Episode 36: Compulsive Overconsumption and the Dopamine Economy, with Dr. Anna Lembke

Today I interviewed Stanford Psychiatrist and best selling author, Dr. Anna Lembke, about her book Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence. We discussed the neurophysiology of addiction that can lead to overconsumption and how Dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain, plays a crucial role in the system. Dr. Lembke also discussed how individuals need to try and recalibrate themselves to accept that uncomfortable experiences, such as pain, boredom, and sadness are a necessary part of human existence.

Dr. Lembke is a professor of psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine and chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic.  She has published more than a hundred peer-reviewed papers, book chapters, and commentaries and she maintains a thriving private practice.

Dr. Lembke recently appeared on the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma, an unvarnished look at the impact of social media on our lives. 

Her new book, Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence was an instant New York Times bestseller. It explores how to moderate compulsive overconsumption in a dopamine-overloaded world.