ICM501 Blog

By: Jack Weiman

In today’s society, often times we indulge in pleasure-filled activities that if we partake in too often, can lead to addiction. In the article, “Too much pleasure can lead to addiction. How to break the cycle and find balance”, the author talks about the causes of these addictions and not only how to prevent them, but also how to break out of them.

The pleasant feeling chemical called dopamine is basically the main cause for all of this. When we enjoy something or are having a good time, dopamine is released into our body. After dopamine is released it is typically followed by a come down to balance it out. This is a good cycle because it helps us balance between pleasure and pain. Dopamine is seen as kind of like a reward and us yearning for that reward is what keeps us motivated. However, when we get so used to dopamine in things such as social media, sex, sugar, drugs, or alcohol, we become addicted to it. When we become addicted to dopamine we need to do these things or acts so frequently just to feel normal. When we get caught in this cycle, dopamine is barely seen as a reward anymore, now rather like a necessity.

If we become addicted to dopamine, eventually it can lead to depression, anxiety, stress, and other mental issues. This is because it seems to those addicted that there is really nothing to look forward to or search for. They are so used to producing dopamine from these activities that they participate in so frequently that dopamine’s effect has lessened. I feel like in life one of the main things we search for is happiness, which is what we get from dopamine. When people find it so often, they start to question the meaning of their lives because dopamine has turned from a reward to just another need.

One way that you could think about it is dopamine as a drug. As humans, dopamine gives us a high. If we use this drug too often, that amazing high dissolves into something standard and casual to us. I have heard of famous people before who are so rich and so wealthy that say they are physically unable to reach their maximum happiness now, basically saying that they have already hit their peak. One in particular has said that because he is happy everyday and travels the world with beautiful women, drugs, and a lavish lifestyle, he no longer can reach a 10 on the happiness scale, saying that now he really never feels above a 6/10 happiness. This is a prime example of overusing and being addicted to dopamine. Instead of it being a reward and generating motivation, not it just acts as a placeholder to keep him steady.

There are ways to break out of this addictive cycle however. Some pointers that the author advises state to start with a dopamine fast of 30 days. Basically find whatever you do the most frequently that releases dopamine, that you rely on, and quit doing it for a month. It’s not advising you to quit doing it forever, but just to break the unhealthy cycle that you are currently in and start over. It will definitely not be pleasant when you start your fast of dopamine, but it will all be worth it when you can finally feel true happiness again.

When you are addicted to something, telling yourself that you are not going to do whatever that is is a lot easier than actually keeping yourself from doing it. For example, if you are addicted to social media, it is best to delete all of the apps off of your phone rather than keeping them on there. This is because if they are still on there, you are even more tempted to click on them even if it is just for a minute or two, and cheat yourself. One of the rules that is very important to follow when quitting a habit or addiction like this is to be honest. It is not only important to be honest with the people around you that are helping you, but also to be honest with yourself. When you are honest with others, intimacy builds between the two of you, also producing dopamine. When you lie to yourself, there is a good chance that you will not learn from your mistakes, because you tell yourself that they never even happened. However, when you are honest with yourself, it is much easier to learn from your mistakes and avoid them the next time, by actually understanding instead of being afraid to admit when you were wrong.

Dopamine is a good thing. But as we know, too much of anything can have consequences. In this case, finding the right balance of dopamine is often overlooked, but is still very important to us.

Citations:

Hu, E., & Nguyen, A. (2022, April 4). Too much pleasure can lead to addiction. how to break the cycle and find balance. NPR. Retrieved October 6, 2022,

https://www.npr.org/2022/03/31/1090009509/addiction-how-to-break-the-cycle-and-find-balance