Health Matters 2022: Pain, Pleasure, and the Addictive Chase for Dopamine

Pain, Pleasure, and the Addictive Chase for Dopamine
Anna Lembke, MD, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine and Chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic

Moderated by: Sandra Rodrigues Ben-Efraim, Stanford Medicine Community Council Member

Author of the best-selling book Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence, Stanford Psychiatry Professor Anna Lembke decodes complex neuroscience into applicable strategies that explain why the relentless pursuit of pleasure can lead to pain. An expert in treating addictions of all kinds, Dr. Lembke discusses the biology and psychology of why people become addicted to certain substances and behaviors and the key role that our dopamine levels play in creating addiction. Learn how conducting a dopamine fast can help curb our innate desire to overindulge, be it with drugs, alcohol, food, work, the Internet, or sex, and find contentment and connectedness by keeping dopamine in check.

Part of Health Matters, Stanford Medicine's free community day. Learn more at healthmatters.stanford.edu. #healthmatters2022