The term “dopamine fasting” has recently spread at lightning speed among many people, and it is one of the new ways to get rid of addiction to something, especially addiction to the Internet and social media, and although many people assert its effectiveness based on personal experiences, it has not been proven by scientific evidence and research. After, and in this article, we will learn about this method in detail.

What is dopamine fasting?

People who try to do so-called dopamine fasting aim to be free from daily stimuli that lead to indulging in them for hours such as browsing social media, shopping, video games, eating candy, etc. Remember, replace them with more effective habits, and add positive things to your lifestyle.

Dopamin fasting is also called dopamine detox, and this theory raises controversy among the scientific community, as sources indicate that it does not follow a studied scientific method, and therefore the expected benefits are to reduce habits and activities that are likely to cause addiction, and sources indicate It is more complex than the general orientation towards this term.

Where did the name dopamine fasting come from?

The term was coined by a famous psychiatrist who has used this technology in clinical practice on technology workers, venture capitalists and investment professionals. And social media, explaining that most of his research is based on cognitive behavioral therapy.

General concept of dopamine fasting

This doctor points out that the general concept behind this technique is to train people to feel some boredom or loneliness or do relatively simple activities instead of getting a so-called “rapid dopamine dose”, and then these people notice how these stimuli affect them, and distract them Thus, the impact on productivity, and the doctor identified some compulsive behaviors as goals for practicing this technique, and they are:

• Emotional eating, meaning that you resort to eating whenever you feel something negative such as sadness, anger, stress or boredom, even if you are not hungry.
• Excessive use of the Internet and video games.
• Excessive shopping.
• gambling.
• Watching porn and masturbating.
• Thrill-seeking and novelty, a personality trait that refers to the tendency to seek new experiences with intense emotional sensations, is a multifaceted behavior that includes thrill-seeking, preference for new, risk-taking, harm-avoidance, and reliance on a reward system.
• Recreational drugs and drugs.

The doctor explains that fasting from these stimulating activities of neurotransmitters in the brain, reduces the person’s dependence on these behaviors for a rapid dose of dopamine, which eventually leads to dependence and addiction, and believes that this method is “the antidote to excessive stimuli that we are exposed to in our time.” “.

Objections to the so-called dopamine fasting

According to sources, there are objections to the term “dopamine fasting” or “dopamine detoxification”; You cannot fast or abstain from a natural chemical found in the brain. Dopamine is one of the neurotransmitters that are secreted for reward, motivation, learning, and a feeling of happiness. It increases in response to pleasurable activities and rewards, but does not decrease when overstimulating activities are avoided. Therefore, dopamine fasting does not reduce dopamine levels. Dopamine already.

One source explains that many people misinterpret the concept; They considered dopamine as if it is a drug like heroin and cocaine, and that abstaining from any activities is a break, and thus the feeling of happiness and pleasure returns to what they had deprived themselves of, whatever its nature is more powerful and enjoyable when they practice this activity again, as they believe that empty dopamine stores It will automatically renew itself, but in reality, this technology never works that way.

Another source suggests that, since it is a substance already in the body, this technology can be more accurately described as a period of abstinence or detachment from the world. The creator of this technique himself explains that it can be followed from time to time, but this term should not be taken “literally”.

Misunderstanding of the concept of dopamine fasting

A misunderstanding of this concept leads to wrong behaviors; Some people mistakenly use it when they avoid communicating with other people, and avoid eye contact between them, which is a far cry from what the psychiatrist invented, as it is important and necessary for a person to communicate with other people, and even considered a healthy activity (unless these same people annoying and from toxic relationships), it’s definitely way better than spending long hours in your room browsing the internet.

Therefore, these people unnecessarily deprive themselves of health matters because of a misunderstanding.

Benefits of dopamine fasting

Despite all these discussions, this technique may bring health benefits, topped by increasing mental clarity and focus in carrying out daily tasks, which increases productivity, as dopamine is generally considered a distraction, due to many people doing repetitive behavior in order to improve their mood, which makes them indulge in Doing any of these activities, such as browsing social media or watching TV, completely forgetting what they were doing, reduces the quality of work and daily small accomplishments.

Abstaining from these activities alerts the person to their wasted time, creates more time to do more useful work so that it increases their sense of accomplishment, and avoids the remorse at the end of each day of doing nothing.

In short, limiting these activities leads to mental alertness and reduced distraction, which brings amazing benefits to psychological and mental health, and even physical health – as the sources indicate -; It helps reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and improve sleep.

In conclusion, we stress that the word “dopamine fasting” itself is not 100% accurate, you cannot fast for a chemical that is already in your body, but the general intent of this term is to abstain from some bad habits that may cause addiction, and replace them with healthier habits, which improves From your mental health, and your productive capabilities. Now, while reading this article, are you distracted by phone notifications? Have you tried this technique before? We thank you for your experience.