Dopamine Nation

Dopamine Nation talks about the importance of living a balanced life in relation to all the pleasure and stimuli we’re surrounded with on a daily basis, such as drugs, devices, porn, gambling facilities, showing us how to avoid becoming dopamine addicts by restricting our access to them.

Just like a drug addict, we go back to our sources of dopamine every time we need a new dose of pleasure. However, as we consume more of them, our brain starts to get used to the feeling and builds resistance.

Thus, more of that source of dopamine is required to maintain the level of pleasure. This process is called neuroadaptation, and it can lead to serious addiction.

One of the major downsides of a dopamine addiction is the pain that comes with it. As we build resistance, we find that we can’t live without dopamine, so we start to have cravings that may look like crankiness, moodiness, anxiety, or even physical imbalances.

Moreover, as we consume the things that give us pleasure, we find that they no longer fulfill our needs like they used to. Pleasure isn’t free, as it is followed by pain. However, if we fight the cravings and the rest of the symptoms, our brain starts to go back to its normal state.

The balance between the mind, body, and spirit can be restored, as long as the damage hasn’t occurred for too long and the dopamine source wasn’t too harmful. Pornography or video games are considered harmful, but low-risk activities. Consuming drugs, on the other hand, can be life-threatening.

By now you already know that pleasure is inevitably followed by pain, and that too much of it can cause high levels of damage to our brain and body. However, used the other way around, pain can help us achieve pleasure and increase our dopamine levels. Ironic, isn’t it? Let me break it down for you in a simple explanation! If you like going to the gym, or you’re a sports person, you know how hard it is to get up and stick to your routine, and even while doing your exercises, how that muscle pain feels like. After all, you’re subjecting your body to a short-term traumatic event. However, the benefits that come afterward are tremendous. Not only does it enhance your dopamine levels, but it also promotes a healthier body in the long run. The same goes for intermittent fasting, cold showers, and many other examples. Subjecting your body to such activities increases its resistance and builds up a stronger natural immune system in time. As such, pain that is followed by pleasure is a healthy, healing option for us, but not so much the other way…