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The Path to Enough

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The Path to Enough

Hidden Brain

2 DAYS AGO
Hidden Brain

Hidden Brain

2 DAYS AGO
OverviewShownoteHighlightsTranscriptChaptersPins

Shownote

This week, we bring you the second part of our 2023 conversation on the perils of too much pleasure. Psychiatrist Anna Lembke explains the neuroscience behind compulsive consumption. She also shares techniques she’s learned from her patients to overcome th...

Highlights

In a world saturated with instant gratification, the brain's delicate balance between pleasure and pain is increasingly under siege. This conversation dives into the hidden mechanisms driving compulsive behaviors and explores how modern life amplifies our vulnerability to addiction.
10:01
Overindulgence in pleasure leads to a dopamine deficit and emotional crash.
20:10
80% of alcoholic men with depression no longer met criteria after four weeks of sobriety
40:00
Healthy relationships trigger dopamine through oxytocin, unlike addictive behaviors
46:46
Anna Lembke sees her patients in addiction recovery as modern-day prophets.
1:04:50
Treating ADHD reduced my dopamine-related addictions
1:15:54
Structural changes, not individual willpower, are key to solving digital addiction.
1:23:44
Being open about addictive behavior increases self-awareness and reduces isolation.
1:26:44
Start with compassion and empathy when addressing addiction in a loved one

Chapters

How does the brain lose balance when pleasure takes over?
00:00
Can cutting out dopamine really reset your brain?
17:07
What real-life strategies help break addictive cycles?
30:36
Why can’t we recover from addiction alone?
43:12
When does passion become an addiction?
57:10
Should schools ban phones to protect student well-being?
1:12:33
How do we avoid swapping one addiction for another?
1:19:42
What’s the best way to talk to someone about their habit?
1:26:44
Can simply speaking about your struggle start the healing?
1:30:08

Transcript

Shankar Vedantam: This is Hidden Brain. I'm Shankar Vedantam. It seems like the simplest choice in the world. Given the option between pain and pleasure, we ought to choose pleasure. Is it better to be hungry or full? Better to be tired or alert? Better to...