Take Control

Better than Yesterday podcast

The speaker discusses addiction beyond drugs and alcohol, and how most people are addicted to
something. Understanding why we have certain desires can help control behavior.

Most people are addicted to something, even if they don't realize it. Addiction is not limited to drugs
or alcohol, it can be found in everyday behaviors. Understanding and controlling addictive behaviors
requires identifying the purpose they serve.

Indulging in highly dopaminergic activities may be effective in elevating mood in the short term but
can make life worse in the long term. Balancing pain and pleasure is crucial to everyday functioning.
Indulging in pleasure tips the scale and overcompensates by tipping it to the pain side causing cravings for
more pleasure. Indulging in a highly dopaminergic activity leads to diminishing marginal utility and
tolerance, resulting in a vicious cycle of craving and addiction. The more you indulge in something, the less
pleasure you derive from it.

Over time you build tolerance and require more potent versions, leading to addiction. To break the
cycle, abstain from the addictive activity for at least a month. Dopamine fasting helps control unwanted
behavior. Identify triggers and optimize the environment to reduce cravings. Practice difficult activities and
find alternative behaviors. Identify a replacement for your addiction that is beneficial and moderately
demanding.

Abstaining from pleasurable activities can lead to long-lasting satisfaction. Engaging in difficult
activities strengthens neural connections in the brain. Abstaining weakens neural connections associated
with the behavior. Abstaining resets the pain/pleasure balance. Abstaining can lead to finding pleasure in
previously unexciting activities

For some people, complete abstinence is the only sustainable solution for addiction. Neural
connections become stronger with repeated addictive behavior. Moderation may be possible for less severe
forms of addiction, but still requires strong barriers and limitations.

Challenge yourself to abstinence and shed away one addiction at a time. Restrict consumption to
certain times of the day/week/month. Periodically take a complete 1-2 week break from addiction