Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence

Lembke returns to Jacob as this chapter opens and mentions that he recently resumed his addiction. She urges Jacob to disassemble his masturbation machine, throw it in the garbage, and take it straight to the dump. The advice she provides is an example of self-binding, which she describes as “the way we intentionally and willingly create barriers between ourselves and our drug of choice in order to mitigate compulsive overconsumption” (91). To help draw out her point further, Lembke alludes to Homer’s Odyssey, in which Odysseus demands to be physically bound to his ship in order to avoid the temptation of the Sirens. The use of analogy is a strategy that Lembke uses often in the book. Here, the analogy provides a stark visual that, like the actual pictures in Chapter 3, helps drive the point home. For someone unfamiliar with the concept of self-binding as it relates to overcoming an addiction, the passage is highly effective.

Lembke further breaks down self-binding into physical, chronological, and categorical. Often, those using drugs or with certain compulsive behaviors associate the addiction with places, times, or events. Therefore, being on the lookout and noticing these associations is crucial to successful recovery. Having too much time available is another potential pitfall. Lembke discusses how the conveniences of the modern age have created far more leisure time than in previous generations. This idle time poses serious risks for addiction and recovery. As evidence of the growing amount of leisure time, Lembke notes, “Today, adults living in the US without a high school diploma have 42 percent more leisure time than adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher, with the biggest differences in leisure time occurring during weekday hours” (106). While she points to a clear distinction here between college-educated and non-college-educated people, her point is to illustrate that increasing leisure time leaves people with too much time on their hands. This situation, like others she cites, has a negative reinforcing effect on society: “Dopamine consumption is not just a way to fill the hours not spent working. It has become a reason why people are not participating in the workforce” (106). Too much leisure time can cause boredom, which can lead to dopamine overconsumption and eventually to a complete departure from the workforce in general. Naturally, filling this leisure time with productive, enjoyable, and useful activity is an essential ingredient in recovering the natural balance between pleasure and pain.