind of suffering, for fear that they will end up on the couch or with some psychological disorder. But the fact is, protecting children from challenging experiences is depriving them of the opportunity to build the mental fortress they need in the world.”
But a question lingers: isn’t it precisely modern life, with all its pressure and challenges, that imposes weight on everyone who inhabits it, and so we need something to remedy these pains?
She replies, “I agree that we live in a very strange world and a very strange time, and that life in modern times is difficult for paradoxical reasons.”
“I think that psychotropic medications have represented a way to adapt to a world that our evolution has not yet arrived. But, in general, I think that these drugs are over-prescribed, without recognizing their negative sides, including the potential to become addicted or deprive us of feeling the intense emotions that make us human.”
“The suggestion in the book is that instead of using drugs to adapt to this new world, try to change our experiences in it.”
Chad-98Weaver, a distinguished author at NewsBulletin247, excels in the craft of article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a penchant for storytelling, Chad delivers informative and engaging content that resonates with readers across various subjects. His contributions are a testament to his dedication and expertise in the field of journalism.
