Dopamine detox depression reddit Some of them also do the same thing for seratonin. Dopamine is not a toxin to begin with. Moreover, dopamine is something vital to your health. K (HealthyGamerGG) has a great video on the neuroscience of it and how if you've become desensitized to dopamine you may be able to "detox" and adjust your sensitivity, but that you need to abstain from highly dopaminergic activities for 2+ weeks in order to have the desired effect, because that's how long it takes for your neural pathways to Welcome to Dopamine Detoxing. This is a support group to help with impulsive behaviour towards Eating, Gaming, Gambling, Thrill, and Tech. Dopamine detox in this case tries to be a quick fix solution to a much bigger problem. The concept of a 'dopamine detox' is neurotrash. These are the effects of something called Dopamine Withdrawal. Before I continue, I must emphasise that I don’t subscribe to the mainstream idea of a ‘ dopamine detox ‘ literally. Don't just detox without goals, that'd be my advice. But does it work? I decided to consult an expert about the science behind a dopamine detox — and try it out for myself. Jan 20, 2024 · That’s the gist of the messages from a large number of posts, blogs and wellness websites out there, all promoting a quick-fix for people’s depressed moods and lack of productivity. The book Dopamine Detox, are suggesting a detox of: 48-hour complete dopamine detox You must eliminate most or all sources of external stimulation for a total of 48 hours. Sep 9, 2024 · A dopamine detox involves giving up pleasurable activities in order to “reset your brain” and live a happier life. For the past 2 weeks I’ve quit several bad habits all at once (caffeine, alcohol, and several other things. Doctors today have a consensus that depression st Mar 8, 2024 · What are the challenges and tips of doing a dopamine detox. Edit: so many questions! I have treatment resistant depression. Dopamine Detox. Clinical depression is the kind that killed David Foster Wallace. Anhedonia is the lack of interest, enjoyment or pleasure. For context I’m 20 year old, 4th year med student struggling with; screen tiktok porn manga music movie addiction since 2020. To start off a dopamine detox, to pick a day in the week to avoid all the highly stimulating activities. I hope my story can inspire others to examine their relationship with stimulation and consider whether a dopamine detox might benefit them too. ETA: It’s generally not a cause for alarm, as the proper balance of both chemicals is needed, so treatment seeks to balance both serotonin and dopamine. The problem with that approach is that these dopamine detox videos were created by people who have a very limited understanding of what dopamine does in our brains. Essentially, dopamine detoxes use the same mechanism as addiction, but flips it on its head. Ketamine as a treatment for depression is absolutely magic. If your source of information is any of dopamine detox YouTube videos with dozens of millions of views, you might think that it must be effective. The Science of Mindfulness: Mindfulness practices like meditation and mindful breathing promote self-awareness, emotional regulation, and improved attention span, which can enhance the benefits of a dopamine detox. Hi all, i have been doing a dopamine detox / reducing instant gratification as a potential way to aid my depression I am having a bad time after a breakup over half a year ago, self esteem problems, lack of confidence. Reducing your stress, anxiety, and depression. A pleasant homeostasis, if you will. I drank pretty heavily from 2020 until… View community ranking In the Top 5% of largest communities on Reddit. I suspect this because: Lack of motivation and stimulation, even for my hobbies Excessive fatigue, tiredness, and apathy (feels like depression symptoms) Welcome to Dopamine Detoxing. This is a well-established concept in neuroscience. If done correctly, "dopamine detox" actually increases real dopamine and can rewire your brain to use that as the primary motivator. Quitting or swapping games could however help in taking you out of your depressive cycle, but it's definitely not a quick fix to depression. 5 mg + melitracen 10 mg, a tricyclic antidepressant 17 votes, 10 comments. Slow COMT is associated with high tonic dopamine. For the few people on this sub who don't know what it is, when people talk of "dopamine detoxing" they usually mean the abstinence of activities that provide "Dopamine Detox" can have some small and transient positive effects but there are two problems with the detox: It makes false claims about what it does. See the Required Reading for more. It's just a hormone (neurotransmitter) necessary for normal cognitive functioning. Also many different activitys release different levels of dopamine for many different people, someone enjoying an exiting book releases just as much if not similar dopamine I know this is an old thread but i thought i'd give my insight. So, is there anything you can do to overcome high dopamine rushes? To help you overcome addictions, you need to perform a dopamine detox. Like others have experienced, the proceeding 6-10 months of withdrawal, anger outbursts, and severe depression were horrible. Essential Steps for a Successful Dopamine Detox Journey. Start with a Dopamine Detox, then maintain a Dopamine Fast. I used to think that the idea of a dopamine detox is bullshit. I've been studying dopamine and brain chemistry for some time now, just for my own interest. When will this feeling go away? My reason for posting this on r/depression is to inspire people to grasp life by its horns and steer it in a good direction. This is becoming very tough. So like others have said, you can't really detox from dopamine because it's a brain chemical - but you can learn to get your dopamine from other things, and train yourself out of getting it from "harmful" sources like weed and screentime. When I attempt doing a dopamine detox, I can’t last for more than a day. I don't know why these self-help pseudo-science blogs call it a "dopamine detox". Yesterday I sat by the river and felt thankfulness. That a dopamine detox is a metaphor for simplifying your life, cutting out bad habits. Yup, you nailed it! Great job. Tonic dopamine is the rather constant background level, whereas pulsatile are the brief spikes due to some stimulus. Stay strong, everyone 💪. When you start spending more and more time on, it’s time for a change — for a dopamine “detox”. I had a very similar experience in terms of my productivity and my attention span but I must point out that if you are not stressed or comfortable with your life in general it is not so hard to keep up with this challenge. My limited understanding is that serotonin and dopamine counterbalance one another. You are partly right, dopamine is not toxic and frequently expectations can give you more dopamine than the activity itself. You have no idea the relief of not wanting to die all the time. my life is a lot better now, i have a loving and stable relationship, a very nice apartment, a car, phone service- things i never could have even imagined happening Posted by u/PsychExplor - 8 votes and 7 comments I haven't watched this particular video, but Dr. Staying away from stimuli for days/weeks probably won't help you that much. But I recently watched a few interviews with Cal Newport, the author of the book “Deep Work”. [METHOD] Dopamine Detox Guide: A Minimalistic System I created an actionable guide of Cal Newport's Digital Minimalism so that you can use insights from this book right away. In the process of dealing with anhedonia, individuals often have several questions as they navigate their emotional numbness and seek understanding and support. It can be caused by drugs, trauma, depression, etc. The key is to slowly remove these highly addictive behaviours and do other things. See my other comment for a partial answer to your question. I am not surprised to see other commenters talking about depression as a result. A dopamine detox is a great way to reduce your risk of addiction and dependence on dopamine-boosting substances. A dopamine detox aims to recalibrate the reward pathways by reducing exposure to dopamine-triggering stimuli. My understanding is that it's not really a dopamine detox, it's just lowering dopamine stimulation to normal levels. I cut out video games during school semester for example because i get addicted, but i try not to be too strict otherwise with for example switching tasks Good that you tried this, but from what I have understood (my intention and experience with doing a dopamine detox myself) is that, we tend to replace the ‘bad dopamine hits’ with the ‘good, subtle ones’, like you have done here. I've had a really bad problem with social media addiction for about 6 years now, and it's gotten to the point where I'll have reddit and twitter open, listening to music, in front of a game on my xbox and still feel bored. Without enough dopamine you may end up having health problems like Parkinson's disease. Best dopamine detox book or reference please end up with very bad depression then I escape Prolonged major depression turned me into a gamble addict. As for the relevance of dopamine to RL research: Obviously, many of the concepts (e. This makes the pulses of dopamine small in comparison. Cus I have no social life, no friends, no girlfriend and my hobbies are not my hobbies anymore so I think we craving for dopamine because of the lack of basic human needs in our lives. Well, dopamine plays a role in attention, learning, memory, and reward so yeah everybody is "addicted" to dopamine. hello yall i just joined this reddit, i’m 7 months sober after many hellish years of alcoholism. Welcome to Dopamine Detoxing. I believe that depression can be cured this way, but people likely disagree. There have been studies that show that sensitization of dopamine receptors can occur with anti-psychotic use. youtubers like him is probably reason why people keep asking about dopamine detox in this subreddit. A neurotypical person might benefit from it as they might be hooked on an excess of it. Hello everyone, i saw someone updating their dopamine detox journey and I thought it was a great idea to stay disciplined. One of the best responses I've received so far, lots to chew on and mull over. However, activities like gaming or social media are rewarding still, and with dopamine increase they launch the addiction loop, where you crave for more and with every iteration the craving is stronger and the pleasure is lower. ' And for those people it really can help. ) For depression, a low dose of atyptical antipsychotic (e. Starting your dopamine detox journey is all about making conscious and effective choices! People will argue that this is missing the point. Also, everyone's brain is different, so while some people might feel great after a detox or after limiting stimulation and will immediately feel like being more productive, some might go through some depression without their consent hits of dopamine to distract them. I started dopamine detox 4 days ago, and everyday my day starts with a good mood, but as afternoon approaches, I start feeling sad and depressed for no reason. It’s involved in reinforcement learning, where our brain is essentially trained to repeat actions that lead to rewarding outcomes. Though I do believe a normal or slightly higher dose of acid (about 100-300 ug) will provide a much more introspective mindframe and will make your dopamine detox even better Dopamine detox doesn't detox dopamine. Dr K said that the thing to watch out for when doing a dopamine detox is boredom. But the newer atypical antipsychotics have serotonergic mechanisms that alleviate some of the negative symptoms of schizophrenia (withdrawal, etc. That's the whole point of it. I’m thankful that I’ve only felt glimpses of this kind of depression because, frankly, it’s I am also doing dopamine detox at the moment and I also would like to share a part of my experience so far. Dopamine isn't a drug, it's an internally produced neurotransmitter. Based on the answers above, you can plan a detox for how long you want. My life has been like this for years. Yes, overindulging in too many "immediate gratification activities" might have an impact on our dopaminergic system, but not in the simplistic manner you describe it. That argument alone is enough to cause me depression. The biggest contributor to depression and low mood during withdrawal is the lack of dopamine. Jun 2, 2023 · A dopamine deficit, which can result from the extremes of all forms of addiction, can lead to feelings of depression and anxiety. The reason you feel the overwhelming urge to do these things is not because they produce something that is inherently that good. Your brain is still producing dopamine whether you're working or slacking off. Sep 2, 2022 · Photo by Jan Kahánek on Unsplash Conclusion. I've always struggled with some anxiety (mostly social), attention deficit issues and mild (seasonal/situational) depression, as well as a proclivity to addiction and substance abuse that tends to arise with the others (primarily alcohol, and misusing my Vyvanse prescription). I used to enjoy making art, and I still want to be an artist, but I just really don’t enjoy making art anymore and I find it boring and pretty much pointless these last few years. The whole concept "dopamine detox" is a bit flawed. I don't believe gaming addiction is the sole cause of your depression. The clinic I go to does ketamine treatments through intramuscular injections. Definitely tell your doctor, though! Everybody’s metabolism/body chemistry is different. Because I Welcome to Dopamine Detoxing. Jan 14, 2025 · A dopamine detox can help clear the mental clutter, allowing you to reconnect with what truly matters and find joy in everyday life again. And then we go looking for it. So, I was actually investigating the latter, where is this psychosis coming from when neurotransmitters are already lower than normal and all available resources will tell you that this psychosis is should always be coming from the surges of dopamine or neuro overactivity. Then there is probably the need for a dopamine detox because I have been on a computer all day every day for the past 15+ years. Strengthening your relationships, communication, and empathy. But that's not a detox. i saw once video where some "mental health" youtuber said that you should do dopamine detox if you have anhedonia. Welcome to Dopamine Detoxing, by Andrew Kirby. stuck in a cycle of sober livings, aa meetings, relapse and sleeping on curbs. } Because being such a complex subject as it is, people can be depressed in and for so many different ways and reasons. Adhd makes you produce less dopamine and dopamine detox can lead to depression-like symptoms and make executive function even worse! So be super careful. I've struggled with a lot of issues like anxiety, depression, and other seemingly random problems since middle school, but I think my issue is actually reduced dopamine. , Seroquel) is not given alone for depression, but added to an antidepressant. Dopamine controls our mood, energy levels, and general outlook on life. Heyhey, after the past 31 days I completed my first ever month-long extreme dopamine / consumism detox and I wanted to share my motivation, results, realisations (and some techniques). 1. I stopped watching YouTube, scrolling through twitter, eating junk food and watching porn. I ended up getting my ADHD results and they suspect most of my inattention is caused by depression and smoking weed, and said that it is unlikely I actually have ADHD. My dopamine detox journey has truly been a lifesaver, bringing me back from a state of chronic exhaustion and into a place where I feel I can thrive. Putting bet on soccer/basketball teams is the only thing gives me an excitement in this life. Most antidepressant medications work by making sure that you have more dopamine and norephedrine in your brain. Here's a summary of what porn addicts experience when they truly take action and cut out porn (their biggest source of dopamine hits) for good: Insomnia and other sleep difficulties Anxiety, stress, and other forms of fear I have this from lifetime of porn addiction, only solution after years of antidepressants that did not help was starting a typical antipsychotic (original ones, called also neuroleptics, in my case a medication called deanxit (its a 2 in 1 medication- antipsychotic called flupentixole 0. For adhd its good with more dopamine, and a dopamine detox can send us spiralling into depression. yeah, i think it's stupid too. Talking about a 'dopamine detox' makes as much sense, scientifically, as Dr Who talking about 'reversing the polarity of the neutron flow. . The problem arises if you get into the dopamine “addiction” phase — when Reddit is no longer a positive, but rather a distraction. To put it shortly; this dopamine detox has opened my eyes. The dopamine is already malfunctioning and does not simply readjust just because we get low dopamine. Intentionally trying to downregulate dopamine is not a smart idea for a lot of reasons, if it even works. true. The Logic Behind Dopamine Detox: Honestly, guys, I feel like I'm a complete victim of Dopamine at this point. g. But we also have a tendency to get addicted so some aspect of the dopamine detox definitely can benefit. And sure whatever, that can be good if you do it in a sustainable way. Abstaining from particular activities won't reduce levels of endogenous dopamine. For us, though, we need what dopamine we can squeeze out of life just to survive. We already get so little dopamine that removing it from our lives would likely result in issues. Though I certainly believe that the science is there to show that reducing one’s exposure to things that trigger an unnatural dopaminergic response after prolonged periods of subjection to them is extremely beneficial in that it can assist with a ‘ reset ‘ of sorts So while I don't think that "Dopamine Detox" is a valid scientific term, it still frames (in the reader's mind) critical goals for addiction therapy- which is recovering dopamine sensitivity to behaviors that are outside of the addict's addiction of choice (in this case, social media). You are getting downvoted but you are correct to an extent - it's not even that it's a sham but that positive actions/changes assoicated with a dopmanie detox/fast don't work in the way it's sold as via a dopamine detox/fast Ever since I started a dopamine detox 3-4 days ago (no porn no recreational tech use as well as cutting out all sugar and basically going complete monk mode save for sex and self improvement reddit) I am on what I'd call a massive "down" where I'm really tired, have no motivation, not very social, really just a massive depression honestly. As described in the title. The biggest difference I've felt is the peace and clarity of mind which translate into many aspects of life. Get out of Reddit too it does count as social network. This could be porn, cell-phone addiction, dopamine-seeking behavior of any kind. Endless scrolling on Social Media (Pinterest, Reddit, Instagram, YouTube), Dating Apps, dancing around the nsfw line, Online shopping Anything so the good ol' Dopamine keeps flooding my brain. It's because they quell withdrawal. Hi everyone, this is the first time after many attempts that I was able to do a full week of dopamine detox. I’m quitting music too since it triggers my maladaptive daydreaming. Someone has linked to this thread from another place on reddit: [r/abuseinterrupted] [Advice] How to get rid of Dopamine addiction, instant gratification, and develop a study habit? (x-post from r/getdisciplined) If you follow any of the above links, please respect the rules of reddit and don't vote in the other threads. TL;dr {I suspect my brain doesn't process dopamine as it should. Due to this, I think my dopamine receptors have been completely and utterly fried. High dopamine huh, well it almost seem like video games are just the publics pet peve and other high dopamine hobbys are ignored because it causes ur arguements to crumble. That's how we evolved. But here’s the thing: It doesn’t work. I never realised how much I needed it. It can also help you naturally boost I know that the idea of a dopamine detox it self is still a debated topic. 24-hour complete dopamine detox Same as the 48-hour dopamine detox but 24 hours instead. TL;DR you can't 'detox' from dopamine. It's not a detox, it's not a fast, it doesn't lower dopamine levels and it doesn't upregulate dopamine receptors, as it is too short in duration. If you are suffering from depression medication could of course be used and I recommend that. What games are you playing? 40,000 member subreddit about "dopamine detox" Post about "dopamine detox" being pseudoscience. There are two 'types' of dopamine: tonic and pulsatile. Introduction: In "Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World," Cal Newport outlines a philosophy for living a more meaningful and focused life in today's Welcome to Dopamine Detoxing, by Andrew Kirby. If you're an adrenaline junkie like I was, then there is a right way and a very wrong way to do this. This sounds an awful lot like a dopamine detox. Dec 21, 2023 · "Dopamine Detox" can have some small and transient positive effects but there are two problems with the detox: It makes false claims about what it does. In these interviews (and in the book as well), he suggests that embracing boredom will sort of train your ability to focus. Dopamine Returns to Normal 3 Months After Quitting Smoking [lack of dopamine potentially explains some of the anger, irritability and depression related to quitting nicotine that goes beyond the three-day withdrawal period] Welcome to Dopamine Detoxing. As soon as you put your phone down, withdrawal kicks in. After abusing addy for years and years, I quit cold turkey it and all my other vices at once (smoking cigs/weed, habitual abuse of booze, pills, and allll the other stimulants I could find). I gained a lot from here, and I consider my comeback to Reddit a great source of new views and awareness. Judging by the likes and comments, people are biting, with Reddit even boasting a dopamine-detox support group. (Info / ^Contact) Yeah it's really hard to tell what is causing what. It detoxes adrenaline and cortisol. Best of luck champ!!! Welcome to Dopamine Detoxing. Jan 2, 2025 · La dopamine est un neurotransmetteur, couramment appelé l'hormone du plus (avoir plus, faire plus, ressentir plus). Developing your skills Be careful and don't cut it out 100%. I don’t plan on quitting my “detox” and I plan to continue it indefinitely as its benefits are just too beneficial to me in almost every single way possible. Dopamine is largely responsible for motivation, desire, and cravings. So watch a sunset, read a book, exercise, that sort of stuff. Dopamine and Dopamine Fasting. This is beyond reddit's scope of practice. Why it works? Because dopamine is what is dysfunctional in ADHD. Dans son excellent livre "Dopamine Nation" (disponible sur Amazon), Anna Lembke explique qu'un rôle important de la dopamine est de créer le désir nécessaire pour passer à l'action. Moreover, your strive to get rid off bad habits is actually dopaminergic, because it's been hypothesised that dopamine is a prime driver for motivation, which is kinda ironic in that case. It just seems like suddenly everyone and their mother on Reddit likes to bring up Dopamine as the hot neurotransmitter, even though 99% of them have no clue about half of its functions. A lot of ADHD medications operate on similar pathways. But the truth for most people is that constant small hits of dopamine (social media, porn or any form of quick fix media) is usually a bad thing as it desensitizes the brain to dopamine so when your brain gives you dopamine for something useful it won’t mean as much. When we're participating in a dopamine envoking activity (whether that be exersize, studying, eating, sex), more dopamine is released until it peaks then drops below the baseline dopamine levels (postpartum depression) and eventually recovers. I think that’s normal withdrawal symptoms from the years of excessive dopamine your lifestyle was giving you, if you wanna look at it differently it’s like your body and mind are putting up a fight with the changes you want to make with yourself (which means your change is working!!!). Jun 11, 2024 · If you’ve been on social media lately you may have seen TikTok videos raving about the benefits of a dopamine detox for your mental health. I have a treatment later today. Dopamine is only one neurotransmitter; serotonin, noradrenaline, and GABA all work in synergy to achieve what you desire. A "dopamine fast" or whatever that is will just make your situation worse, and seeking other "dopamine highs" is a slippery slope. Also, the reason I started reading up on neurotransmitters and found dopamine detox is because I have medication resistant type 1 bipolar disorder with co-morbid mania, ADHD, migraine and psychotic depression. Before dopamine detox, my day was like this: immediately after getting up, I tried to sit down straight to work (I work from home) Understanding Dopamine: Dopamine is a key neurotransmitter that plays a significant role in our reward and pleasure centers. RPE) that have been brought forward as hypotheses for a "general function" of dopamine (the notion of a neurotransmitter having a general function deserves scare quotes) are relevant to RL. Many of them seem to be dopamine blockers, as in they directly block the dopamine receptors in the brain from actually receiving dopamine. Instead I'm meditating, reading, writing, going for walks, running and getting work done. Microdosing shouldn’t be bad for a dopamine detox as it messes with the serotonin receptors not the dopamine ones which is a big reason why it isn’t very addictive. Nicotine artificially increases dopamine to the point where your body stops producing as much. For me, it's depression and self hatred. I spend hours looking for a kick. I was told that I would have to deal with boredom, not constant mood swings. For example I am making a short film and everytime I do a dopamine detox I say "Ok, i will focus on write the script and paint the sketches", after that study programming and maybe running. It's far too easy to abuse dopamine these days, so I thought of it as going back to a time before technology. To put it into context, if you asked me to read a book 2 months ago, I would’ve Clinical severe depression and the kind of dopamine malaise depression that OP is talking about are different, but both are legitimate forms of depression in my humble opinion. The effect is not actually a “dopamine detox” but rather an upregulation of dopamine receptors that makes previously unfun things fun. gzzliw wyktu lpzb npkqg jstbm lkcqjo qtwuppz frgsc gktqz skylku rjciabwb ttnfjrd jyagx uiwhm scjydi