Dopamine Detox Book

 Dopamine Detox by Thibaut Meurisse, In the times you live in, there are multiple distractions that keep you from being more productive.

                                         

Table of Contents

• What is dopamine?
• What’s in the book “Dopamine Detox”?
• What happens when you have a dopamine addiction?
• Whats good about the book, “Dopamine Detox”?

You must know how these distractions work on your mind, what are the ways to get over them and why Dopamine detox is relevant to you.

What is dopamine?

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter produced in the brain and has multiple functions in the body. It is an essential “feel-good hormone”  but over stimulation of dopamine is not good either.

While dopamine and serotonin are both neuro-transmitter chemicals, they are different in a way. Thibaut says that dopamine is that neurotransmitter which makes you excited and act, do something in anticipation of pleasurable activities or rewards. 

Dopamine makes you crave for sugary cakes, click on the social media notification, or look forward to any other activities that give you a pleasant feeling. Serotonin has more long lasting effect as it makes you feel happy or gives a feeling of well-being after the reward.

What’s in the book “Dopamine Detox”?

The book presents several theories of what happens when you have over stimulation of dopamine. So, you will read about what is dopamine and what role it plays in your life. After this the author explains what is the problem caused by dopamine rush and why you should practice a detox. He explains a three step method for having a successful dopamine detox routine. 

Procrastination is common when there is an excess of dopamine and the mind seeks immediate validation. Setting priorities, thinking of long term goals and taking decisions that are aligned to these goals, seem difficult.

In between the 72 pages of this book, the author talks about ways you can workcome procrastination and actually do the work. He explains the psychology behind instant gratification and how users are manipulated. Lastly, he explains how to not have a dopamine relapse and live a fruitful life.

This book is a very useful read for most people in today’s technology driven times. Especially when there is a false sense of busyness yet little time left for real work.

What happens when you have a dopamine addiction?

Some of the results from excess dopamine that the author talks about are …

Whenever there is a social media notification on your smartphone, you can’t resist clicking and spend long time going over other content as well.

You seek instant gratification of social media likes and comments or any other instant highs.

Causes lack of patience and unable to think of long term goals.

Binge on sweets, cold drink beverages, movies, chatting on social media or doing too much exercise. 

Seek instant replies to messages.

Expect fast results.

Cognitive biases

Adopt incorrect mindsets.

Fear of missing out.

Restlessness and anxiety.

Unable to concentrate and feel distracted.

What's good about the book, “Dopamine Detox”?

Examples are given wherever the author thinks necessary. Some of the examples were shocking and enlightening. One such example is that Steve Jobs, the former Apple CEO kept his children away from using phones and tablets, as much as possible, even though he sold them for a living.

Another example that impressed me was that Amazon, the e-commerce giant, was created in 1994 but had it’s first profitable year only in 2003 after witnessing a 149 million dollars loss in the previous year.

Additionally, I think the perspectives and theories penned by the author are wise. For instance, he says that for success, one needs to think long term and keep patience. He supports these insights with examples. What’s more important is the book gives actionable steps and tricks that are practical and work on your mindset.

After reading this book review of “Dopamine Detox”, you know what is the book is about, there is a right amount of dopamine stimulation and there are ways of training your mind to avoid excess.