You Have a Dopamine Addiction
And there is one simple way to fix it (for now)
How can I blame you? I struggle with the same issue every day.
In an evolutionary aspect, mankind has come a long way. Through technology, science and perseverance we’ve worked for millennia to make life a little less about survival and a little more about comfort.
As we continue this constant never-ending process of growth and development, our inventions ease us closer to the existence of extreme convenience. We have limitless information and entertainment in the palm of our hand at any time. Consuming this torrential flood of fast-paced easy-access entertainment we become more and more dependent on it and unconsciously warp our perspectives.
“Abundance kills value. This is at least true for the perception of value.”
Take the example of any successful individual. Anyone who has secured for themselves a bottomless pool of money sure to last generations.
Do you think someone like this would be excited to get a 5€ Amazon gift card from their grandmother? No chance. The reason for this is within their privileged bubble of abundance they’ve distorted their perspective. With such vast fortunes, their criteria for appreciation becomes incredibly blurred. Money aside, any form of abundance in your life will have the same effect.
How does dopamine come into play? Dopamine is a hormone released in the brain related to incentive salience.
Plainly spoken, it is what makes you feel good.
It motivates to pursue things that release this hormone and take you back to this warm, fuzzy feeling. It creates a craving for this feeling. Some drugs are known to increase dopamine production, hence addiction.
In the animalistic sense of the process, it is very simple. You do something, you feel good so you do this something over and over again.
Eventually, you’ve grown used to this good feeling and this previously exciting process is now a habit more than a reward. This could take you down a rabbit-hole where you search for the superior reward in a myriad of other processes to keep fuelling this good feeling.
Similarly to the example from earlier, abundance kills value in this scenario too.
Entertainment has become a victim of this gluttonous form of dopamine-fuelled consumption.
Scrolling through social media or streaming on Netflix takes minimal effort and yet keeps you entertained. No problem with that, right? The issue comes with the overkill.
As I said, abundance kills value and your abundance of on-demand entertainment is sure to make everything seem a little duller. This won’t only depreciate your perception of the value in this form of entertainment but will pour over into other forms.
It creates an insane form of impatience.
Videos are skipped and passed with a flurry of touches, dismissed upon the slightest indication they won’t satisfy you.
The sheer volume of content consumable like this is gargantuan. A good movie will seem far too slow. Waiting for the story to develop will seem boring and turn you to browsing your phone throughout, occasionally looking upon scenes of condensed action or plot twists.
Reading will seem dull and uneventful compared to the constant flashing images at your command.
You aren’t living in the present.
You live consumed by the earnest desire to secure the next piece of entertainment.
Missing the beauty that surrounds your every waking moment, because it doesn’t conform to your capricious needs anymore.
Your attention span has decreased, almost to adapt to the format of these short bursts of entertainment. Work becomes harder than ever, with the ticking clock holding you in place like a ball and chain. Why isn’t this plethora of side effects affecting you? Why aren’t you fighting with the futility of your condition?
“Distraction postpones concern”
No matter how close you come to a self-organised intervention it is so sublimely easy to get sidetracked.
Concern is a waste of time. Thinking should only be done when obliged. Anything taking you away from this entertainment will seem like a pesky ad, blocking you from viewing what you really want. The irony is that true living will be considered a distraction.
“You need to restore your perception of value”
The underlying issue that is conjoined with pursuing quick and easy pleasure is a lot harder to fix. Your perspective however can be restored in one simple way. A dopamine fast.
I first heard about these, ironically, searching youtube instead of studying.
You spend a day, or as long as necessary, without using your phone or any screens. All you have is a pen and paper to entertain yourself. This should encourage you to use that pen as a scalpel and dissect your mind on that empty sheet of paper.
Self-reflection requires extreme focus, and what better thing to do when you have nothing else.
Dopamine fasts range in what is permitted, decreasing with the level of commitment required. The most extreme version includes water fasting as well but I don’t see the reason for this. I understand the version forbidding you from eating anything. Often eating becomes a way to indulge ourselves and provide momentary bliss, which can as well become addicting. Performing a dopamine fast can allow you to experience existing away from these pleasures and ease withdrawal.
I perform a dopamine fast once a month. It isn’t a definite solution, but it helps.
I will always believe that whenever you recognise something to be a step in the right direction, you should take it every time. Allow your perspective to settle, to pursue things of longer-lasting value.
To not shy away from a pleasure that demands too much effort. See the beauty in the process. Don’t spend your life pursuing dopamine, pursue experiences and embrace it as a side-effect of living a plentiful life.
