ISO books about dopamine regulation
November 14, 2022 3:36 AM Subscribe
Im looking for a book on how to affect dopamine activity via behavioral changes. These books come up in an Amazon search.
I’m interested is regulating addictive activities, such as internet scrolling, to help my teen and myself with being more balanced and learning to enjoy activities such as being outdoors, being more social, exercise, reading, activities to me that seem less overstimulating but ultimately more deeply satisfying. “Just Doing It” isn’t where I’m at right now and I would find it helpful to get a nudge from a good book.
I’m interested is regulating addictive activities, such as internet scrolling, to help my teen and myself with being more balanced and learning to enjoy activities such as being outdoors, being more social, exercise, reading, activities to me that seem less overstimulating but ultimately more deeply satisfying. “Just Doing It” isn’t where I’m at right now and I would find it helpful to get a nudge from a good book.
Not sure how prescriptive it is, but The Molecule of More has come up several times in conversation
posted by Bron at 7:17 AM on November 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Bron at 7:17 AM on November 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
I listened to a Healthier Together podcast with the "Dopamine Nation" author, Dr. Anna Lembke, Chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic. Though I don't necessarily recommend this podcast in particular, the interview is in-depth and thorough; the author's research is compelling.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-hack-your-dopamine-to-stop-reaching-for-your/id1398442165?i=1000549755580
Another in-depth podcast, Huberman Lab, by Dr. Andrew Huberman, neuroscientist and tenured associate professor in the Department of Neurology at Stanford School of Medicine, has several episodes on dopamine and other neurotransmitters. I think I listened to Optimize and Control Your Brain Chemistry, it is over 2 hours long. Other titles include Controlling Your Dopamine for Motivation, Focus & Satisfaction that addresses Does Dopamine Detoxing Actually Work and Return to a Baseline of Dopamine Release. There's also a newsletter of Tools to Manage Dopamine and Improve Motivation and Drive. The podcasts are also YouTube videos.
https://hubermanlab.com/controlling-your-dopamine-for-motivation-focus-and-satisfaction/
These two podcasts greatly expanded my knowledge of my own behaviors with regard to brain neurotransmitters and gave me concrete ideas for improvements.
In talking with teens and ADHD folks, the scientific approach to understanding behaviors and motivation is very helpful. As one example: Instead of saying: Just do this even if you don't want to, it may be more helpful to say: just doing something you don't want to do actually fuels your brain to feel better about doing more things and continuing to do that mindless thing that you think you want to keep doing is robbing your brain of the fuel to feel better about doing more things. Customize to your specifics of course.
I'm contemplating buying "Dopamine Nation" to see if it has more information than the interview.
posted by RoadScholar at 7:23 AM on November 14, 2022 [3 favorites]
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-hack-your-dopamine-to-stop-reaching-for-your/id1398442165?i=1000549755580
Another in-depth podcast, Huberman Lab, by Dr. Andrew Huberman, neuroscientist and tenured associate professor in the Department of Neurology at Stanford School of Medicine, has several episodes on dopamine and other neurotransmitters. I think I listened to Optimize and Control Your Brain Chemistry, it is over 2 hours long. Other titles include Controlling Your Dopamine for Motivation, Focus & Satisfaction that addresses Does Dopamine Detoxing Actually Work and Return to a Baseline of Dopamine Release. There's also a newsletter of Tools to Manage Dopamine and Improve Motivation and Drive. The podcasts are also YouTube videos.
https://hubermanlab.com/controlling-your-dopamine-for-motivation-focus-and-satisfaction/
These two podcasts greatly expanded my knowledge of my own behaviors with regard to brain neurotransmitters and gave me concrete ideas for improvements.
In talking with teens and ADHD folks, the scientific approach to understanding behaviors and motivation is very helpful. As one example: Instead of saying: Just do this even if you don't want to, it may be more helpful to say: just doing something you don't want to do actually fuels your brain to feel better about doing more things and continuing to do that mindless thing that you think you want to keep doing is robbing your brain of the fuel to feel better about doing more things. Customize to your specifics of course.
I'm contemplating buying "Dopamine Nation" to see if it has more information than the interview.
posted by RoadScholar at 7:23 AM on November 14, 2022 [3 favorites]
A caveat that Dopamine Nation was criticized for being inaccurate and Lembke has been heavily criticized by disability justice folks for ableism.
posted by gingerbeer at 10:00 AM on November 14, 2022
posted by gingerbeer at 10:00 AM on November 14, 2022
Here's an article by Mefi's own maias:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/dopamine-the-currency-of-desire/
posted by gingerbeer at 10:05 AM on November 14, 2022
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/dopamine-the-currency-of-desire/
posted by gingerbeer at 10:05 AM on November 14, 2022
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by alex1965 at 6:49 AM on November 14, 2022 [1 favorite]