Dr. Anna Lembke

what's often called affordances or states of being that are adaptive and healthy for the organism. For example, like we have a certain homeostasis of body temperature. And if we go much beyond that, either too high or too low, we will disintegrate and die, right? So homeostasis is that states of being that are compatible with existence and potentially advantageous too.

what's often called affordances or states of being that are adaptive and healthy for the organism. For example, like we have a certain homeostasis of body temperature. And if we go much beyond that, either too high or too low, we will disintegrate and die, right? So homeostasis is that states of being that are compatible with existence and potentially advantageous too.

That's right. Yeah, baseline level. And by the way, we're always releasing dopamine at a kind of tonic baseline level in our brains. I sometimes think of it as the heartbeat of the brain.

That's right. Yeah, baseline level. And by the way, we're always releasing dopamine at a kind of tonic baseline level in our brains. I sometimes think of it as the heartbeat of the brain.

Exactly. So now we've released dopamine in the reward pathway.

Exactly. So now we've released dopamine in the reward pathway.

Well, I think, you know, again, this is a metaphor. It's an oversimplification. The idea here is just when we press on the pleasure side, we're releasing dopamine in the reward pathway and experiencing pleasure.

Well, I think, you know, again, this is a metaphor. It's an oversimplification. The idea here is just when we press on the pleasure side, we're releasing dopamine in the reward pathway and experiencing pleasure.

Okay. But no sooner has that happened than our brain will try to compensate or adapt to increased dopamine firing by downregulating dopamine transmission, for example, by involuting postsynaptic dopamine receptors.

Okay. But no sooner has that happened than our brain will try to compensate or adapt to increased dopamine firing by downregulating dopamine transmission, for example, by involuting postsynaptic dopamine receptors.

Okay. Okay. So our brain is a bunch of wires, you know, that conduct these electrical signals. And these long spindly cells are called neurons. And the thing about neurons is that they don't actually touch end-to-end. There's a little gap or space between them, and that gap is called the synapse.

Okay. Okay. So our brain is a bunch of wires, you know, that conduct these electrical signals. And these long spindly cells are called neurons. And the thing about neurons is that they don't actually touch end-to-end. There's a little gap or space between them, and that gap is called the synapse.

And that gap or synapse is bridged by what we call neurotransmitters. And dopamine is one of those neurotransmitters, okay? And when the presynaptic neuron pulses and releases dopamine, it crosses the synapse and binds to a receptor on the postsynaptic neuron, which either continues or aborts that electrical signal. Does that make sense?

And that gap or synapse is bridged by what we call neurotransmitters. And dopamine is one of those neurotransmitters, okay? And when the presynaptic neuron pulses and releases dopamine, it crosses the synapse and binds to a receptor on the postsynaptic neuron, which either continues or aborts that electrical signal. Does that make sense?

Okay. So one of the ways that our brain can decrease the effects of dopamine, decrease dopamine transmission, is by involuting or taking inside the neuron the postsynaptic receptor. That way when dopamine is released, it has nowhere to bind.

Okay. So one of the ways that our brain can decrease the effects of dopamine, decrease dopamine transmission, is by involuting or taking inside the neuron the postsynaptic receptor. That way when dopamine is released, it has nowhere to bind.

Exactly. Very good. It's removing the docusation. So essentially, getting back to our scale, we've ingested alcohol. We've increased dopamine firing in the reward pathway. But remember, our pleasure-pain balance wants to return to a level position, level with the ground, homeostasis. So it's going to decrease dopamine transmission by, for example, involuting those postsynaptic dopamine receptors.

Exactly. Very good. It's removing the docusation. So essentially, getting back to our scale, we've ingested alcohol. We've increased dopamine firing in the reward pathway. But remember, our pleasure-pain balance wants to return to a level position, level with the ground, homeostasis. So it's going to decrease dopamine transmission by, for example, involuting those postsynaptic dopamine receptors.

But one thing about the brain in its process of trying to get back to homeostasis, and again, I like to think of this neuroadaptation process as these gremlins hopping on the pain side of the balance to bring it level again. You don't have gremlins here. You have these little rocks. But let's go ahead and put a rock on the pain side of the balance. And these rocks are our friends, right?

But one thing about the brain in its process of trying to get back to homeostasis, and again, I like to think of this neuroadaptation process as these gremlins hopping on the pain side of the balance to bring it level again. You don't have gremlins here. You have these little rocks. But let's go ahead and put a rock on the pain side of the balance. And these rocks are our friends, right?