Addiction is often misunderstood as a symptom of trauma, a sign of moral failure, or a secondary issue that will resolve once underlying emotions are treated. But what if addiction is its own disease process, driven by powerful neurobiological loops?
In this episode of Unravel, I’m joined by Dr. Anna Lembke, bestselling author of Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence and Chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic. A renowned psychiatrist and researcher, Dr. Lembke brings decades of experience treating addiction to illuminate what’s truly happening in the brain and nervous system when we become addicted—and how to find our way back to balance.
We explore why addiction is not always rooted in trauma, how dopamine shapes compulsive behaviours, and why storytelling alone can keep us stuck. Dr. Lembke shares practical, evidence-based tools for breaking free from addictive cycles and explains her DOPAMINE framework—a step-by-step approach for resetting the reward system and reclaiming pleasure from everyday life.
Episode Highlights:
- Why addiction is a brain-based disease, not just a symptom of trauma
- The myth of self-medication: when anxiety and depression aren’t the cause
- Understanding dopamine’s role in addiction—and how it rewires our reward pathways
- How to recognize the signs of addiction (tolerance, craving, withdrawal, and more)
- Self-binding strategies to reduce access to addictive behaviours
- The power of 30-day dopamine fasts, mindfulness, and somatic practices in recovery
- Why honesty and “radical truth-telling” are essential for healing
🔗 Connect with Dr. Anna Lembke:
📘 Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence
🌐 Website: https://www.annalembke.com
💫 Stay Connected:
🌿 Follow the show: @elaineclark_
📩 Email: info@elaineclark.ca
🎧 Subscribe on Apple, Spotify & iHeartRadio
🌐 Explore more: www.elaineclark.ca
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