Chronic exposure to substances or behaviors that release large amounts of dopamine can lower our tonic baseline over time, leading to a dopamine deficit state.

The dopamine system rewards you for achieving milestones and helps reinforce focused behaviors.

To increase dopamine release, one can practice subjective rewards through thoughts, actions, or even certain drugs, but caution is needed with substances like cocaine and methamphetamine due to their addictive nature.

People in recovery from severe addiction possess a hard-won wisdom that can benefit everyone, emphasizing adaptive ways to achieve dopamine balance.

Excessive dopamine release can lead to habituation, where the brain becomes less responsive to pleasure, while simultaneously increasing the perception of pain, a mechanism that can contribute to addiction.

Triggers that make us want to return to drug use also release dopamine, leading to cravings when the anticipation of using is followed by a dopamine deficit state.

To maintain a healthy dopamine balance, we should avoid overindulgence and allow ourselves to experience some boredom and discomfort.

After a period of abstinence from alcohol, neural circuits can return to normal, except in cases of long-term heavy drinking.

The dopamine system is crucial for motivation, as demonstrated by experiments showing that rats without dopamine can enjoy food but lack the motivation to pursue it.