Dr. Anna Lembke

And the reason I highlight this is because one of the things that I think has happened in the field of addiction medicine that maybe isn't the best is that oftentimes patients themselves, as well as their providers, are digging really deep to find the trauma or the reason behind that someone has become addicted. And I think that that's important to do in some cases.

And the reason I highlight this is because one of the things that I think has happened in the field of addiction medicine that maybe isn't the best is that oftentimes patients themselves, as well as their providers, are digging really deep to find the trauma or the reason behind that someone has become addicted. And I think that that's important to do in some cases.

But in other cases, it can lead to kind of manufacturing trauma where there really isn't any. Furthermore, I would say that when a person is in the throes of their addiction, they're not going to be able to really do the complex emotional processing of their trauma while they're still using their drug of choice.

But in other cases, it can lead to kind of manufacturing trauma where there really isn't any. Furthermore, I would say that when a person is in the throes of their addiction, they're not going to be able to really do the complex emotional processing of their trauma while they're still using their drug of choice.

that they really need to get out of that vortex of addiction and get into some degree of recovery before you would even want to go tackle some of those early traumatic experiences.

that they really need to get out of that vortex of addiction and get into some degree of recovery before you would even want to go tackle some of those early traumatic experiences.

Well, if you think of addiction as a spectrum disorder, right, there's mild, moderate, and severe. And there's, I would even say, a kind of a pre-addiction state where we're all sort of dabbling in compulsive overconsumption. I would say the vast majority of us, like 90, probably 95%, have some degree of compulsive overconsumption.

Well, if you think of addiction as a spectrum disorder, right, there's mild, moderate, and severe. And there's, I would even say, a kind of a pre-addiction state where we're all sort of dabbling in compulsive overconsumption. I would say the vast majority of us, like 90, probably 95%, have some degree of compulsive overconsumption.

And, you know, if and when it tips over into what we would call addiction, there's not a brain scan or a blood test to assess that. It's not like, you know, switching a light switch and it's like, oh, yeah, now you have addiction. It's not like that. It's, you know, it's a gradual, often a gradual and insidious thing. And we don't, in fact, have a biological measurement of addiction.

And, you know, if and when it tips over into what we would call addiction, there's not a brain scan or a blood test to assess that. It's not like, you know, switching a light switch and it's like, oh, yeah, now you have addiction. It's not like that. It's, you know, it's a gradual, often a gradual and insidious thing. And we don't, in fact, have a biological measurement of addiction.

We base it on what we call risk. phenomenology, which is patterns of behavior that repeat themselves across time. And broadly speaking, the definition of addiction is the continued compulsive use of a substance or a behavior despite harm to self and or others. And so, you know, that harm can be very subtle or not, right? And it can be a judgment call.

We base it on what we call risk. phenomenology, which is patterns of behavior that repeat themselves across time. And broadly speaking, the definition of addiction is the continued compulsive use of a substance or a behavior despite harm to self and or others. And so, you know, that harm can be very subtle or not, right? And it can be a judgment call.

Yes, that's right. And to also recognize that we're not very good judges of that when we're chasing dopamine.

Yes, that's right. And to also recognize that we're not very good judges of that when we're chasing dopamine.

Exactly. And we're not very good at seeing true cause and effect, honestly, when it comes to these behaviors, which is why oftentimes people won't really see the harm until they've stopped using for a period of time.

Exactly. And we're not very good at seeing true cause and effect, honestly, when it comes to these behaviors, which is why oftentimes people won't really see the harm until they've stopped using for a period of time.

Yes.

Yes.

So I was in my early 40s. My kids were no longer little. I got a lot of my self-worth and identity from being a mom. And my kids were sort of entering adolescence. They were doing fine, but they didn't need me as much. So I had kind of a grief reaction, you know, in response to that was trying to figure out, you know, how to navigate this next phase of my life.

So I was in my early 40s. My kids were no longer little. I got a lot of my self-worth and identity from being a mom. And my kids were sort of entering adolescence. They were doing fine, but they didn't need me as much. So I had kind of a grief reaction, you know, in response to that was trying to figure out, you know, how to navigate this next phase of my life.