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Dopamine fasting

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Proponents of dopamine fasting see a benefit from taking periodic breaks from technologies which are seen as addictive, such as smartphones.

Dopamine fasting is a way for individuals to fast and cope with impulsive and behavioral addiction to help reset to a healthy lifestyle. Some examples of addictive and impulsive behaviors include but not limited to; social media use, emotional eating, internet or gaming, gambling or shopping, porn or masturbation.[1][2][3]

This concept is a form of detox that was first developed by California psychiatrist Dr. Cameron Sepah as a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). However, the practice has been referred to as a "maladaptive fad" by psychiatrist Dr. Cameron Sepah. He explains that the intended goal for individuals fasting is to not completely eliminate such addictive behaviors but to learn how to maintain their impulsive behavior towards a healthy lifestyle.[4]

In contrast, Dr. Cameron Sepah stressed that there have been misinterpretations of what the true value of this type of detox is and how it is supposed to work.[1]

Definitions

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The practice of dopamine fasting is not clearly defined in what it entails, on what technologies, with what frequency it should be done, or how it is supposed to work.[5][6] Some proponents limit the process to avoiding online technology; others extend it to abstaining from all work, exercise, physical contact and unnecessary conversation.[7]

According to California psychiatrist Dr. Cameron Sepah, a proponent of the practice,[1] the purpose is not to literally reduce dopamine in the body[8] but rather to reduce impulsive behaviors that are rewarded with it.[9] One account suggests that the practice is about avoiding cues, such as hearing the ring of a smartphone, that can trigger impulsive behaviors, such as remaining on the smartphone after the call to play a game.[10] In one sense, dopamine fasting is a reaction to technology firms that have engineered their services to keep people hooked. It can encourage engagement in less stimulating activities such as reading, crafting, or outdoor sports.[11][8]

An extreme form of dopamine fasting would be complete sensory deprivation, where all external stimuli are removed to promote a sense of calm and wellbeing.[7]

Impacts

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The effects of a overload of one activity can cause our brains natural dopamine to cause unbalancedness and negative effects on our body and mental health.[12]

Proponents of dopamine fasting argue that it is a way to exert greater self-control and self-discipline over one's life, and New York Times technology journalist Nellie Bowles found that dopamine fasting made her subject's everyday life "more exciting and fun".[13]

It has been described as a fad and a craze associated with Silicon Valley.[10][6] An account in Vice said, "If the idea of abstaining from anything fun in order to increase your mental clarity is appealing, congratulations: You and the notorious biohackers in Silicon Valley are on the same wave."[14]

A clinical psychologist says, The "dopamine detox trend" is becoming a popular way for individuals to "unplug and enjoy the simpler things in life".[15]

Clifford Sussman, MD; and Paul Weigle, MD also explain for addictive gaming it is said that "For such patients, turning off their console after an hour of gaming is akin to individuals with alcohol use disorder trying to stop after 1 drink."[2]

A study was conducted in adults (ages 30–25) and the relationships between digital screen time, video gaming, and impulsive behavior.[16] Some key findings were that the association between more screen time use was linked to high impulsivity particularly in situation of urgency. Another key finding was there is implications for mental health issues in adulthood.[16]

Gambling is also an highly addictive activity that feeds off a dopamine rush and online sports betting has been a huge influence on addictive gamblers to resist.[3]

Scientific basis

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Detractors say that the overall concept of dopamine fasting is unscientific since the chemical plays a vital role in everyday life; literally reducing it would not be good for a person,[10] and removing a particular stimulus like social media would not reduce the levels of dopamine in the body, only the stimulation of it.[10] Ciara McCabe, Associate Professor in Neuroscience at the University of Reading, considers the idea that the brain could be "reset" by avoiding dopamine triggers for a short time to be "nonsense".[8]

Cameron Sepah, who has promoted the practice of dopamine fasting, agrees that the name is misleading and says that its purpose is not to literally reduce dopamine in the body[8] but rather to reduce the impulsive behaviors that are rewarded by it.[9]

Besides impulsive behavior control, which is regulated by the prefrontal cortex,[17] it has never been conclusively proven that technology use hardens the brain to dopamine’s effects. Technology use induces a dopamine response on par with any normal, enjoyable experience: roughly a 50% to 100% increase. By contrast, heroin, cocaine and amphetamine — three highly addictive drugs — can cause dopamine spikes ranging as high as 300%,[18] 350%,[19] and 1,365%[20] respectively. In addition, dopamine receptors themselves — the cells in the brain activated in different ways by dopamine’s release — respond differently to technology use than they do to substance abuse, with no evidence that they become less sensitive to dopamine with repeated exposure, in the way they do with substance abuse. In the final analysis, it is wrong to assume that avoiding "dopamine spikes" may upregulate dopamine receptors, causing an "increase in motivation or pleasure".[21] Conversely, freeing oneself from bad habits may free up time for healthier habits, like physical activity, leading to actual increases in gray matter volume on multiple brain parts related to the reward system.

Signs of Detox

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  • Lack of Motivation [22]
  • Tiredness [22]
  • Low sex drive [22]
  • Feeling anxious or depressed [22]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Fei, Yi Yang; Johnson, Peter Anto; Omran, Noor A.L.; Mardon, Austin; Johnson, John Christy (January 2022). "Maladaptive or misunderstood? Dopamine fasting as a potential intervention for behavioral addiction". Lifestyle Medicine. 3 (1). doi:10.1002/lim2.54. ISSN 2688-3740.
  2. ^ a b Sussman C, Weigle P. (Feb 2024). "Dopamine Detoxification for Problematic Gaming". Psychiatric Times. 41 (2): 22–23 – via EBSCOhost.
  3. ^ a b Milton, Anthony (2024). "The Big Bet". Maclean's. 137 (10): 30–38. ISSN 0024-9262 – via EBSCOhost.
  4. ^ Jessica Stillman. (June 26, 2024 Wednesday). 'Dopamine Detoxes' Are Trendy, but This Harvard Doctor Says Most Do More Harm Than Good. Inc.com. https://advance-lexis-com.uhcl.idm.oclc.org/api/document?collection=news&id=urn%3acontentItem%3a6CBK-V4G1-DYHW-N00C-00000-00&context=1519360&identityprofileid=VFXTPJ52845.
  5. ^ Grohol, John (2019-11-13). "Dopamine Fasting Probably Doesn't Work, Try This Instead". www.psychcentral.com. Retrieved 2020-01-28.
  6. ^ a b Kim Krieger (January 20, 2020). "Q&A: John Salamone On The 'Dopamine Fasting' Trend". University of Connecticut. Retrieved January 24, 2020. ... people deprive themselves of pleasurable activities for a day or a week at a time. Supposedly, it helps reduce anxiety and quit bad habits. But the practice is nebulously defined ....
  7. ^ a b Bowles, Nellie (7 November 2019). "How to Feel Nothing Now, in Order to Feel More Later (Published 2019)". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  8. ^ a b c d Maria Coole (January 10, 2020). "Dopamine fasting is apparently now a thing – so we looked into it". Marie Claire magazine. Retrieved January 24, 2020. ...The idea of dopamine fasting originated in – where else – Silicon Valley. Yes, the place that has spent years carefully engineering and designing their products and apps to exploit the dopamine system and get us hooked ... Experts are widely skeptical too. ... dopamine plays an important role in lots of everyday functions and it's not a good idea to try and reduce it ... that we can somehow 'reset' our brains by avoiding dopamine triggers for a short while is 'nonsense'.
  9. ^ a b Julie Fraga (2019-12-30). "Dopamine fasting: Would a hiatus from pleasure make us better at life?". Mic magazine. Retrieved 2020-01-24. ... "dopamine fasting" works something like this: Avoid exciting stimulation, and by doing so, become a better version of yourself....the idea that forgoing pleasurable activities can help curb bad habits, bolster happiness, and enhance self-reflection....
  10. ^ a b c d Ciara McCabe (3 January 2020). "The next big thing: Dopamine fasting: COMMENTARY -- An expert reviews the latest craze in Silicon Valley". Street Roots magazine. Retrieved January 24, 2020. ...the key ... is to reduce our exposure to the triggers associated with the rewards that initiate the wanting for the rewards in the first place. After all, it is these cues that initiate the craving and the desires....
  11. ^ "What is dopamine fasting? Potential benefits and how to do it".
  12. ^ Moss, Nick; Iddon, Barbara (2024-09-16), "The things we think and do not say", Blueprints for the Soul, London: RIBA Publishing, pp. 85–92, doi:10.4324/9781003564096-7, ISBN 978-1-003-56409-6, retrieved 2024-11-04
  13. ^ A. Trevor Sutton of The Conversation (2020-01-24). "Is dopamine fasting the path to enlightenment, or just another celebrity thing?". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2020-01-24. ...Silicon Valley's newest fad is dopamine fasting, or temporarily abstaining from "addictive" activities such as social media, music, internet gaming – even food. ...Dubbed "dopamine fasting" by San Francisco psychologist Cameron Sepah, the trend is getting increasing international attention as a potential "cure" for technology addiction....
  14. ^ Way, Katie (17 October 2019). "'Dopamine Fasting' Is the Newest 'Sounds Fake, but OK' Wellness Trend". www.vice.com. Retrieved 2020-01-28.
  15. ^ "DO YOU NEED A DOPAMINE DETOX?" Psychologies, July 2024, p. 32. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A800163937/ITOF?u=txshracd2589&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=306f0447. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
  16. ^ a b Anqing Zheng, Shandell Pahlen, Tina T. Vo, Fady Lawrence, Faredun Dungore, Emery Lor, Nicholas D. Bowman, Robin P. Corley, Naomi P. Friedman, Sally J. Wadsworth, Chandra A. Reynolds (2024). "A genetically informed study of digital screen time, video game play, and impulsivity in established adulthood". Computers in Human Behavior. 161. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2024.108401. ISSN 0747-5632 – via ScienceDirect.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  17. ^ Nestler, Eric J. (2009). Molecular neuropharmacology : a foundation for clinical neuroscience. Steven E. Hyman, Robert C. Malenka (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 978-0-07-164119-7. OCLC 273018757.
  18. ^ Wise, Roy A.; Leone, Paola; Rivest, Robert; Leeb, Kira (October 1995). "Elevations of nucleus accumbens dopamine and DOPAC levels during intravenous heroin self-administration". Synapse. 21 (2): 140–148. doi:10.1002/syn.890210207. PMID 8584975. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  19. ^ Mateo, Yolanda; Lack, Christopher M.; Morgan, Drake; Roberts, David CS; Jones, Sarah R. (9 February 2005). "Reduced Dopamine Terminal Function and Insensitivity to Cocaine Following Cocaine Binge Self-Administration and Deprivation". Neuropsychopharmacology. 30 (8): 1455–1463. doi:10.1038/sj.npp.1300687. PMID 15702135. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  20. ^ Breier, A.; Su, T.-P.; Saunders, R.; Carson, R.E.; Kolachana, B.S.; Bartolomeis, A. de; Weinberger, D.R.; Weisenfeld, N.; Malhotra, A.K.; Eckelman, W.C.; Pickar, D. (18 March 1997). "Schizophrenia is associated with elevated amphetamine-induced synaptic dopamine concentrations: Evidence from a novel positron emission tomography method". PNAS. 94 (6): 2569–2574. Bibcode:1997PNAS...94.2569B. doi:10.1073/pnas.94.6.2569. PMC 20129. PMID 9122236.
  21. ^ Ferguson, Christopher J. (22 May 2018). "Debunking the 6 biggest myths about 'technology addiction'". The Conversation. Retrieved 2022-01-10.
  22. ^ a b c d "Do we all need a dopamine detox?" Body + Soul, 24 Sept. 2024, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A809722133/ITOF?u=txshracd2589&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=bf2db561. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
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