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 AirDopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence by Dr. Anna Lembke is highly relevant to the Center for Integrative Neuroscience, particularly in its exploration of dopamine dysregulation, addiction, and modern overstimulation. The book examines how constant pleasure-seeking—through food, technology, drugs, and even work—leads to long-term pain, burnout, and metabolic dysfunction.Why It’s Relevant to Our Mission:✔ Neuroscience of Reward & Addiction – Lembke explains how dopamine imbalances contribute to addiction, anxiety, depression, and chronic stress, reinforcing our focus on brain function in mental health.✔ Chronic Pain & Dopamine Imbalance – The book explores how overstimulating the brain’s reward system can worsen pain perception, aligning with our work in neuromodulation and integrative pain management.✔ Mental Health & Metabolism Connection – Dopamine imbalances are linked to stress hormones, thyroid dysfunction, and energy metabolism, reinforcing our bioenergetic approach to healing.✔ Healing Through Balance & Dopamine Fasting – The book advocates for intentional discomfort (hormesis), reducing overstimulation, and restoring homeostasis, which aligns with our focus on nervous system regulation and integrative therapies.
 
✔ Dopamine & Metabolism – Dopamine’s role in energy metabolism, thyroid function, and stress adaptation, though he emphasizes supporting the metabolism rather than extreme abstinence.
✔ Chronic Stress & Inflammation – Lembke recognizes that chronic overstimulation leads to stress hormone imbalances and metabolic dysfunction.
✔ Differences in Approach –  Lembke advocates dopamine fasting and abstinence
✔ Highly relevant for understanding addiction, chronic pain, and the neuroscience of overstimulation.
✔ Best used alongside nutritional and metabolic strategies to prevent stress-induced dopamine depletion.
✔ Great for clinicians, researchers, and patients seeking balance in an overstimulated world.