The paradox is that hedonism, the pursuit of pleasure for its own sake, leads to anhedonia, which is the inability to enjoy pleasure of any kind, Anna Lembke writes in her book “Dopamine Nation” [1].
Dopamine is among the most important neurotransmitters involved in reward processing. However, when we repeatedly use our source of pleasure (alcohol/drugs/sex/social media/…), the pleasure becomes shorter and weaker. That’s called neuroadaptation.
No surprise then, why we’re constantly looking for new stimuli to feel happier – but at the end of the day, we’re struggling more than before.
Lembke defined a DOPAMINE framework which defines a plan how to successfully “reprogram” oneself and to restore our dopamine levels to the normal level:
D stands for Data: gathering the simple facts of consumption.
O stands for Objectives for using: why do you use it? (To have fun, to fit in, to relieve boredom, to manage fear/anxiety/insomnia/depression/…?)
P stands for Problems related to use: what harm does the use cause to you (or to others)?
A stands for Abstinence: that’s necessary to restore homeostasis, and with it our ability to get pleasure from less potent rewards.
M stands for Mindfulness while keeping the abstinence (e. g., tolerating painful emotions).
I stands for Insight: what does the abstinence period reveal to you?
N stands for Next steps: what do you want to do after the abstinence?
E stands for Experiment: living with your new dopamine set point and a plan for how to maintain it.
How to get back on track, and to restore your dopamine to the normal level? Well, psychotherapy or coaching could help here.
A psychologist or a coach will help you not only to create a plan for abstinence and post-abstinence periods, but also will support you in tolerating painful emotions during this journey.
[1] Lembke, A. (2023). Dopamine nation: Finding balance in the age of indulgence. Headline Publishing Group.
