Summary
The Huberman Lab podcast features a discussion with Dr. Anna Lembke, a psychiatrist and chief of the Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic at Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Lembke explains that dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and movement, and that chronic exposure to substances or behaviors that repeatedly release large amounts of dopamine can change our tonic baseline and lead to addiction. The podcast also discusses how different temperaments affect a person's ability to experience joy and how it can also make them vulnerable to addiction. The speaker also talks about pleasure and how seeking pleasure can be a way to escape pain or boredom.
Dr. Lembke explains the mechanistic level of addiction and how chronic indulgence can reset dopamine thresholds, leading to an anhedonic or lacking in joy state, which is akin to clinical depression. Addiction is a progressive narrowing of the things that bring pleasure, and enlightenment is a progressive expansion of the things that bring pleasure. The conversation then shifts to addiction and the importance of resetting the dopamine system by abstaining from addictive substances or behaviors for 30 days.
The guest speaker discusses the importance of truth-telling in addiction recovery and how it is crucial for re-engaging the prefrontal cortical circuits that get disconnected during addiction. The speaker also talks about the neuroscience behind truth-telling and how it can potentially strengthen the connections between the prefrontal cortex and the limbic and reward brain.
The hosts also discuss the use of psychedelics in therapy for addiction and trauma. They mention that while there are clinical studies showing some success with this approach, it is important to note that it is always done in conjunction with psychotherapy and highly selected individuals. The hosts also touch on the topic of social media addiction and suggest that it is important to use social media with intention and in moderation, as it is designed to be addictive.
The conversation revolves around the idea of controlling our use of social media and smartphones. The speakers suggest that we need to put barriers in place to remain in control, such as allocating a specific time for phone use or limiting the time spent on social media. They also talk about the infantilization of our behavior with phones and the need to create intentional spaces where we are not constantly interrupting ourselves. Overall, the speakers emphasize the importance of intentional phone use and maintaining a balance between consuming and creating.
