Summary: Dopamine Nation: Anna Lembke, M.D: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence

Instant New York Times and Los Angeles Times Best Seller

“Brilliant…riveting, scary, cogent, and cleverly argued.” (Beth Macy, author of Dopesick As heard on Fresh Air)

Finding an optimal balance between pain and pleasure is more important now than ever because of our self-immersion in overconsumption. We live in an era where we have unparalleled access to high-reward, high-dopamine stimuli, including drugs, food, news, shopping, gambling, gaming, texting, sexting, and social media abuses. The increasing quantity, diversity, and potency are mind-boggling. For a connected generation, the smartphone is the modern-day hypodermic needle, giving digital dopamine 24 hours a day, seven days a week. As a result, we're all at risk of obsessive overconsumption. Dr. Anna Lembke, a psychiatrist and author, discusses the fascinating new scientific findings that explain why the never-ending quest of pleasure leads to pain...and what to do about it in Dopamine Nation. Lembke demonstrates how finding happiness and togetherness entails keeping dopamine in control by condensing sophisticated neuroscience into simple analogies. Her story is held together by the actual experiences of her patients. Their gripping tales of adversity and redemption inspire us all to better manage our consumption and alter our lives. Dopamine Nation demonstrates that integrating the science of desire with the wisdom of recovery is the key to attaining equilibrium.