Dr. Anna Lembke

is that the balance wants to remain level with the ground.

This is what neuroscientists call homeostasis, right?

It's a range of baseline conditions that the organism must maintain in order to survive.

So as soon as I've eaten that potato chip and my pleasure-pain balance has tilted to the side of pleasure, I like how you tilt your head when I say that.

Like a dog.

Is she going to give me a treat?

Right.

My brain is going to react by working very hard to bring that balance level again.

And that process is called neuroadaptation.

And I like to imagine that as these little neuroadaptation gremlins hopping on the pain side of the balance, because that's the level at which I understand it.

But the thing about those gremlins is that they don't get off as soon as I'm level.

I wish they did.

But they stay on until the balance is tilted an equal and opposite amount to the side of pain.

That's the come down, the craving, the hangover, or just that moment of wanting...

to have one more potato chip, drink one more glass of wine, you know, watch one more TikTok video.

Yeah, yeah, you're definitely on the right track.

You are, you are definitely absorbing this.

So yeah, the first rule is any deviation from homeostasis is essentially a biological stressor.

And our brain will want to do the work to get us back to homeostasis, okay?

Yep.