Steven

What is going on in the brain? You referenced it a little bit there. You referenced that dopamine makes you feel good. So, you know, very naively, I would assume in case if you feel bad, dopamine makes you feel good, you want more dopamine. But is it more complicated and nuanced than that?

What is going on in the brain? You referenced it a little bit there. You referenced that dopamine makes you feel good. So, you know, very naively, I would assume in case if you feel bad, dopamine makes you feel good, you want more dopamine. But is it more complicated and nuanced than that?

Ah, okay. So if I'm having a stressful time at work and work is making me anxious and is crippling me, then I'm more likely to want to have a big blowout on the weekend because that's effectively a pain medication.

Ah, okay. So if I'm having a stressful time at work and work is making me anxious and is crippling me, then I'm more likely to want to have a big blowout on the weekend because that's effectively a pain medication.

You know, I was thinking about a friend of mine who is fairly well known, passed away from cancer. issues related to his addiction. He had a lot of pressure on him when he was fairly young. He wasn't necessarily a young child when he had a lot of pressure put on him, but he was young. And I was wondering, as you said, childhood experiences... What age that is. Yeah.

You know, I was thinking about a friend of mine who is fairly well known, passed away from cancer. issues related to his addiction. He had a lot of pressure on him when he was fairly young. He wasn't necessarily a young child when he had a lot of pressure put on him, but he was young. And I was wondering, as you said, childhood experiences... What age that is. Yeah.

Is there like a certain age where those experiences, you know, if you experience a certain level of trauma at a certain age, it's harder to recover from that and you're more likely to be addicted?

Is there like a certain age where those experiences, you know, if you experience a certain level of trauma at a certain age, it's harder to recover from that and you're more likely to be addicted?

My friend that I was referencing is Liam Payne, who's from One Direction, the boy band who passed away. And he was on my podcast a few years before he passed away. And on the show, he said that much of what made his early life so difficult as a teenager was he was obviously thrust onto this big show.

My friend that I was referencing is Liam Payne, who's from One Direction, the boy band who passed away. And he was on my podcast a few years before he passed away. And on the show, he said that much of what made his early life so difficult as a teenager was he was obviously thrust onto this big show.

And then the way it worked was, you know, you've got all this public spotlight and then they'd like put him up on a stage and he'd be in front of 100,000 people in Dubai.

And then the way it worked was, you know, you've got all this public spotlight and then they'd like put him up on a stage and he'd be in front of 100,000 people in Dubai.

And then they, after that experience, he was then like driven back to a hotel room and like locked in a hotel room because obviously you can't go out because you're that famous that if you walk out on the street, crowds are going to emerge. So he was then locked in that hotel room. And on the show, he said, I was locked in there with the minibar. which is full of alcohol.

And then they, after that experience, he was then like driven back to a hotel room and like locked in a hotel room because obviously you can't go out because you're that famous that if you walk out on the street, crowds are going to emerge. So he was then locked in that hotel room. And on the show, he said, I was locked in there with the minibar. which is full of alcohol.

So I would drink and that cycle would repeat itself. And it'd be like stage, you know, car, hotel, locked, drink, stage, car, and that cycle repeat itself. So when you were talking about isolation and loneliness as well, I never really considered the fact that connection and social relationships could play a role in help in creating an addiction in someone, but it tracks.

So I would drink and that cycle would repeat itself. And it'd be like stage, you know, car, hotel, locked, drink, stage, car, and that cycle repeat itself. So when you were talking about isolation and loneliness as well, I never really considered the fact that connection and social relationships could play a role in help in creating an addiction in someone, but it tracks.

You're clearly extremely smart. And when I meet people like you, I always think to myself, you could have committed your life to anything. You could have worked in pretty much any field and you would have been a success because you have what it takes to be successful. So why do you care so much about this?

You're clearly extremely smart. And when I meet people like you, I always think to myself, you could have committed your life to anything. You could have worked in pretty much any field and you would have been a success because you have what it takes to be successful. So why do you care so much about this?

An immediate family member?

An immediate family member?