"Dopamine Nation" by Dr. Anna Lembke

I've read many books on Dopamine, so I'm somewhat an armchair expert on the topic. However, the author has taught me a useful acronym to combat addiction:

  • D — data, gather data on the addiction
  • O — objectives, see why the addiction is in place
  • P — problems, see what problems does addiction lead to
  • A — abstinence, need to abstain from the addiction for at least 1 month
  • M — mindfulness, practice mindfulness during the toughest moments
  • I — insight, think what changed for the better, analyze life without addiction
  • N — next steps, think what's next now that addiction is gone
  • E — experiment, see how to make life more fruitful and how life is different with the reset dopamine level

Another thing that I've learnt from the book is that some level of pain or discomfort raises Dopamine after the pain is gone. This is why cold showers and cold plunges are so useful.

Otherwise, "Dopamine Nation" is a good primer on what Dopamine and addiction are, and how to control them.