Does Dopamine Detox Works? Step by Step Guidance

Overview

Dopamine is a chemical produced in your brain and it is responsible to makes you feel good. It helps communication between nerve cells. A sufficient amount of dopamine is very important for your brain as well as the body. 

While, a dopamine detox involves fasting from addictive behaviors like video games, gambling, social media, and other addictive activities (And we are aware of this fact very well how these behaviors spoil our normal life even our relations). For this remedy, you will require to refrain from instant hits of dopamine and replace it with healthier doings that release dopamine, for around 90 days. 

Keep in mind that there is no existence of scientifically researched evidence of dopamine detox and decline in the brain to a very simplistic level. In actual fact, it is far more complex than this “dopamine detox” trend recommends. Evidence of any benefits is unreliable and most come from refraining from potentially addictive behaviors. However, they are not linked with actually detoxing from dopamine. 

This piece of writing will investigate dopamine detox in further ways, such as potential risks and some subsidiary assistance.  

What is a dopamine detox?

The designer of the dopamine detox or fast is Dr. Cameron Sepah. The concept of his technique is for people to let themselves feel bored or lonely, or simply try trouble-free activities instead of reaching for sudden “hits” of dopamine. Preferably, people will start to notice how certain stimuli may divert them.  

Dr. Cameron Sepah typically uses the technique in clinical practice with venture capitalists and tech workers. His goal was to rid his clients of their dependence on certain stimuli, like texts, phone alerts, and social media notifications. Greatly, his research around this new practice was based on CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy). He tried to accomplish this concept is different from what people have come to realize that “dopamine detox” is. 

According to Dr. Sepah, dopamine detox targets 6 compulsive behaviors

• Excessive usage of the Internet and gaming

• Emotional eating

• Shopping and gambling

• Novelty and thrill-seeking

• Recreational drugs

• Masturbation and porn

By avoiding, these behaviors (that trigger the brain’s neurotransmitters), people become less reliant on the emotional “hits” that dopamine offers, which can sometimes cause addiction or dependence. 

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What is dopamine?

Dopamine is a hormone or type of neurotransmitter released in the brain as a chemical messenger. Dopamine affects many physical and behavioral functions, including 

• Motivation

• Learning

• Mood 

• Attention 

• Sleep

An excess or deficiency in dopamine release may lead to mental health conditions. Exposure to immense levels of stimuli can prompt such disorders, causing dependencies on certain activities or substances.

Does a dopamine detox work?

Dopamine detox has been proven to work numerous times for people worldwide, given that you have the determination to stick to them. 

The dopamine detox needs a person to keep away from any kind of stimulation, especially from pleasure triggers. Anything that stimulates dopamine production is unavailable throughout the detox.   

When you practice dopamine detox, keep away from dopamine triggers for a certain period, this period may be from an hour to several days.

Ideally, in the end of the detox plan, you will feel more balanced, centered, and less artificial by your usual dopamine triggers. Conversely, it is crucial to keep in mind that true dopamine detox (by which you can effectively close down addicted activities) in the brain is not possible.

For example, if your brain adapts to the drug or video game addiction. You will become dependent on these activities to produce dopamine to help you feel happy. With time your brain starts to change:

Your incentive system becomes frozen or numb to exposure to activities that may otherwise be pleasing. To feel pleased, you will need to play video games more and more and no other behaviors or actions will be competent to match the dopamine run presented by video games.

Your prefrontal cortex may not function correctly when you are addicted to video games. This damages your ability to think, and make truthful decisions, which may deteriorate your gaming addiction.

Furthermore, the extended amygdala (an almond-shaped structure present in the temporal lobe, just beneath the uncus,) is also affected, which leads you to feel anger and fear.  

When you start a dopamine detox, it is definitely going to be very tough these changes in your brain will start to reverse. However, it will take a lot of time and effort. The first two weeks will be difficult. You might feel some taking out symptoms like headaches or anxiety, depression, and lack of motivation.   

In the long run, you will begin to think and feel positive, you will have more energy, and your desires or craving will start to lessen. After some time, you will not feel the need to play games anymore, and your life can change entirely as long as you stick to the plan.

Dopamine detox step by step

Here is a step-by-step plan on how to follow a dopamine detox properly.

Step 1 

Take a decision to do dopamine detox and assign to It

The first step starts with your frame of mind. Make sure your mindset is one where you believe in this plan and believe in yourself to be flourishing with it. However, you must need to know that beginning a dopamine detox takes time and devotion. It will get hard along the way, but you MUST be keen to stick to it. This is the only way to get success to defeat your addiction.

Think about your recent situation if you are obsessed or addicted to video games. Ask yourself these questions:

1. Do I want to continue like this?  

1. No energy and stimulus to do anything else but play video games all day?

Take a minute to think about why you want to quit playing games or other addictions. Then imagine the life you want to live without your game addiction. Take a diary and place it from you can read it repeatedly. Write it down your feelings about your desired life, how you want to feel, dreams of your life, destinations, and goals. This writing up will help keep you going when you feel difficulty to continuing the plan.

The detox is only going well if you assign it 100%. Don’t think even about “just one scroll of my FB or Instagram feed” or “completion of just one stage of the game”.

Step 2: 

Delete your games and accounts

After making your mind up that you have to stick to the dopamine detox. Now it’s time to delete your games from your computer or remove the things related to your addiction-all to them. 

It may even be obliged to delete the accounts for the games you play most or take away the stuff of addiction. If you have a lot of stuff on your account or living place and you don’t want to remove it, the best option is to sell it.

Why does the dopamine detox plan suggest you delete the stuff of addiction? Because after deleting the stuff, primarily, you won’t be able to jump into the video game at once.  You will have to rearrange the stuff, which can be too much of a hassle for someone. It will be even more effective since it might take you longer to rearrange the things like before. So you might feel exhortation from doing it all in all. 

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Step 3: 

Start the dopamine detox plan

Now it’d time to start the detox plan. 

Spot the happy days on your calendar and monitor the changes that it brings to your life.   

Step 4: 

Stick to It for 90 days

It’s a turning point, now you need to stick to this plan for at least 90 days. The question must be arising in your mind why 90 days?

Because Dr. Cameron Sepah recommends that’s how it may make changes in your brain caused by addiction start undoing.

Maybe you will experience some withdrawal symptoms, which is when it’s good to remind yourself why you started this plan in the first place. It is also a good time to develop new managing and learn how to find the way to challenges in your life without evading into games. 

You can also find replacement activities that will help you replace your gaming habit. If you don’t like it, you can always try another hobby.  

Step 5: 

Continue or withdraw

After successfully following the dopamine detox plan, preferably you will feel better about your craving or addiction, and your urges to play considerably reduced. 

At this stage you have two options:

1. You can start playing games in self-control, as long as you have other obsessions going on in your life.  

               OR

2. You can continue the dopamine detox and live life without gaming or other addictions.

If you do not know and you can’t play in self-control, then it’s up to you to try it. But it’s better to be cautious if you are not sure, so you don’t get drawn into an addiction cycle again. 

When I should start a dopamine detox?

Your body naturally produces dopamine, even when it is not exposed to some stimuli. A more accurate description of the dopamine detox is a period of “unplugging” or self-discipline from the world.

Following the plan may have positive effects on those people who implement the practice from time to time. However, the term “Dopamine detox” by its nature is not scientifically correct. Dr. Sepah himself says the name is not meant to be understood exactly.  

 

Benefits

As we have mentioned above that a complete detox from natural dopamine is not possible.

Dopamine is often distracting and may be an obstacle for some people from achieving their goals. It is the excessive repetition of some feel-good actions, causing people to scroll mindlessly on social media or watch their TV dramas or shows.    

The decision to detach or unplug from certain impulsive behaviors may come with some health assistance, one of which is the potential for greater mental clarity and heightened focus. 

These pointless compulsions detract from spending time more effectively on work, home organization, health goals, and more. When people actively avoid these disruptions, they free up more time for the things that matter more to them.  

In brief, a dopamine detox is not technically possible, and any evidence of its positive effects is merely unreliable. However, by avoiding certain behaviors, such as spending hours scrolling through media sites and smartphones, people may be able to achieve a greater state of mindfulness, which comes with its own benefits. Among these are lower blood pressure, improve sleep, and stress relief. 

For those struggling with certain addictive behaviors, meditation can be the best way to achieve a state of attentiveness.