#140 - The Science Of Dopamine Fasting: More Than Just A Fad ft. Dr. Cameron Sepah

"Dopamine Fasting" is a recent hot trend for improving productivity, mental discipline, and essentially structuring your time with what matters most to you...without modern distractions.

Dopamine is neurotransmitter involved in our brain’s system for motivation, reward, and pleasure.

Even when encountering seemingly innocent actions such as scrolling through your social media feed and gawking a cute puppy picture..dopamine is getting released in the brain. Could periodically abstaining from constant dopamine releases result in a better version of yourself?

Dr. Cameron Sepah, a clinical professor of psychiatry at UC San Francisco and returning podcast guest, popularized dopamine fasting in August when he published a "Dopamine Fasting" guide and made the rounds in the press.

“Taking a break from behaviors that trigger strong amounts of dopamine release (especially in a repeated fashion) allows our brain to recover and restore itself,” Sepah wrote in a Vox article.

Without such breaks, we become habituated to high levels of the chemical, so we feel the need to seek out ever-higher doses of stimulation to achieve the same pleasurable effect.

With principles of abstinence not unlike intermittent fasting, it's not a hard reach to connect the parallels between intermittent fasting and dopamine fasting. Cutting-edge "biohacker-y" practices tend to be an easy target for attracting dismissive articles that fail to take into account the actual science.. Unfortunately, it is becoming increasingly apparent that optimizing articles for "clicks" and "virality" are becoming standard practice from even the most well-respected outlets.

 

In this no-holds barred podcast, we interview the man behind the "Dopamine Fasting" movement.

 

In this episode, Geoff & Dr. Sepah discuss:

· Dr. Sepha's evidence-based definition of 'dopamine fasting' vs what is being portrayed in popular media such as the NTY.

· The science behind brain addiction, specifically through the lens of modern technology driven by social media, self-validation thought the internet, & more. Cameron's approach derives from cognitive behavioral science, a well-studied field of science.

· The dissatisfaction Cameron felt when reading the the latest guidelines from the American Psychology Association: "Many characteristics commonly linked with masculinity — such as courage, strength, compassion, leadership, and assertiveness — are often associated with positive psychological and behavioral health. However, according to the psychological research cited in the guidelines, some masculine social norms can have negative consequences for the health of boys and men."

 

Without a doubt, it's a hefty & multi-faced topic. We hope you enjoy this honest conversation!

Follow Dr. Cameron Sepah here: https://twitter.com/DrSepah

 

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