Dopamine Nation
A review of

Dopamine Nation

Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence

Anna Lembke • Dutton • 2021
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From Pleasure to Pain

by getAbstract Editorial Team

In an age of endless scrolling, quick hits, and easy highs, psychiatrist Anna Lembke reveals how the constant chase for pleasure is rewiring people’s brains and fueling addiction. Blending science, case stories, and practical tools, she shows how anyone can step back, reset, and rediscover real balance.

In a world where more than 70% of adults report experiencing significant stress and anxiety, addiction rates have soared, fueled by easy access to high-reward triggers like opioids, social media, or online gambling. Anna Lembke, an award-winning professor of psychiatry and addiction medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine, delves into this pressing issue, exploring how people’s relentless pursuit of pleasure often leads to greater pain and suffering.

The Accessibility of Addiction

Lembke starts by pointing out that easy access to triggers like drugs, junk food, online pornography, and gambling has made addiction more common than ever. She notes the troubling rise in opioid prescriptions, showing that a fourfold increase from 1999 to 2012 matches the spike in addiction rates and related deaths. This connection highlights a key idea in her book: easier access to addictive substances increases the chances of developing an addiction. In today’s world, where smartphones deliver constant digital rewards, Lembke illustrates how our environment encourages compulsive behaviors.

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