Can a Dopamine Detox Help Manage Your Depression?

In today’s fast-paced world, constant access to technology floods our brains with endless dopamine hits. Resetting your brain’s dopamine response through intentional breaks might promote healthier habits and help stabilize your mood.

Our brains get flooded with dopamine every time we watch TV, open our phones to scroll social media, or eat takeaway food instead of cooking a meal.

Dopamine is a happy brain chemical — one that’s vital to our function — but micro hits of dopamine can spiral into unhealthy behavior that hurts our mental health.

Those of us with depression may be more susceptible to the ebb and flow of these dopamine hits because our brains don’t regulate our feel-good chemicals effectively.

A dopamine detox might be just the thing to help alleviate some of our depressive symptoms.

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First, what is dopamine, and why does it matter?

“Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that acts in the brain and is associated with feelings of reward and motivation, and it plays a crucial role in reinforcing behaviors that provide satisfaction — making us want to perform these behaviors more frequently,” explains Canada-based neuroscientist Dr. Amy Reichelt.

“Dopamine reinforces behaviors by creating a feedback loop where we seek out those activities that provide dopamine ‘hits,’” she adds. “In this respect, dopamine released in the brain also draws attention to signals associated with rewards, which makes us want to perform a certain behavior more often.”

Dopamine assists our brains in feeling pleasure, satisfaction, and motivation. It also contributes to our mood, sleep patterns, concentration, learning, memory, and movement.

But wait, why can dopamine also be a bad thing?

Typically, dopamine is good for our bodies. It plays a crucial role in everyday functions, but many of us are fighting an insidious addiction to it.

Immersion in a world full of quick hits of dopamine, in everything from our phone screens to our food delivery apps, has twisted this beneficial brain chemical into a potential threat to our well-being.

“Overconsumption of dopamine through continuous engagement with rewarding stimuli can lead to addictive behaviors,” explains Reichelt. “When scrolling social media on your phone, the brain starts to crave the rewarding feeling provided by looking at certain apps, leading to a compulsion to engage in the behavior repeatedly.”

These repetitive and easily accessible dopamine hits have a knock-on effect; we often become less productive in other activities because they don’t provide the same speedy dopamine hit.

“It can become hard to study for an impending exam or finish an assignment because the reward from performing that behavior is delayed compared to the instantaneous hit of dopamine from your phone,” adds Reichelt.

In the long term, our brain’s reward system can become increasingly less sensitive to rewards. In simple terms, this means you need more excitement to release the old dose of dopamine, which is why we start to lose interest in normal activities and pursue quick hits from our phones.

Positive Psychology Coach Elle Mace explains that other impacts of this dopamine confusion include:

• Reduced motivation and focus: As the brain becomes accustomed to easy and frequent dopamine hits, it may reduce motivation for tasks that are less immediately rewarding but more beneficial in the long run, like work, study, or personal development.
• Mood disorders: Over time, the reliance on frequent dopamine stimulation can contribute to mood disorders such as anxiety and depression. The brain may become less capable of finding joy in everyday activities or coping with discomfort, leading to increased stress, irritability, and emptiness.
• Addiction: In some cases, the pursuit of dopamine hits can become addictive. This addiction can manifest as an inability to stop engaging in certain behaviors, even when they’re harmful or disruptive to one’s life.

Could a dopamine detox help my depression?

“Dopamine detoxes are proposed to reset the brain’s reward system, allowing it to recalibrate and become more sensitive to natural, less intense sources of dopamine,” Reichelt said. “However, there is limited scientific evidence specifically supporting dopamine detoxes, particularly for mental health.”

While the evidence of their impact on depression is limited, there’s boundless anecdotal evidence showing that dopamine detoxes do wonders for people’s moods, especially by recharging their motivation and breaking their phone addiction.

Mace says that dopamine detoxes are especially useful for those reliant on instant gratification highs like social media scrolling or watching multiple screens, which provide short-term satisfaction but contribute to an overall lower mood.

“By breaking the cycle of seeking constant stimulation, a dopamine detox can help restore balance, improve mood regulation, and increase motivation for more meaningful activities,” she explains. “However, it’s important to note that while dopamine detoxes can support mental health, they are not a substitute for professional treatment.”

How do I do a dopamine detox?

A dopamine detox is a deliberate period of abstinence from activities that provide instant gratification, such as scrolling, eating fast foods, online shopping, and binge-watching TV.

Not everyone is affected by the same things, so Mace recommends identifying your specific triggers before you start the detox.

“Begin by recognizing the activities that provide frequent dopamine hits, such as social media, junk food, or gaming,” she says. “Decide on a specific period for your detox and what activities you will avoid.”

Beginners should aim for a few hours of detox before leveling up to whole days. It’s a difficult adjustment, and you don’t want to set yourself up for failure.

Next, list the low-dopamine activities you’ll replace the dopamine highs with, such as walking instead of scrolling, reading instead of watching a movie, and making a meal from scratch instead of ordering in. Use this list to find alternatives when the urge to pick up your phone peaks.

“After the detox, reflect on how you felt and what you learned about your relationship with dopamine-inducing activities,” recommends Mace, who recommends a 1-day detox weekly or bi-weekly to rest and reflect.

Longer detoxes, of up to 3 days, could be done monthly or quarterly to provide a deeper reset, but “the key is to find a frequency that feels sustainable and beneficial without feeling overly restrictive.” 

Managing your dopamine cravings and staying motivated

Your brain’s desire for dopamine won’t vanish overnight, so brace yourself for the initial challenge.

Mace suggests a magic combination of mindfulness, distraction, and accountability to stay motivated throughout.

“When cravings hit, practice mindfulness; acknowledge the craving without judgment and remind yourself why you’re doing the detox,” she explains. “Engage in a low-dopamine activity you enjoy, such as drawing, exercising, or spending time in nature, [to distract yourself].”

She continues, “Share your detox goals with a friend or family member who can support you during moments of temptation.”

Takeaway

With constant access to our phones and quick dopamine fixes, our brains may start craving unhealthy habits, leading to worse moods and instability.

Taking breaks and mixing in new activities could help reset this cycle, leaving you feeling more balanced and even easing some of your depression symptoms.