Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence
Dopamine Nation reveals that the key to achieving balance lies in combining the science of desire with the wisdom of recovery. We're living in a time of unprecedented access to high-reward, high-dopamine stimuli: drugs, food, news, gambling, shopping, gaming, texting, sexting, TikToking, Instagramming, YouTubing, tweeting ... the increased numbers, variety, and potency are staggering. The smartphone is the modern-day hypodermic needle, delivering dopamine 24/7 for a wired generation. We've all become vulnerable to compulsive overconsumption.
Psychiatrist and author Dr. Anna Lembke explores why the relentless pursuit of pleasure leads to pain ... and what to do about it. Condensing complex neuroscience, Lebke illustrates how finding contentment and connectedness means keeping dopamine in check. Her patients are the gripping fabric of her narrative. Their riveting stories of suffering and redemption give us all hope for managing our consumption and transforming our lives.