Dr. Anna Lembke: Understanding & Treating Addiction

This episode I interview Dr. Anna Lembke, M.D., Chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic at Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Lembke is a psychiatrist expert in treating addictions of all kinds: drugs, alcohol, food, sex, video games, gambling, food, medication, etc. Dr. Lembke is also an expert in the opioid crisis, and the author of Dopamine Nation.

We discuss the biology and psychology of why people become addicted to certain substances and behaviors and the key role that our "dopamine balance" plays in creating addiction. We also discuss the science and practice of how to conquer addictions, why people relapse and how to avoid relapsing. Dr. Lembke also shares her expertise on topics closely related to addiction such as community, shame and lying and she explains why telling the truth—even about the most basic things in daily life, adjusts dopamine levels in our brain.

This episode is an important one for anyone struggling with addictions of any kind, for their friends and families and for health care professionals. It is also for anyone who has defeated addiction and is determined to stay clean. Last but not least, it helps explain why all humans do what we do, and how we can all maintain a healthy sense of pleasure seeking in life.

Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com.

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Timestamps

00:00:00Dr. Anna Lembke, Addiction Expert

00:02:42Disclaimer & Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up

00:07:00Dopamine, Happiness & Impulsivity

00:15:56What Is Pleasure?

00:18:20Addiction, Boredom & Passion for Life

00:24:00Pain-Pleasure Balance Controls Addiction

00:29:10Dopamine Deficits, Anhedonia

00:30:47Are All Addictions the Same?

00:35:38Boredom & Anxiety Lead to Creativity

00:40:35Finding Your Passion Starts with Boredom & Action Steps

00:50:05How to Break an Addiction

00:55:25Relapse, Craving & Triggers

01:07:40Can People Get Addicted To “Sobriety”?

01:11:45Are We All Wired for Addiction?

01:15:57Bizarre Addiction

01:18:14Recovered Addicts Are Heroes

01:20:10Lying, Truth Telling, Guilt & Shame

01:30:40Clinical Applications of: Ibogaine, Ayahuasca, Psilocybin & MDMA

01:40:20Social Media Addiction

01:51:25Narcissism

01:53:30Goal Seeking, Success & Surprise

01:58:10Reciprocity

02:01:15Closing Comments, Resources

Disclaimer & Disclosures