Dr. Anna Lembke

We plan our whole day around getting it, using it, hiding our use. And that's what happened to me.

We plan our whole day around getting it, using it, hiding our use. And that's what happened to me.

You know what? It's really hard. These digital devices are powerful tools, but also very potent drugs. There's no doubt that digital media lights up the same reward pathway as drugs and alcohol. These devices and platforms were designed to be addictive. That is to keep us scrolling and tapping long beyond what we plan for or what we want or even what's pleasurable.

You know what? It's really hard. These digital devices are powerful tools, but also very potent drugs. There's no doubt that digital media lights up the same reward pathway as drugs and alcohol. These devices and platforms were designed to be addictive. That is to keep us scrolling and tapping long beyond what we plan for or what we want or even what's pleasurable.

I think we can all relate to using this medium to a point where we don't even like it anymore and yet have difficulty getting ourselves off of it. That really speaks to the inherently reinforcing and cognitively adherent nature of this medium. It is a drug. And so if and when and how we're crossing into addictive use, I think we need to be very vigilant about whether that's happened in our lives.

I think we can all relate to using this medium to a point where we don't even like it anymore and yet have difficulty getting ourselves off of it. That really speaks to the inherently reinforcing and cognitively adherent nature of this medium. It is a drug. And so if and when and how we're crossing into addictive use, I think we need to be very vigilant about whether that's happened in our lives.

And one of the ways to do that is actually to try cutting out that particular digital medium, that website or that behavior for a period of time long enough that to experience withdrawal, potentially reset reward pathways, and then reevaluate. Because when we're in the behavior, as you yourself noted, it's very easy to rationalize. Oh, I need to do this for work.

And one of the ways to do that is actually to try cutting out that particular digital medium, that website or that behavior for a period of time long enough that to experience withdrawal, potentially reset reward pathways, and then reevaluate. Because when we're in the behavior, as you yourself noted, it's very easy to rationalize. Oh, I need to do this for work.

Oh, I need to do this to stay in touch with my friends. Oh, I'm learning so much from this, right? And All of that may have been true initially, but may not be that true anymore. And what I often point to is the subtler signs of addiction, which are things like depression, anxiety, inattention, insomnia, restlessness.

Oh, I need to do this to stay in touch with my friends. Oh, I'm learning so much from this, right? And All of that may have been true initially, but may not be that true anymore. And what I often point to is the subtler signs of addiction, which are things like depression, anxiety, inattention, insomnia, restlessness.

These can be early signals for our consumption entering into that addiction range, but us not realizing it because, again, we don't see cause and effect.

These can be early signals for our consumption entering into that addiction range, but us not realizing it because, again, we don't see cause and effect.

which is why doing an experiment like I did with my romance novels, you know, following in the footsteps of my patients and taking the advice I give them, and I gave my romance novels up for 30 days, right, just to see, like, okay, I think this is a problematic behavior. Can I give it up? How will I feel? And the very first day that I –

which is why doing an experiment like I did with my romance novels, you know, following in the footsteps of my patients and taking the advice I give them, and I gave my romance novels up for 30 days, right, just to see, like, okay, I think this is a problematic behavior. Can I give it up? How will I feel? And the very first day that I –

the very first 24 hours that I did not read any romance novel, any novel at all, I was astounded at my level of anxiety, restlessness, and utter insomnia. I had completely unlearned the art of putting myself to sleep without this digital narrative. And that lasted a good 10 to 14 days, completely mapping on with the amount of time it takes typically to get out of acute withdrawal.

the very first 24 hours that I did not read any romance novel, any novel at all, I was astounded at my level of anxiety, restlessness, and utter insomnia. I had completely unlearned the art of putting myself to sleep without this digital narrative. And that lasted a good 10 to 14 days, completely mapping on with the amount of time it takes typically to get out of acute withdrawal.

That is to say for those neuroadaptation gremlins to hop off the pain side of the balance and for homeostasis to begin to be restored. But by the time I got to weeks three and four, I felt not just better than I had in the first two weeks, but actually better than I had felt in a really long time. I enjoyed my kids more. I was more present for them. I enjoyed my husband more.

That is to say for those neuroadaptation gremlins to hop off the pain side of the balance and for homeostasis to begin to be restored. But by the time I got to weeks three and four, I felt not just better than I had in the first two weeks, but actually better than I had felt in a really long time. I enjoyed my kids more. I was more present for them. I enjoyed my husband more.

My work seemed salient again. I had started to think, oh, maybe I should do something else. You know, maybe I, you know, this work I've been doing in a long time, I don't, it's not that interesting anymore, all of a sudden it was interesting again, right?

My work seemed salient again. I had started to think, oh, maybe I should do something else. You know, maybe I, you know, this work I've been doing in a long time, I don't, it's not that interesting anymore, all of a sudden it was interesting again, right?