What's killing your game? Dopamine abuse.

INTRODUCTION  

Let me delve into a topic that seems to not be stressed enough, and that is dopamine abuse. What is it? When does it happen? Does it solely mean abusing drugs or something else? Let's jump right to it.

DOPAMINE ABUSE   There are a list of things, not just drugs, that are destroying your sense of achievement, your confidence, and your sexual drive. And here they are:

1. Pornography, excessive masturbation
2. Stimulant drugs and medication
3. Video gaming
4. Lack of sleep
5. Your bodily desires
6. BONUS - lack of exercise and the long waited, "Do you lift?"

These, in turn, are killing your game. Why? Let's think about it from both scientific and logical standpoints.

Pornography Pornography stimulates your body and arouses you physically. It increases neural activity in your brain, which means that pornography is, by definition, a stimulant. Think about the time when you were a kid and you REALLY wanted to do something. You would get super excited about it and you would in turn get hyper. Excessive masturbation and pornography, as a result of being stimulants, abuse your dopamine pathways in your brain. They either prevent the reuptake of dopamine (similar to cocaine high), or they increase the amount of dopamine neurotransmitters (similar to methamphetamine). So when the time comes that you don't have that source of dopamine rush, you feel depressed, you feel shitty, and you just feel down. That makes it it difficult for you to work on everyday tasks, such as cold approaching women, working on homework, taking care of chores, showing up to work, etc. Why does this happen? It's because you have abused your dopamine, that inner push that compels you to do what you got to do. Without dopamine, you wouldn't ever get out of your bed and strive for excellence.

Stimulant Drugs Stimulant drugs and medication? Don't get me started. You know the deal. I don't need to explain it in detail. Look at the previous paragraph if you're looking for the scientific explanation behind why they are bad. Also your common sense. Also, if you can, cut out caffeine from your diet, also nicotine and other things that just make you attached to drugs.

Video gaming Why are more kids developing "ADHD" through each subsequent generation? Well I'll tell you why: light is a stimulant. It is received by your eyes, which is processed by your parietal lobe, which then causes your brain to be stimulated. Why is it hard to sleep with the light on? Well you tell me. Similarly, combine light with stimulating activities such as that of video gaming, and you have just answered the whole ADHD crisis of today's generation. And then they give kids what they shouldn't be given in the whole goddamn place! Adderall and stimulants! That makes so much sense! Anyways, tangents aside, video gaming abuses your dopamine just as much if not more than pornography. It has an addiction factor. Once you take it away from yourself, you feel empty, like you lost something that once made you happy. Lastly, consider the effect of flashing lights on those who have epilepsy. Now not everyone has epilepsy, but what happens when a person has an epileptic crisis? They shake and tremble, and they fall on the ground. Why? They are overstimulated. Take a moment and think about the effects of light on neural stimulation and dopamine alteration.

Lack of sleep   Lack of sleep is also the culprit for lack of serotonin in the brain, which is the neurotransmitter associated with depression, sleep, and memory. Combine that with dopamine alteration caused by the lack of sleep, you get yourself a working zombie during the day. Are we actually gaining energy when we sleep? No, we are burning calories. Our brain shuffles everything around during REM sleep, causing us to feel refreshed in the morning.

Bodily desires What do I mean by bodily desires? Well, I mean the fact that we are human and part animal. For instance, we all need food and nourishment in order to survive. But when it turns into gluttony, we depend on food in order to become happy. That is dependence and attachment. Also, think about how this applies to masturbation, sex, desire to drink and party, etc. We all want those things. It is part of our human nature as men. But once those become the things that we obsess about, we find it difficult to work on everyday tasks, such as homework and other assignments that life brings for us. Bodily desires and attachment to worldly things, then, are a form of dopamine abuse as well. Let's recap for a bit. Dopamine is a stimulant. If you abuse a stimulant, what happens to you? You become attached to it. You want it more and more until it runs out. Same thing applies to bodily desires. They stimulate you in a way that causes you to want things. There is a saying that says that a man should think with his head, not his genitals.

Lack of Exercise and Lifting What happens when you exercise? Well two major changes are occurring in the neurochemistry of your brain. Your brain releases both dopamine and endorphins when you work out and exercise. Endorphin is a hormone that makes you feel less pain. Dopamine, again, is a neurotransmitter associated with confidence, desire to keep pushing forward in life, etc. So when you don't exercise or lift, you are depriving yourself of these two blessings that your brain rewards you with after you exercise. So do it. As always, no excuses. If you can do this everyday, think about how confident and full of energy you will be instead of say, going to the gym three times a week? You get the picture. You get to the point where going to the gym is a habit that defines your personality. You workout, you get the good push to do things in life, such as socializing, doing your work, approaching women, you name it.

RP AND AVOIDING DOPAMINE ABUSE  

Why is it important to discuss the nature of dopamine abuse? Well, it's probably because one of the few listed things above are killing your game or making it difficult for you to achieve potential. Yes you should think with your head, but your end game is to fuck that girl. But in order to do that, you need to have a working brain, one that hasn't abused dopamine. Consider all points carefully and elaborate about it in the comments below.