Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence by Anna Lembke

38 reviews

sunnyellis's review against another edition

informative medium-paced

3.0

It was not as practically  helpful as I would have like.  I think this book would be most useful for a counselor working with addiction.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Addiction

Moderate: Drug use

Minor: Alcoholism

emilycheek's review against another edition

informative reflective medium-paced

2.0

If the topic interests you, I recommend listening to a podcast interview or read an article by the author instead.

The whole book circled around the idea that was finally stated at the very end: “I urge you to find a way to immerse yourself fully in the life that you’ve been given. To stop running from whatever you’re trying to escape, and instead to stop, and turn, and face whatever it is.”

The lower rating is primarily for some harmful statements about the causes of obesity, praising dieting, and the concept that religious modesty is a tactic to prevent sex addiction. I would have loved to read more about phone/screen addiction or her unpacking of the 12 Steps, but instead the content was focused more on the “shock and awe” stories from her professional work as a psychiatrist. Overall, I found it lacked nuance.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Eating disorder, Alcoholism, Addiction, and Body shaming

karenmariscalo's review against another edition

informative medium-paced

3.75

Very insightful, however it lost me at times.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Drug abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Alcohol

kkarinh's review against another edition

fast-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Drug use, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Alcohol, and Mental illness

Minor: Eating disorder, Dysphoria, Medical content, Body shaming, Car accident, Chronic illness, Infidelity, and Panic attacks/disorders

joanacanada's review against another edition

informative reflective fast-paced

3.75

Exposição interessante do facto que hoje em dia conseguimos estar estimulados a todos os segundos, se quisermos, dada a disponibilidade e variedade de distrações (filmes, podcasts, livros, redes sociais, drogas, pornografia, etc.). Ainda assim, os países desenvolvidos, nos quais esta abundância e prosperidade são maiores, têm cada vez mais altas taxas de depressão e ansiedade.
Também há uma explicação interessante do processo homeostático levar a que a perseguição de prazer cause também uma dose de desconforto, enquanto que a perseguição de dor/desconforto (por exemplo, exercício físico e duches gelados) cause posteriormente prazer (por vezes em mais quantidade do que a sua perseguição ativa).
Dando exemplos de pacientes, a autora também mostra diferentes mecanismos usados para quebrar o vício (abstinência através de barreiras físicas/geográficas, temporais/cronológicas, e/ou categóricas (abrangindo não só o objeto do vício mas também uma categoria de coisas relacionadas). E mostra a mudança de atitude que acontece no processo de quebrar o vício, nomeadamente a adoção de honestidade total e radical. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction

bluejayreads's review against another edition

3.25

I had intended to do a full review of this one, but it's so unmemorable that the day after I finished it I had a hard time recalling the main points. It was interesting to read about the biopsychology of addiction and case studies of former addicts, but for the casual reader that one popular YouTube video on dopamine detox will give you the same basic idea. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction and Sexual content

Moderate: Infidelity

nisk's review against another edition

informative inspiring fast-paced

3.0

I like the stories told by the author about her patients. Unfortunately, I was looking forward to activities that I can take and try from the book. Very little information on solutions that I can try except for what the others (patient) already did. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction

Moderate: Addiction and Alcohol

Minor: Drug use

srosen930's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.75

This book did a good job backing up its main points with real life examples, which always helps me solidify a point.  

I was a little concerned that when the book got to the part of pressing on the "pain" side of the "pleasure - pain scale" that the author didnt condemn harmful self harm techniques.  Like cold showering is a good example of pressing on the pain side, but when talking about cutting, I would put a disclaimer there.  

The book ran a little long for me, but it wasn't too long or wordy.  

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Mental illness

Moderate: Sexual content and Suicide