Dopamine Balance: Navigating Joy and Addiction Risks - Psychiatry

Dopamine homeostasis issues?

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Hello, Doctor.
Following up on the previous question, this information primarily comes from Dr.
Anna Lembke's book "Dopamine Nation." So, we normal individuals have a physiological mechanism to maintain a balance of dopamine in our bodies, right? Therefore, we shouldn't worry about our regular lives (for example, socializing happily, cooking, listening to music, traveling, enjoying delicious food, etc.).
I tend to be more anxious by nature, so I worry.
I just want to know if we don't need to be concerned about addiction issues and symptoms in our normal lives.
I don't smoke or drink, exercise regularly, and don't often use my phone.

Dr.
Lembke's article suggests that while we generally believe dopamine brings us pleasure, it actually motivates us to engage in activities we think will bring us joy.
As the brain's primary reward and pleasure neurotransmitter, it drives us to seek pizza when hungry and sex when excited.
Lembke writes that scientists use dopamine to measure "the addictive potential of any experience." The higher the dopamine release, the easier it is to become addicted.
We experience a rapid increase in dopamine when we anticipate doing something and when we actually do it, which makes us want to continue that activity.
Once completed, we may feel a low mood or a drop in dopamine levels.
This is because the brain operates through a self-regulating process known as homeostasis, which means "for every high, there is a low," according to Lembke.
In this low emotional state, "we really crave a second piece of chocolate or another episode," she says, but if there is no severe addiction, this craving will soon pass.
Previous question:
Hello, Doctor.
I saw the following medical article online, which raised many questions for me.
Does this mean that as long as we engage in pleasurable activities, our internal balance will lead us toward a low mood? Doesn't this imply that we cannot be happy all the time? This question now makes me a bit anxious.
I find this logic quite strange.
So, can't we do the things that make us happy? Will doing happy things too much lead to a low mood? Or am I misunderstanding something in the medical article?
When we engage in activities we enjoy—like playing video games for my patients—our brains release a bit of dopamine, and we feel good.
However, one of the most significant discoveries in neuroscience over the past 75 years is that pleasure and pain are processed in the same part of the brain, which strives to maintain balance.
Whenever it tilts in one direction, it works to restore balance by tilting in the opposite direction, a process neuroscientists refer to as homeostasis.
Once dopamine is released, the brain adapts by reducing or "downregulating" the number of stimulated dopamine receptors.
This leads the brain to tilt toward the pain side to regain balance, which is why we often experience a hangover or low mood after pleasure.
If we wait long enough, this feeling will pass, and the neutral state will be restored.
If we maintain a gaming mode for several hours, weeks, or months, the brain's happiness set point will change.
Now we need to continue playing not for pleasure but to normalize what is considered normal.
Once we stop, we will experience withdrawal symptoms common to any addictive substance: anxiety, irritability, insomnia, restlessness, and a mental preoccupation with usage, also known as cravings.
Response from the doctor:
Psychiatrist Dr.
Wu Enliang suggests: Hello, netizen.
This article seems to primarily explain the mechanisms of addiction and should not be overly quoted out of context regarding non-addictive activities.
Dr.
Wu Enliang.

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Brian, 30~39 year old female. Ask Date: 2022/01/05