Shankar Vedantam

In some ways, I think this echoes something that you told me when we talked first, Anna, which is that even though addictions are a problem that individuals face, there are times when individuals can't be held responsible for fixing those addictions.

Some of those addictions need to be fixed at the structural level, at the level of institutions, at the level of society.

When we come back, the paradox of becoming addicted to things that are healthy.

You're listening to Hidden Brain.

I'm Shankar Vedantam.

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This is Hidden Brain.

I'm Shankar Vedantam.

Today we're discussing pain and pleasure with psychiatrist Anna Lemke.

Anna is answering your questions about addiction and the most effective ways to treat various forms of it.

Ana, many listeners pointed out that addictions to things that are healthy can also be problematic.

So being addicted to food or exercise is not the same thing as an addiction to cocaine or heroin because food and exercise are in fact good for us.

But a listener named Nancy said, I would like the topic of exercise addiction to be explored.

I've had this addiction for most of my life.

I'm 65 and I'm sure I'm not alone.

It's both a blessing and a curse to feel the need to exercise every day.

We also received a question from a listener named Kendall in Pennsylvania.

What do you think, Ana?

In some ways, I think the listener is onto something, which is when you're addicted to something that is also, for the most part, healthy, it creates a very complicated situation.

One question that many listeners asked has to do with how to avoid swapping one addiction for another.