Detoxes are a staple of modern-day wellness culture.
Want a healthier gut?
Theres no doubt dopamine detoxes are popular.
But do they work?
Available scientific evidence so far is mixed.
Heres what you gotta know about the trend, including whether health experts say its worth trying.
What Is a Dopamine Detox?
You might have a behavior in your life that, while enjoyable, you wish took up less time.
Maybe its scrolling social media, watching TV, shopping, or eating too much junk food.
But it seems that no matter what you do, you find yourself returning to that same behavior.
But modern life is saturated with stimuli that trigger dopamine.
The problem with this theory, medical experts say, is brains and dopamine dont work this way.
How Does a Dopamine Detox Actually Work?
Dopamine fasting doesnt reduce the amount of dopamine in your brain, Dr. Sepah says.
Sepah suggests that addictive behaviors are rooted in the same basic theory.
You pick up your phone, you sign in to YouTube and you watch a video.
The video is funny, exciting, or otherwise entertaining.
Over time, getting this same result again and again creates an automatic behavior.
Sepah notes that the fasting concept was always meant to be time-based and behavior-specific.
Johnson wrote aresearch reviewconsidering existing evidence for the practice of dopamine detoxing.
This theoretically increases your tolerance for distress and lessens the habits power over you.
What Does Research Say About Dopamine Fasting?
Even the creator of the concept said as much.
You dont actually deplete dopamine in any way or fashion, Johnson says.
If you did, you would have a medical condition like Parkinsons.
Dopamine maintains this reputation today.
Butmore recent researchsuggests this isnt the case.
That said, there could be some utility to the CBT-based practice described by Sepah, Johnson says.
Results for food and substance issues are more mixed.
That could explain why practitioners of dopamine fasting report feeling more productive after implementing the fasts.
Teens are still learning how to manage feelings such as loneliness, boredom, and anger.
Now kids have phones and TVs in their cars.
… Theyre constantly bombarded and theres no need to learn to manage your own internal states.
Im not a believer in selling intellectual snake oil.
Theres enough scientific information out there, he says.
Who Should Try (and Avoid) a Dopamine Detox?
Bear in mind not all of these habits are clinically diagnosable addictions.
And it certainly wasnt meant to suggest avoiding all pleasure.
He also noted that a food-based dopamine detox doesnt involve abstaining from healthy food.
This could lead to serious medical problems associated with withdrawal.
If it was just a problem of willpower then it wouldnt be a problem.
If you struggle with unwanted behaviors, including addictions, see your healthcare provider for guidance.
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