The Path to Enough

In this episode of Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam interviews psychiatrist Anna Lembke about the paradoxical effects of pleasure and how to live a balanced life. Lembke explains the brain's seesaw mechanism for balancing pain and pleasure, where excessive indulgence leads to a dopamine deficit, causing anxiety and depression. She shares her personal experience with addiction to romance novels and discusses the concept of a "dopamine fast" to reset reward pathways. Lembke also explores self-binding techniques, the importance of seeking pain and hardship, and the role of relationships and community in battling addiction, emphasizing the need for truth and connection in recovery. The episode further addresses listener questions about addiction, the difference between passion and addiction, and the challenges of navigating a dopamine-overloaded world.