E89: How Dopamine Strengthens Our Cravings and Weakens Our Willpower
03/04/22 • 15 min
Gill discusses cravings and how dopamine influences our level of self-control. Cravings to drink can show up when you least expect them and they can be really powerful. They don’t last forever, but if you’re trying to willpower your way through cravings all the time then you’re going to get exhausted. She explains an interesting study on levels of dopamine and how this influences our decision to go for instant gratification, and how the more willpower we try to throw at something, the worse our ability to exert self-control becomes.
What to listen to next:
E51: Why we crave alcohol and what to do about it
E67: How alcohol impacts cortisol and causes cravings
E62: Dopamine deep dive
E61: How alcohol memories are triggered in sobriety
E68: How heavy drinking changes the way we make decisions
E80: Benefits of a dry month
Resources I offer:
- Membership: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership
- Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5
- Free resources https://www.soberpowered.com/free
Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more:
https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors
If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered
Sources are posted on my website
Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Gill discusses cravings and how dopamine influences our level of self-control. Cravings to drink can show up when you least expect them and they can be really powerful. They don’t last forever, but if you’re trying to willpower your way through cravings all the time then you’re going to get exhausted. She explains an interesting study on levels of dopamine and how this influences our decision to go for instant gratification, and how the more willpower we try to throw at something, the worse our ability to exert self-control becomes.
What to listen to next:
E51: Why we crave alcohol and what to do about it
E67: How alcohol impacts cortisol and causes cravings
E62: Dopamine deep dive
E61: How alcohol memories are triggered in sobriety
E68: How heavy drinking changes the way we make decisions
E80: Benefits of a dry month
Resources I offer:
- Membership: Living a Sober Powered Life https://www.soberpowered.com/membership
- Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5
- Free resources https://www.soberpowered.com/free
Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more:
https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors
If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered
Sources are posted on my website
Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Previous Episode
E88: Sibling Studies: Why One Develops a Problem and the Other Doesn't
Gill discusses brain networks that make us more vulnerable to developing an addiction. Childhood trauma, family history of addiction, and growing up with a parent who struggles with substances greatly increase your risk of developing your issues with addiction. We know this, but sometimes if you look at families there is one sibling who makes it out fine and the other comes out with a ton of hardship and mental health challenges. Why is that though? Is one sibling strong and the other is weak? In this episode she explores why some siblings do not develop addiction despite having the same home life and childhood trauma as the sibling who eventually develops a problem. She uses herself and her brother as a case study for this episode because her brother is just a regular guy. She has a few studies to share about the brains of siblings and non addicted healthy controls with no family history, and some more information on resilience.
What to listen to next:
E71: Trauma May Make Drugs and Alcohol Feel More Pleasurable
E74: Resilience Impacts How Much You Drink
E32: A Conversation with my Husband
E46: Neuroplasticity Helps us Recover
Resources I offer:
- Membership: Living a Sober Powered Life. https://www.soberpowered.com/membership
- Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5
- Free resources https://www.soberpowered.com/free
Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more:
https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors
If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered
Sources are posted on my website
Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Next Episode
E90: New Study Finds Just One Drink Shrinks Your Brain, or Does it?
Gill discusses the new study that was published a few days ago about how even just one drink a day can shrink your brain. She explains what this study found, how the study was performed, and what she thinks of the results. She relates this to studies about how alcohol is healthy and teaches you how to identify whether a study's results are fact or just an association.
What to listen to next:
E85: Biased Alcohol Studies vs Reality
E69: Alcohol Shrinks the Brain... But What Does That Mean?
E31: If Alcohol is Toxic, Why Can We Drink it?
CNN Article
https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/04/health/alcohol-brain-shrinkage-wellness/index.html
Wine Spectator Article
https://www.winespectator.com/articles/new-study-suggests-red-wine-reduces-covid-infection-rates
Resources I offer:
- Membership: Living a Sober Powered Life. https://www.soberpowered.com/membership
- Weekly emails on Thursdays where I explain the latest episode in more detail, share images to help you understand the concepts, share announcements, interviews, writing, discount codes and more. https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6107260617e156c4839768b5
- Free resources https://www.soberpowered.com/free
Thank you for supporting this show by supporting my sponsors. Learn more:
https://www.soberpowered.com/sponsors
If you enjoyed this episode please consider buying me a coffee to support my work https://www.buymeacoffee.com/soberpowered
Sources are posted on my website
Disclaimer: all of the information described in this podcast is my interpretation of the research combined with my opinion. This is not medical advice.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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