“We’re all weird a little bit differently. What may release a lot of dopamine in your brain may not release in my brain and vice-versa. And from an evolutionary perspective that makes sense.” ~ Dr. Anna Lembke
The Psychology Podcast is back! To kick off our new season it’s a real pleasure to have Stanford psychiatrist and addiction expert Dr. Anna Lembke on the show. Dr. Lembke’s latest book, which is the main topic of discussion for today, is called “Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence”. Dopamine is a transmitter that affects our motivation, exploration, and our pleasure. While dopamine is not the “pleasure molecule” necessarily, it is involved in setting our expectations of reward in the future based on past experiences. This can cause all sorts of problems, especially when we are no longer receiving pleasure from engaging in something. In this episode we discuss the implications of Dr. Lembke’s research for helping you do a “dopamine reset” and take control over our life and what you actually want to be rewarding. This episode is very timely and informative. Enjoy!
Listen to the full episode here.