Dr. Anna Lembke

So I do think that we have to kind of simulate hardship and intentionally create inconvenience and create struggle for ourselves.

So I do think that we have to kind of simulate hardship and intentionally create inconvenience and create struggle for ourselves.

Well, I've never heard the amoeba analogy, which is kind of funny. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, right. There's the risk here that it all starts to sound too schoolmarm-y, right, or kind of scolding or judgy. And that's a real danger, and I wouldn't want—I'm sure I probably do come off that way, and that's not at all my intention. I sometimes feel like that. Yeah, right, right, exactly.

Well, I've never heard the amoeba analogy, which is kind of funny. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, right. There's the risk here that it all starts to sound too schoolmarm-y, right, or kind of scolding or judgy. And that's a real danger, and I wouldn't want—I'm sure I probably do come off that way, and that's not at all my intention. I sometimes feel like that. Yeah, right, right, exactly.

I mean, I've got kids, so you can imagine how they feel. I mean, you know, again, I can certainly appreciate a criticism of my including things like that, like, oh, that lady doesn't want us to do anything. We're just going to be bumps on a log and not just... But I think what I'm advocating for is something like a reframe. You know, when we decide not to indulge in these pleasures...

I mean, I've got kids, so you can imagine how they feel. I mean, you know, again, I can certainly appreciate a criticism of my including things like that, like, oh, that lady doesn't want us to do anything. We're just going to be bumps on a log and not just... But I think what I'm advocating for is something like a reframe. You know, when we decide not to indulge in these pleasures...

The culture has us telling ourselves that we are denying ourselves. And I think a potent reframe here is, no, I'm actually going towards something that's good for me and that in the long run makes my life better. So, you know, I mean, that's just what I see clinically. That's what I've experienced in my own life.

The culture has us telling ourselves that we are denying ourselves. And I think a potent reframe here is, no, I'm actually going towards something that's good for me and that in the long run makes my life better. So, you know, I mean, that's just what I see clinically. That's what I've experienced in my own life.

And I think people are unhappier than they'd like to be and kind of can't figure out why.

And I think people are unhappier than they'd like to be and kind of can't figure out why.

There's a very famous experiment in which rats were engineered to have no dopamine. And the scientists discovered that if they put food in the rat's mouth, the rat would eat. But if you put the food even a body length away, the rat will starve to death. Which tells us that dopamine is fundamental to get the things that we need for our basic survival.

There's a very famous experiment in which rats were engineered to have no dopamine. And the scientists discovered that if they put food in the rat's mouth, the rat would eat. But if you put the food even a body length away, the rat will starve to death. Which tells us that dopamine is fundamental to get the things that we need for our basic survival.

Now, every time we're doing something that's pleasurable, from sugar to video games, work, pornography, social media, that will affect dopamine. And the more dopamine that's released, the more likely that drug or behavior is to be addictive. But also, the genetic risk of addiction is about 50 to 60 percent.

Now, every time we're doing something that's pleasurable, from sugar to video games, work, pornography, social media, that will affect dopamine. And the more dopamine that's released, the more likely that drug or behavior is to be addictive. But also, the genetic risk of addiction is about 50 to 60 percent.

So if you have a biological parent or grandparent with addiction, you are more likely to develop that addiction. We have to keep it in balance in order to stay healthy.

So if you have a biological parent or grandparent with addiction, you are more likely to develop that addiction. We have to keep it in balance in order to stay healthy.

One of the most important findings in neuroscience in the past 75 years is that the same parts of the brain that process pleasure also process pain, and the balance wants to remain level. The problem is that we automatically seek out pleasure and avoid pain, and we're exposed to all kinds of pleasures that we have in the modern world. And our brains are reeling in response to try to compensate.

One of the most important findings in neuroscience in the past 75 years is that the same parts of the brain that process pleasure also process pain, and the balance wants to remain level. The problem is that we automatically seek out pleasure and avoid pain, and we're exposed to all kinds of pleasures that we have in the modern world. And our brains are reeling in response to try to compensate.

Now I need more of my drug in more potent forms to get the same effect, which then leads to addiction. And that's what happened to me when I got addicted to romance novels.

Now I need more of my drug in more potent forms to get the same effect, which then leads to addiction. And that's what happened to me when I got addicted to romance novels.