Some people refer to dopamine as the “feel-good brain chemical,” and some think it’s addictive. But can you be addicted to dopamine, a substance that’s already inside your body?
The short answer is “no,” you can’t be addicted to dopamine. But you can be addicted to behaviors that release it in large amounts.
To understand the complex nature of dopamine and its role in addiction, it’s essential first to understand what dopamine is, how it works, and what happens when the brain has too much.
What Is Dopamine?
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter your body makes naturally. Your nervous system uses it as a messenger to send information between nerve cells.
The reward system sends out dopamine in the brain. This system consists of dopamine receptors, which take in and process dopamine at a standard rate.
Dopamine plays a role in how people feel pleasure, but it’s not the sole reason for pleasure. It’s part of what makes people plan ahead, strive for a goal, focus on what’s important, or find something interesting.
Dopamine affects many necessary functions, including:
- Learning
- Motivation
- Blood vessel function
- Sleep
- Mood
- Attention
- Pain processing
- Movement
- Heart rate
- Kidney function
Like many important processes, such as breathing or heartbeats, your body does it on autopilot. You don’t notice it unless there’s a problem.
Dopamine Dysregulation
One issue that may occur is dopamine dysregulation. This dysregulation is when the brain floods with dopamine and cannot process it.
Typically, a person engages in behavior that their brain links with the pleasure they felt with a dopamine rush. But, as time goes on, that person needs more of that behavior or an increasingly intense version of it to get the same effect.
This need results in that person seeking out higher-risk or higher-dopamine-producing behaviors. But, because the brain can’t process all the dopamine it produces from these behaviors, dysregulation occurs.
In this process, the brain disables dopamine receptors. So, there aren’t as many places for that dopamine to go. It means the person can’t feel the rush they’re used to from that behavior. They will find themselves dependent on those behaviors to feel normal.
This person will need dopamine to self-regulate. They will engage in the pathological pursuit of pleasure, rewards, and relief through the use of substances or behaviors.
Can You Be Addicted to Dopamine?
So, can you be addicted to dopamine, which your body naturally produces? In short, no.
Dopamine itself isn’t addictive, but it influences your behavior. Experiences that make you feel good activate the part of your brain that releases dopamine, which isn’t addictive.
But what people often perceive as dopamine addiction can be a sign of an actual addiction.
Things that make you feel good are why your brain releases dopamine. Your brain remembers a pleasurable experience, and you may try to repeat it. But, as with dopamine dysregulation, you may find that the initial experience is no longer enough to get the same rush.
You may worry that seeking out positive sensations may lead to dysregulation or engaging in pleasurable behaviors may lead to addiction later. And while it’s possible, remember that dopamine is a natural part of your brain’s processes. It’s vital for a lot of functions.
Dopamine and Sex Addiction
In the same way that addictive substances can cause a dopamine rush, so can sexual activity, creating a link between dopamine and sex.
Because the brain releases dopamine during sexual activity, masturbation, or viewing pornography, the brain may begin to associate those behaviors with pleasure. You then may seek to engage in those behaviors to experience the dopamine rush again.
The more you use sexual activity to get a dopamine release, the more your dopamine receptors shut down. Then, you need more and increasingly intense sexual experiences to get the same positive feelings. That’s how sex addiction, pornography addiction, and masturbation addiction form.
Dopamine release can be a coping method. For example, trauma can be a catalyst for sex addiction. In some cases, adverse childhood experiences can prevent dopamine receptors from forming. If a person has fewer receptors, they may engage in behaviors that release more dopamine to feel normal.
Using dopamine as a coping method will result in dopamine tolerance. In the case of sex addiction, this means the same sexual behaviors will no longer produce the same dopamine effects. The change causes people to seek out riskier behaviors to achieve the same feeling.
Ways to Avoid Dopamine Dependence
The best way to avoid this issue with your dopamine receptors shutting down and the potential for addictions to form is to foster healthy habits and maintain balance in how you seek pleasure and motivation. Here are some strategies to consider:
- Practice Mindful Consumption. Avoid addictive behaviors, like watching pornography, that can quickly develop into addictions.
- Engage in Positive Coping Methods. When you find yourself looking for a quick way to feel better, intentionally engage in a positive coping method, like listening to music or moving your body through exercise.
- Use Mindfulness and Meditation. Mindfulness helps regulate emotions and reduces the craving for constant dopamine hits. Meditation trains the brain to be content with the present moment. You also can use meditation in sex addiction healing.
- Build Resilience Through Discomfort. Push through uncomfortable situations, feelings, or tasks rather than seeking quick relief. This strengthens your ability to tolerate delayed rewards.
- Foster Connections. Spend quality time with friends and family to stimulate natural dopamine production through bonding and emotional support. Social support is a powerful tool in avoiding and overcoming addiction.
Treat the Cause
Dopamine itself isn’t addictive, but dopamine dysregulation is a part of addiction. The desire to feel better and cope with trauma, memories of adverse childhood experiences, and negative emotions can often lead you to engage in behaviors or consume substances that help release more dopamine in the brain. You want to feel better.
Treating the root cause of what leads you to seek dopamine surges is the key to recovery. Begin Again Institute takes a trauma-informed approach to treat sex addiction. We offer multiple programs and therapies to help you in your healing journey, including our 14-Day Men’s Intensive to help men uncover the root cause and heal from sex addiction.
Contact us for more information about how Begin Again Institute can help you.
Edward Tilton is a proven behavioral healthcare leader with an established track record in the recovery industry space. As an accomplished healthcare leader, Ed has diverse management experience including clinical and business operations, expansion of program development, and clinical service offerings.
