03 The Dopamine Dilemma: Exploring Behavioral Addictions and Video Gaming

11/15/23 • 18 min

Dopamine and its Role in Addictive Behaviors
- Introduction to dopamine and its significance in day-to-day lives
- Influence of dopamine-related disorders, like ADHD, on addictive behaviors
- Explanation of how dopamine affects brain functions, attention, motivation, and reward
- Relation between dopamine and impulsive decisions, energy levels, compulsive behaviors, and risk-taking
- Impact of low dopamine levels on motivation, social withdrawal, joy, and satisfaction
- Influence of technology, social media, and instant gratification on dopamine-related disorders
Pleasure, Dopamine, and Addiction
- Release of dopamine in the brain during pleasurable activities
- Reinforcement of behavior due to dopamine-induced good feeling
- Desensitization of dopamine reward pathway due to pursuing immediate rewards through certain behaviors
- Addiction as a result of desensitization and increased frequency and intensity of chosen behavior
Pain and Pleasure Balance
- Explanation of the pain and pleasure balance in the brain
- Comparison to a teeter totter where pleasure and pain act as opponents
- Increase in dopamine levels and pleasure from activities like eating chocolate and playing video games
- Regulation of dopamine levels through release of chemicals on the pain side of the balance
- Tolerance to pleasure, shorter duration of pleasure, and stronger pain side leading to addiction
- Withdrawal effects and relapse caused by prolonged periods on the pain side of the balance
Managing Video Game Addiction
- Personal account of addressing video game addiction with an older son
- Identification of decreased interest in socializing and other activities due to excessive video game playing
- Importance of finding realistic ways to decrease video game time
- Son's agreement to share his experience as a trooper
- Impact of excessive video gaming on joy and enthusiasm for other activities, such as sports
- Positive outcome of abstaining from video games to regain homeostasis and balance in reward pathways
01:40 Dopamine impacts behavior and mental well-being.

03:08 Excessive activities trigger dopamine, leading to addiction.

08:49 Decrease video game time to regain balance.

10:03 Teenager battling chores, video game addiction experiment.

15:55 Consider moderation, therapy, and abstinence from games.
Book: Dopamine Nation by Anna Lembke
https://amzn.to/3Sy6kRi
Connect with Jen:
Follow on IG: https://instagram.com/jen.lander
Follow on FB: https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.butram/
Landing Imperfect Website: https://landingimperfect.godaddysites.com/

03:08 Excessive activities trigger dopamine, leading to addiction.

08:49 Decrease video game time to regain balance.

10:03 Teenager battling chores, video game addiction experiment.

Previous Episode

02 The Power of Self-Reflection: Taking Control During Challenging Times

Are you tired of constantly questioning your abilities and feeling like you're losing control? Well, in this episode I share my personal journey of overcoming low self-esteem during challenging times. I talk about the impact of negative self-talk and the comparisons we make on social media. I offer valuable insights on taking a mental break from the comparison game, nurturing friendships, and finding healthy coping mechanisms. If you're ready to increase your self-esteem and reclaim your identity, this episode is a must-listen.
[00:02:04] Losing control, sadness, isolation, cleaning, puzzles.

[00:03:06] Took a break from social media, isolated.

[00:07:33] Address underlying issues, reduce extreme cleaning.

[00:09:29] Take a break, limit social media, be compassionate.

[00:15:10] Sleep is crucial for physical and mental health.

[00:16:33] Podcast offers support for eating disorders.
Negative self-talk and low self-esteem
- Noticing and challenging negative self-talk
- Differentiating between facts and unfounded assumptions
- Cost of living with low self-esteem
- Feeling like losing one's own identity
- Day-to-day pressures and their impact
- Loneliness and social isolation
Overcoming challenges and improving self-esteem
- Personal experience of overcoming low self-esteem
- Coping with multiple difficult situations simultaneously
- Taking a mental break from comparison on social media
- Nurturing friendships outside of the marriage
- Recognizing the need for change in relationships
- Communicating feelings and intentions with friends and family
Coping mechanisms and distractions
- Obsessive cleaning as a distraction and coping mechanism
- Seeking control over one's life through cleaning
- The impact of excessive cleaning on mental and emotional well-being
- Recognizing the underlying issues that drive obsessive cleaning
- Addressing the real issues and finding healthier coping strategies
- Paying attention to triggers and emotions when engaging in cleaning
Growth and acceptance
- Progression towards greater self-acceptance
- Accepting a less perfectly clean house and embracing imperfections
- Learning to manage and express emotions in healthier ways
- Understanding cleaning as a default reaction to uncomfortable emotions
- Seeking balance between cleanliness and self-compassion
- Continuous personal growth and self-awareness
Connect with Jen:
Follow on IG: https://instagram.com/jen.lander
Follow on FB: https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.butram/
Landing Imperfect Website: https://landingimperfect.godaddysites.com/

Next Episode

04 Managing Holiday Stress: Embracing Imperfection and Creating Joyful Moments

The Holidays can be full of of stress and overwhelm. Join me as we navigate this season and create joyful, memorable moments with the people we love while managing our stress with realistic expectations.
- Importance of creating joyful, memorable experiences without feeling overwhelmed
- The challenge of balancing work, family, and holiday preparations
- The need for realistic expectations and setting achievable goals
- The importance of being present and finding joy in little moments
- The value of narrowing down and prioritizing holiday traditions
- Blending family traditions and managing the pressure
- Sharing personal experiences and lessons learned
Delegating and taking care of oneself
- The importance of delegating tasks to family members
- Involving children in holiday preparations
- The option of buying store-bought items instead of baking from scratch
- Setting aside "you" time to recharge and relax
- Staying organized but being flexible in plans
Focusing on family connection and creating meaningful memories
- Being present in the moment and putting away electronics
- Cooking, baking, and playing games together as a family
- Emphasizing the value of laughter and storytelling
- Stressing the importance of family connection over perfection
- Acknowledging that stress and overwhelm are inevitable but can be managed with realistic expectations and stress management strategies
Additional resources and support
- Mentioning a PDF with stress and anxiety management tools
- Encouraging listeners to share the episode with others who may benefit
- Offering gratitude for the support and engagement within the community
- Reminder that the podcast is a personal project and not a substitute for professional treatment
Conclusion
- Reiteration of the podcast's theme of embracing imperfections
- Appreciation for the audience's participation
- Invitation to connect on social media
- Reminder to seek professional help if needed
- Promise of another episode to come
00:08 Managing stress during the holidays is crucial.

05:53 Value quality time, be present, embrace imperfection.

09:27 Stopped buying gifts, bake cookies instead. Relief.

11:33 Disaster, mess, buy cookies, ask partner, decorate.

13:59 Prioritize self-care, quality time, and meaningful moments.
Resources:
https://landingimperfect.godaddysites.com/
Bin Bargains: https://www.facebook.com/BINBARGAIN
additional tools for managing stress and anxiety: https://jen-lander.ck.page/38547966e4
Connect with Jen:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jen.lander/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.butram/

Landing Imperfect - 03 The Dopamine Dilemma: Exploring Behavioral Addictions and Video Gaming

Transcript

00:00:00.050

he was more irritable. He definitely was sleeping more and he didn't really want to hang out with anyone during that time either. If I didn't know to expect this, I may have started to doubt what I was doing was the right thing to do,

00:00:15.740

Hello? Hello. Thanks for checking out this episode and spending some time with me today. So I wanted to talk about dopamine and the role that it plays in our day-to-day lives, specifically related to addic