Dopamine Nation Audiobook By Dr. Anna Lembke cover art

Dopamine Nation

Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence

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Dopamine Nation

By: Dr. Anna Lembke
Narrated by: Dr. Anna Lembke
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About this listen

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES and LOS ANGELES TIMES BESTSELLER

“Brilliant . . . riveting, scary, cogent, and cleverly argued.”—Beth Macy, author of Dopesick, as heard on Fresh Air

This book is about pleasure. It’s also about pain. Most important, it’s about how to find the delicate balance between the two, and why now more than ever finding balance is essential. We’re living in a time of unprecedented access to high-reward, high-dopamine stimuli: drugs, food, news, gambling, shopping, gaming, texting, sexting, Facebooking, Instagramming, YouTubing, tweeting . . . The increased numbers, variety, and potency is staggering. The smartphone is the modern-day hypodermic needle, delivering digital dopamine 24/7 for a wired generation. As such we’ve all become vulnerable to compulsive overconsumption.

In Dopamine Nation, Dr. Anna Lembke, psychiatrist and author, explores the exciting new scientific discoveries that explain why the relentless pursuit of pleasure leads to pain . . . and what to do about it. Condensing complex neuroscience into easy-to-understand metaphors, Lembke illustrates how finding contentment and connectedness means keeping dopamine in check. The lived experiences of her patients are the gripping fabric of her narrative. Their riveting stories of suffering and redemption give us all hope for managing our consumption and transforming our lives. In essence, Dopamine Nation shows that the secret to finding balance is combining the science of desire with the wisdom of recovery.

©2021 Dr. Anna Lembke (P)2021 Penguin Audio
Biological Sciences Psychology Science Well-being Essentials Mental Health Inspiring Thought-Provoking Suspenseful Human Brain Social Media Addiction Addiction Science

Critic reviews

"Anna Lembke deeply understands an experience I hear about often in the therapy room at the nexus between our modern addictions and our primal brains. Her stories of guiding people to find a healthy balance between pleasure and pain have the power to transform your life.” (Lori Gottlieb, “Dear Therapist” columnist at The Atlantic, New York Times best-selling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone)

“Just when you thought you knew all you needed to know about the addiction crisis, along comes Dr. Anna Lembke with her second brilliant book on the topic—this one not about a drug but about the most powerful chemical of all: the dopamine that rules the pain and pleasure centers of our minds. In an era of overconsumption and instant gratification, Dopamine Nation explains the personal and societal price of being ruled by the next fix—and how to manage it. No matter what you might find yourself over-indulging in—from the internet to food to work to sex—you’ll find this book riveting, scary, cogent, and cleverly argued. Lembke weaves patient stories with research, in a voice that’s as empathetic as it is clear-eyed.” (Beth Macy, author of Washington Post Best Book of the Year, New York Times Notable Book of 2018, and best seller Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company That Addicted America)

“We all desire a break from our routines and those parts of life that upset us. What if, instead of trying to escape these things, we learn to turn toward them, to reach a peaceful harmony with our selves and the people we share our lives with? Lembke has written a book that radically changes the way we think about mental illness, pleasure, pain, reward, and stress. Turn toward it. You’ll be happy you did.” (Daniel Levitin, New York Times best-selling author of The Organized Mind and Successful Aging)

"Explore[s] the dichotomy between seeking a readily accessible hit of dopamine—from our phones, gambling, or a bag of Fritos—and maintaining healthy, productive, stable lives.” (The New York Times, Inside the Best-Seller List)

Featured Article: The Audible Essentials—The Top 100 Well-Being Listens of All Time


We assembled our editors, scoured listener reviews, polled our most-trusted colleagues, and listened our ears off to bring you this list of 100 must-listen well-being titles on Audible. Whether you’re looking to get organized, stay motivated, find creative inspiration, or relieve stress, these audiobooks and podcasts are packed with insights from self-development and wellness experts to help you take the next step—or the first—in your personal journey.

What listeners say about Dopamine Nation

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Very informative and comprehensive

I got this after hearing Lembke on Rich Roll. As an AA "old timer" I was curious to see how in depth she goes into the entire concept of 'recovery' in a world where quick fixes of dopamine are ubiquitous.

Anna is a very good speaker IMJ and the narration is excellent.

I can say that I did not 100% agree with everything presented here, but the self-imposed 'fences' and the like that addicts put up in order to try to wrestle control are interesting.

The basic premise is that pain and pleasure exists along the same neural pathway...so that too much of one will make the other stronger in a natural effort to stay in balance. I can definitely relate to that from my own experiences.

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The Dopamine effects in our daily lives

A great book to understand how dopamine works and affects our lives. As well as how to balance pain and pleasure to recover from dopamine imbalances.

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art and science

This is a work of art and science that resembles nothing I have ever read on the topic before. Thanks Anna!

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We're all addicted!

Anna Lembke is a terrific narrator and author. I have enjoyed this book immensely! Bam!

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Self-reflection

Intriguing, it just makes me self-reflect and realizes how dopamine itself is like a time-bomb. The book tells what matters the most. The experience is okay, it is not hard to listen to despite the difficult subject. But after sometime it gets rather boring since it keeps coming back and forth.

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very good listen ☺️

i loved the narrator's voice, and the meaning of the book. would recommend to any friend looking for guidance.

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very helpful information

Dr. Lembke gives us information in a good style and format. There are all the elements: recognizing a problem and practical methods to address those problems or issues. I do have to say that her voice was a little annoying although I got used to it. also the masterbation story at the beginning seems to be a through line. I found it a little gratuitous. I could have done without the saga of that guy although I see how the history of his story illustrates the point, the graphic description was a turn off and a little offensive. I made it through to the end, so in spite of those issues, I enjoyed the material.

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Pretty good

I really enjoyed this book. As someone in recovery I think it did a great job explaining AA as well as addiction. Worth the read.

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Changed my view on pleasure and pain

Changed my view on pleasure and pain, I can’t just be in a happy bliss all the time and why. I do recommend this book to everyone.

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Eye Opening & Helpful

This was a wonderful, terrifying and honest account of addiction in our modern world. It makes you look at yourself more honestly and provides clarity around addiction, and in my opinion, how it effects everyone. The personal stories interweaved throughout the book really bring the science based facts to life. I’m very grateful I chose to listen to this. I believe it may change the trajectory of my life.

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