Dopamine Detox: Benefits and How it Works

In a world where artificial stimuli and technology is more prevalent than ever, how do we reconnect with ourselves and ground ourselves? How can we take the time to be intentional with what we do for leisure?

These can seem like difficult questions, but an option worth exploring is the “dopamine detox.” Although it isn’t exactly what you would think, doing a dopamine detox could offer benefits like improved focus, mental clarity, happiness, mindfulness, and more. 

Read on to understand what a dopamine detox really is and how you could benefit from one.

Understanding Dopamine Detox

The term “dopamine detox” has become ubiquitous with limiting social media scrolling. But a dopamine detox is so much more than that, and the term itself is a little misleading.

What Is a Dopamine Detox?

A dopamine detox—also known as a dopamine fast—is a practice aimed at eliminating certain rewarding activities, like social media scrolling or gambling, in an effort to improve focus and self-control. The idea is that by limiting dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward, you are reducing your brain’s reliance on it and can successfully “reset” your brain’s pleasure and reward system. 

The idea of a dopamine detox comes from psychiatrist, Dr. Cameron Sepah, and is rooted in the practice of cognitive behavioral therapy. Dr. Sepah’s idea for dopamine fasts comes with the intention of making an individual feel more grounded and less inclined to give into short-term reward stimuli, like text messages, notifications, or “doom scrolling.” By giving our brains a break from the instant-reward feeling that technology and other activities offer us, he claims that we may be able to address any compulsive behaviors that are interfering with our lives. 

How Does It Work?

A dopamine detox works by limiting, restricting, or entirely omitting things that give you a rush of instant dopamine. For example, individuals who are practicing a dopamine detox may choose to avoid scrolling TikTok for a period of time in an effort to lower the stimuli of instant-gratification, which is the dopamine that releases from scrolling through short, funny videos. 

The theory is that we now live in a world overridden with stimuli, especially because of our phones, and that stimuli causes instant rushes of dopamine. These rushes of dopamine then mean that you need larger and larger amounts of dopamine to feel happy. Because of that, the theory of a dopamine detox is that if you avoid these stimuli, you are lowering the amount of dopamine in your brain and essentially resetting your brain’s reward and pleasure system. But just how true is this, exactly? 

Dopamine Detox: Fact or Myth? 

Although it is true that our brains are activated by different stimuli, such as seeing a funny Instagram Reel or a rush at winning a game of blackjack, there is no evidence that strongly supports the theory of a dopamine detox. Moreover, when Dr. Cameron Sepah first introduced this concept, he did not mean that by avoiding social media, your dopamine levels will “reset.”

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate our body’s system for motivation, learning, reward, and pleasure. And while it does respond to rewards and pleasurable activities, like scrolling on social media or sex, it does not actually lower dopamine levels when these behaviors are stopped. Dopamine is not like a drug, in which if you give yourself a detox or a tolerance break, you’ll experience it more intensely once you start again. 

The concept of a dopamine detox, according to Dr. Sepah and research, is actually to help curb impulsive behavior by way of the theory of classical conditioning. 

How to Reset Dopamine Levels?

So, knowing all of this, how do you reset dopamine levels? The short answer is, you don’t. However, abstaining from certain activities that do affect your dopamine, like scrolling or binge watching shows, may still prove to have some benefits for health, happiness, and creativity. 

How to Dopamine Detox

Despite the fact that a dopamine detox isn’t exactly what it sounds like, you can still limit activities to “detox” and see benefits. For example, limiting social media can still lead to improved outcomes, such as less anxiety and better mental health. A dopamine detox will give you an opportunity to increase mindfulness and decrease stress.

Who Should Do a Dopamine Detox?

Anyone can do a dopamine detox, but Dr. Sepah originally intended for individuals who have compulsive and/or self-destructive habits to do a dopamine detox. This could include people with the following habits:

• Emotional eating
• Internet use and video games
• Gambling and shopping
• Porn and masturbation
• Thrill and novelty seeking
• Recreational drugs

These kinds of compulsive habits can range from speeding on the highway to the more subtle habit of binge-watching a favorite TV show. At the end of the day, if the habit creates an emotional high, then it is probably worth curbing in a dopamine detox. 

Dopamine Detox Rules

The rules for a dopamine detox are straightforward. Avoid any high-dopamine activities, like the ones listed prior, and instead opt for creative activities that do not rely on artificial stimuli. Some activities to focus on can be: 

• Reading
• Exercise
• Meditation 
• Outdoor walks
• Painting
• Other creative pursuits

Here is a guide of how to do a dopamine detox:

Step 1: Identify an activity that has artificial stimuli that you compulsively do. 

Step 2: Partially or completely limit that activity

Step 3: Fill the time that you usually take for the compulsive activity with a creative or meditative activity.

Step 4: Practice this dopamine fast for as long as necessary.

An example of a dopamine detox would be to delete Twitter off your phone (or Instagram or TikTok) and instead read a book in those instances that you would be scrolling through the app.

High Dopamine Activities to Avoid

Here are a couple of high dopamine activities to avoid:

• Binge eating
• Shopping sprees
• Playing video games
• Using social media apps
• Gambling
• Watching porn
• Masturbation
• Thrill and novelty seeking, like speeding on the freeway
• Doing recreational drugs

How Long Should a Dopamine Detox Take

The length of a dopamine detox is entirely up to you. You can detox for a day, weeks, or even months if you wish. Some people may notice benefits after a couple of days, while others may not notice benefits until after a week of fasting from artificial stimuli and instant-dopamine activities.

Dopamine Detox Effects

Apart from some initial discomfort, the benefits of a dopamine detox greatly outweigh any drawbacks. 

Dopamine Withdrawal Symptoms

In terms of doing a dopamine detox, there are no significant withdrawal symptoms. Stopping screen time, gambling, porn, or anything else like that will not cause negative effects. At most, you may feel a little restless, bored, or irritable that your usually stimulating activity is not happening. You might even experience slight mood swings or cravings as the detox goes on.

Dopamine Detox Benefits

There are many great benefits to completing a dopamine detox, including: 

• Increased productivity
• Improved focus and attention
• Enhanced mood regulation
• Mindfulness and reflection
• Establishing healthier habits
• Increased sensitivity to rewards
• Reduced dependence on external stimuli
• Improved sleep quality

Dopamine Detox Side Effects

The following are some reported side effects from doing a dopamine detox:

• Initial discomfort
• Temporary decrease in motivation
• Boredom
• Increased awareness of emotions
• Initial difficulty focusing
• Social challenges
• Reevaluation of priorities

Other Ways to Rejuvenate Your Mental Health & Productivity

Apart from a dopamine detox, there are definitely other ways to rejuvenate yourself, your mental health, and your productivity. Some activities to do so include:

• Spending more time outside and in nature. 
• Spending more time with family, friends, and loved ones.
• Volunteering somewhere, like at an animal shelter or church. 
• Journaling

Get Insurance-Covered, Compassionate Treatment at Gratitude Lodge

If you are struggling with addiction, consider treatment at Gratitude Lodge. We offer support and treatment with drug and alcohol abuse—and much of that is tied into your dopamine receptors and body’s reward system. 

At Gratitude Lodge, we always put you first. From our luxurious amenities to our pet-friendly facilities and adventure-based therapeutic activities, we consider each of our residents fully, and don’t just view them by their addictions. Many of our own founders and staff are in recovery themselves, which means that you will always be in a compassionate environment.