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

5.0

A paradigm shifting book on the relationship between pleasure, pain, and our baseline dopamine level. In short, prolonged exposure to addictive substances lowers our baseline dopamine level. The body realizes it doesn't need all this dopamine floating around, that it's going to get more regularly anyway, so it makes you depressed and anxious in preparation for your indulgent behaviors.

On the flip side, engaging in "painful" activities that acutely lower your dopamine levels (ice baths, exercise, abstinence, I would probably add meditation here) will increase your baseline dopamine levels as the body readjusts itself for homeostasis.

Lembke's diagnosis that our culture's on a self-destructive path seems legitimate, given our tendency to avoid pain at all costs and to indulge in pleasure whenever possible. I haven't even mentioned chapters on honesty, prosocial shaming, etc. which are also really fascinating.

A practical, engaging, and well-researched book, Lembke's Dopamine Nation has earned its place in my list of highly-recommended books.

Just to engage other reviewers a bit here:
The charge that Lembke is a moralist surprises me. It doesn't take much to recognize that Lembke is not against "simple pleasures" in life. The first page of the introduction addresses this charge by clarifying that she is writing in the context of unnatural stimuli ("overwhelming abundance"), things designed specifically to induce maximum dopamine production. This could be food items, apps, movies, or anything that leads to craving with prolonged use. Again, the key word here is "unnatural." So no, going on walks to see the sunset is not included in this list.

Of course, if you don't see much wrong with our culture's inability to face boredom, the correlation between increased social media use and mental disorders, or the astounding rise of antidepressant prescriptions in the wealthiest country in the history of the world, then you may not be the audience for this book.

Lembke does also clarify that she does not recommend abstinence to everyone; those dealing with significant withdrawal symptoms may need to be hospitalized or put in a rehab facility.