Strategy for beating dopamine addiciton

NBDer · 2019-06-06T00:34:11+00:00

Might be extreme, but try going on a week long dopamine fast.

into_being · 2019-06-06T01:50:29+00:00

There are many factors to neurochemistry. This clearly isn't the best forum to get into all the nuance, but a couple thoughts:

Difficulty concentrating can be a tip-of-the-iceberg type of thing. Possibly a presentation of mood or attention disorder.

I have similar issues, and have benefited from supplementing with L-tyrosine which is a dopamine precursor. This is not an outright recommendation, just something that I've noticed a perceivable improvement in mood, mental stamina and energy lasting about 6-8 hours after taking 500mg capsule.
- here's some compiled data/studies: https://examine.com/supplements/l-tyrosine/

Also, I purposefully plan my incentives. I reward short-term goal acquisition with a beneficial AND redeeming activity. This sounds like what you're talking about, but perhaps you need to break it down into shorter term rewards. I do it something like this:
- When I get 'X task/s" done by a certain time, I will have time to get a workout in prior to lunch.
- This probably has a life-hacker type name, "habit stacking" maybe. I try not to get bogged down too much with that type of thing.

I also struggle with the sheer number of decisions I have to make in a day. Many have written about this, but the more mental space you can clear up by planning beneficial routines ahead of time, the more you free your mind to entrench itself in the deep work.

Hope anything I wrote helps.

BrodinsOats · 2019-06-06T06:53:42+00:00

Try looking into neurofeedback therapy. Impulsive pleasure-seeking (what you’re calling “dopamine addiction”) is a response to anxiety. Neurofeedback and meditation will help you develop the ability to self-regulate your arousal state to improve your ability to focus.

jimmy070686 · 2019-06-06T02:50:35+00:00

Easy and hard at the same time: Discipline.

Aspentusk · 2019-06-06T03:01:03+00:00

Do you lift. I found lifting daily has really cut my desire for those things.

zxcvb7809 · 2019-06-06T03:04:02+00:00

I have been at my current job for 8 years. The whole time I have been hanging out with people who like to drink and smoke and waste their money. Drinking became my vice. Dopamine from drinking.

I got some things accomplished. I have been promoted quite a few times despite drinking eating up so much of my time. I am over weight but I have put on a significant amount of muscle in those 8 years as well.

The time where I put on the muscle and finished my associates degree was when I gave up my vices. I was happier during that period than I was the rest of the eight years. This period of time was smaller significantly (< 2 years) than the majority where I was just drinking. I got my dopamine from success. When I am on my grind it fuels its self.

I think the dopamine from success is better than the dopamine from (insert vice.)

Mr_Badass · 2019-06-06T03:36:42+00:00

Increase Serotonin levels.

BurnoutRS · 2019-06-06T03:55:39+00:00

meditate

iwviw · 2019-06-06T06:22:17+00:00

read this book https://www.academia.edu/6481392/The_now_habit_a_strategic_program_for_overcoming_procrastination_and_enjoying_guilt-free_play

rpjabroni · 2019-06-06T08:45:00+00:00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vubNNfhSvc

TL;DW: There's a cue or a trigger that gets you to do your bad habit. Say for example when you feel tired in the afternoon you go get a coffee. When you get a cue for a habit you want to change you must find a replacement activity. If you go for a five minute walk instead of having the coffee, and afterwords feel like you don't need the coffee anymore you've succeeded. It's a 6 minute video... I recommend watching someone more succinct than myself explain the concept.

WarAgainstReality · 2019-06-06T21:50:16+00:00

Start playing slots on your phone

Whisper · 2019-06-06T03:38:09+00:00

If you think dopamine has one single effect on your psychology, and you can spot it, you are going hard broscience, and I have nothing to say to you.

Title	Strategy for beating dopamine addiciton
Author	Irtotallynotrobot
Upvotes	19
Comments	33
Date	June 5, 2019 11:11 PM UTC (7 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/askTRP
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/asktrp/comments/bx9buy/strategy_for_beating_dopamine_addiciton/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/askTRP/strategy-for-beating-dopamine-addiciton.240917 https://theredarchive.com/post/240917

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