Anxiety dopamine social media reddit Your social anxiety symptoms aren't as noticeable as you think so you should ignore them and pretend they weren't there. It's all of these former social media engineers, execs, ethicists, and experts speaking out about how they inadvertently unleashed AI algorithms that have taught themselves how to hijack our minds and thoughts and even actions, and how that technology has allowed for The problem with dopamine is that it gets us hooked on things that give us short-term gratification but not much else: cookies, alcohol and social media are all high in dopamine. Start with a Dopamine Detox, then maintain a Dopamine Fast. Thus the point of my post. Yes and no. I have tried doing the dopamine detox but I get very fidgety and irritable when I don’t have anything to constantly scroll through. I got away from “it all” and I feel better. I am pretty sure that social media, including Reddit, exacerbates my ADHD and has reduced me to a barely functional adult 53yo person. " Optimal levels can enhance focus, motivation, and drive, which could aid in studying and completing tasks. I will be having a few amazing days of enjoying my hobbies and engaging with my interests and then think to myself, "Wow! I've fixed myself! I can redownload social media; it will be different this time!" Plot twist I took a step back and realized that I have a severe social media addiction. I have a tiktok, reddit, twitter, and instagram account. ive had enough and am ready to reclaim control of my time and stop squandering over three hours each day on distractions. I've had panic disorder ever since I was a kid (with extreme fear of death) but I could socialize well, however during my teenage years social media made people hang out less often and in my neighborhood kids and teens my age didn't go outside as much as before. Over time, these benefits had compounding interest and my self improvement progress skyrocketed. I can barely handle being on other social media platforms for a few minutes. Having ADHD allows us to forget that our behaviors still have their consequences, and forming a dependency on dopamine from social media / your phone is still entirely possible as it's own thing. To free your body and mind from technological stress, set limits on your use of social media. Many of us suspect we spend too much time scrolling—a concern underscored by Oxford University Press selecting “brain rot” as 2024’s word of the year Then this is where I would speculate on a 2nd answer that relates to modern 21st century living where the data conclusively shows anxiety is increasing at alarming rates in general society (especially young people) which makes me believe that the overconsumption of modern multimedia technology and devices is causing a malfunction in the Welcome to Dopamine Detoxing. If it were easy, everyone would do it. I've been diagnosed by a psychiatrist with ADHD and I have a few genes that say I'm likely to have ADHD but for me, Vyvanse and Ritalin both only relax me and increase sociability and confidence in the first 1-2 hrs after taking them and then it is followed by increased anxiety, increased rumination, increased negative thoughts, heightened self Hmm not sure this would be enough for me. The #1 social media platform for MCAT advice. I set aside time at work to work on problems which may yield "interesting" results. I struggled with addiction to videogames, pornography, junkfood, social media scrolling etc. Satisfaction. Currently I am on day 7 of a Dopamine Detox. These are just the minor forms of dopamine seeking activities. Oct 29, 2021 · Stanford psychiatrist Anna Lembke’s book, Dopamine Nation, explains our brain chemistry's role in modern society's addiction to social media. Would it be a good idea to try some dopamine agonists like Mirapex or Requip for my social anxiety? I have burned and deleted previous social media accounts (tumblr, facebook, twitter, etc. Unfortunately that leads to not getting the dopamine from achieving those tasks. It depends. I only have one social media profile not on here, and purely just for staying connected with long distance folks. bottom line is: it's officially out of No use of music, video game, social media apps scrolling and pornography. The dopamine feedback loop in social media is a complex mechanism that keeps users coming back for more. Recent research has shed light on how this neurotransmitter, typically associated with pleasure and reward, can also play a significant role in anxiety disorders. Reddit is considered to be more of an interactive newspaper/forum compared to a social network like Facebook that connects friends and focuses on capturing everyday moments and selfies. It's easy dopamine in the form of instantly gratifying, non-committal, micro-dosed bits of entertainment. So, to feel good, we seek dopamine seeking activities like eating, browsing social media, watching TV, etc. Anyhow, amphetamines like Adderal might help with social anxiety temporary but rather quickly, after about a month, the serotonergic feelings will dissappear. Social media takes reading to the next level by also having you rehydrate social experiences without another actual human being present. Hobbies are impossible for me with social media apps installed. It is a disorder and that means that your mind is wired incorrectly so you can't always trust it. Reddit is where I spend most of my time now, but I seem to have a stronger off switch here than any other social media! The extra time I have now from cutting social media has allowed me to learn a new language and start volunteering with a cause I feel strongly about! And it has helped my anxiety beyond anything I ever imagined. Breaking those muscle memory habits can help (at least at the start) to stop you in your tracks. I am not going to list them all now and I could talk a lot more about a lot of other stuff that happens in the brain. Sorry for the melodrama that ensues but here is my reality. this, I still need my memes. See the Required Reading for more. My brain craved the dopamine release of social media, but since it couldn't get that it replaced it with the dopamine release of socialising, and exercising, and reading and trying new things. It literally took me years to start taking it and it’s absolutely changed my life since starting it. I decided to stop all those addictions cold turkey, 7 days ago. I've done extensive travel backpacking with very limited social media and it wasn't enough. This as many know, is called social anxiety and is one if the most common mental disorders that leads people to seek therapy. All addiction recovery processes require discipline and strength to endure withdrawal symptoms. Aug 22, 2024 · The Social Media Dopamine Loop: How It Works. Does higher/better levels of dopamine help study, completing assignments, decrease social anxiety, depression, etc. Reply reply More replies I spent the last two months barely using social media other than watching a lot of YouTube cause that doesn't feel like social media to me (the way that Instagram does), and having a scroll through Instagram for a couple minutes every now and then to see if friends had posted. I am currently on dopamine detox, i've disable all my social media , restricted my screen time to 1hr ,no short content , no PMO, started meditation and workout. So I created this sub for people suffering with social media anxiety (SMA) for: I was so anxious about taking Prozac because they say it can make you more anxious before it helps the anxiety. Members Online Feeling worn out, unmotivated It’s social media no matter how you cut it, but in my opinion, use cases vary on Reddit. But on a huge bet and you will get a huge hit of dopamine. Reddit can be used for the dopamine hit or it can be used like old school forums where you are casually discussing topics that interest you with “friends” without caring about upvotes or downvotes, although the latter has mostly moved over to discord Dopamine Release: Engaging with social media and other digital stimuli can trigger the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward. I am not glued to email or my phone for any reason but addiction. I’ve done this and it’s worked great but… I was wondering what are some other ways you can increase your dopamine naturally ? I’m really struggling to focus these days even though I’m on I was a bit depressed. Yes. I stand by my statement. If you like reading, I highly recommend reading Dopamine Nation by Anna Lembke. Social Media and Dopamine: When you use social media your brain releases dopamine. I didn't realize there were things that overlap/cause similar problems between that and adhd. I do not claim to be a cured internet addict, for I am still surfing. grad student)have been improved . I used to be very active on social media but now I have deleted every app except Reddit (although I lately find myself getting addicted to Reddit too lol). Reading is already quite different from 3D activities because you are staring at a flat surface and rehydrating the pictures. I'm not trying to discredit / invalidate what you're saying, but I think it will be healthy for you to try to develop a new habit every morning. This controlled exposure can help you stay connected without it overwhelming your life. . I think it is a form of social anxiety. The repeated experience of this dopamine rush can lead to habit-forming behaviors. Eyal is trying to make the argument that social media isn't addictive and then goes on to list ways for people to manage social media that sound suspiciously like addiction recovery programs. Hello everyone, In the episode about dopamine,Huberman says that you can raise your base line “wavepool” of dopamine by taking a cold shower. The serotonergic feelings are characterized by a warm feeling, euphoria, and more. We literally become addicted to the dopamine from we get from the doom-scroll-refresh-feed (social media apps were actually designed to mimic the appearance of slot machines and other gambling devices, which are specifically designed and built to keep you feeding them money), but what we're addicted to is a highly curated feed of faces that Sorry I accidentally hit "Reply" too soon to get to D and let's call it E! D) I'd say that's an opinion question rather than a scientific one because the effects of social media are so multifaceted. So basically everything in life just seems like a dopamine hit and it gives me a headache and annoys me. Welcome to Dopamine Detoxing. Well the first time I've done a dopamine detox was basically the first day in the past 6 years or so, where I didn't listen to music. Most of your fears are not realistically going to happen. Play basketball with mates on Monday night, netball Friday night (possibly) and Tennis Sunday Morning. Beyond that, it’s easy to single out impacts of things like smoking, alcohol, nicotine, sex, etc yet screen time is tough. Watch his video on dopamine and the analogy of the tidal wave pool. Honestly at this point I just want to feel like I can move forward. /r/MCAT is a place for MCAT practice, questions, discussion, advice, social networking, news, study tips and more. The relationship between dopamine and anxiety is a complex and sometimes counterintuitive one. I read on a recent post that dopamine is the key to decreasing social anxiety which I hadn’t heard before - this is my main problem right now and I’m currently on a dose of 150mg effexor. In my case I cut watching YouTube videos, Instagram and Reddit and then my brain started to looking for dopamine by achieving my goals. I am not bi polar- I just had a bad addiction to news social media and basically conspiracy theory. So while there maybe be thousands of sources of dopamine, we can easily deduce that social media has been developed to create those toxic addictive high levels of dopamine. This releases dopamine and you suddenly feel good. Dude, the worst is when you have that dopamine addiction, but instead of wasting time by playing games or watching shows, you go to reddit or social media and you keep checking back every 5 minutes. ive made the decision to quit instagram and other reel-type social media for the next 30 days. e. This reduces anxiety for a short period Another episode he looks into so called social media addiction, which dovetails very nicely with the dopamine episode. This overwhelming increase in just “feeling good” only happened recently —like the past few days— after I let go of my feelings of anxiety and fear. Help! Drugs like ecstasy or molly blow all your dopamine levels and take many days to replenish. I suffer from mild social anxiety and have known for quite some time that my brain produces far too little dopamine and an excess amount of serotonin. I love solving "problems/puzzles"; it's a key part of my ADHD, gives me a huge dopamine rush. I waste hours every day scrolling through social media the likes of Twitter, Tiktok, YouTube, Reddit, Etc. i will not Distress in social situations, causing impaired functioning in daily life. You are rewarding yourself when you deserve to get rewarded (socializing, working on your passions, being prodoctive (even after cleaning your room or making the bed can release dopamine if you make it a task you need to complete) I'd recommend checking out Burt's "structural holes", studying how information is communicated within networks, and then thinking about how the nature of social media mediates or moderates those exchanges -> the impact on social structure, power, authority, and so on. I genuinely believe social media is worse than smoking because it rewires your brain, making you feel more depressed. I ask because I had years of social anxiety and panic attacks that were caused by severe anemia and low blood sugar - I am female and many females experience this during hormonal shifts. Yeah I agree social media causes depression cause ur on the internet scrolling and looking for an “easy dopamine” instead of going outside doing something else like walking cycling etc, back in the old days when social media wasn’t a thing people go outside to do something like farming and stuff. My inability to commit attention an inability to focus, and a constant need for "highs" through porn, media, social media, etc has me locked in place. Try it! You won’t regret. The patient was advised to quit smoking for Hobbies are impossible for me with social media apps installed. It developed my social anxiety. In the book, she writes about one of her patients who was a teenage girl who smoked weed/vape everyday because it helped her anxiety and depression. The reward dopamine brains system cannot distinguish going on an adventure with people and doing awesome stuff from watching a movie that contains exact that. As social media has become one of the main mediums of communication, it makes sense that many people feel anxiety when using social media. I don’t really scroll on social media, eat junk food, etc. Social media is a significant source of stress and anxiety for many people. I mentioned this to my counselor. Lack of attention span/ concentration- social media use Anxiety- social media use Running late to work and important events - social media use No time to plan & properly eat 3 nutritious meals a day- social media use Lack of engaging with family members and people around you- social media use No hobbies or skills- social media use Function and Effects: Serotonin and dopamine play critical roles in the central nervous system and have widespread effects on mood, emotions, cognition, and behavior. It sedates me. Always know what I wanna do (be conscious) while thinking the behaviour is appropriate or not. I'd not recommend taking amphetamines for social anxiety because they'll most likely only work temporary. It's pretty interesting that you'd mention manipulation because that's a central issue that The Social Dilemma explores. And since our brains naturally want more of what makes us feel good (not just once but over and over again), we often find ourselves stuck at things that we don’t Oh yes, absolutely. Basically she talks about dopamine homeostasis. Consuming cheap dopamine decreases my ability to handle stress and anxiety - 42/365 days of dopamine detox The usual explanation for why we ran towards addictive things is that we're unable to deal with stress. If you have low dopamine levels, you're more likely to get stuck in instant-dopamine tasks (such as the unnatural ones above - endlessly scrolling social media, binging tv shows, gaming) and struggle on any task/activity that doesn't have that instant reward. Don’t use Tiktok, Facebook, Twitter, Snap, etc. I’ve worked in media and technology for most of my career but currently have a non-online job. Physical symptoms may include: blushing, excess sweating, trembling, palpitations, and nausea, stammering, along, rapid speech, panic attacks. Most often, I type out a comment or reply and it's like 3 to 5 paragraphs, then just delete it all and move on without saying a damn thing. per my phone statistics, i spend approx 16 hours on these social media apps 🙂 it's gotten to the point where i could be listening to a youtube video on my laptop while simultaneously scrolling through my tiktok feed. But you lower your dopamine release and you get used to that. Dopamine detox is the KEY!! Just cut what gives you short-term happiness at least for a day. at all; my only form of current social media is Reddit. It’s a part of your brain’s reward system, meaning it helps you feel good when you do something enjoyable. Did you know when books, wrist watches, and a host of other current day common place everyday items, first became popular, there were all sorts of worries about addiction to all of these items. I am trying to get dopamine form hardwork. It is always good to rule out fixable issues first (like anemia) and consider a hormone panel before taking too many supplements. First thing I did next morning was put on some classical, while drinking my coffee and smoking a cig, then went on to eat breakfast (which I don't do that often surprisingly but in the past 3 days I have done) and then work out and meditate and have a cold shower. Also, I only use 1 main social media platform, the other ones I uninstalled because I didn’t feel I needed so many. That along with too much cortisol. this detox is my first step toward a life where I prioritize real, meaningful experiences over digital noise. Stop doing those first and your dopamine will come back and cortisol will lower. Well its interesting how we're all different. Understanding Dopamine: Dopamine is a chemical in your brain that plays a big role in feelings of pleasure and happiness. Jan 13, 2025 · Participants included 575 young adults who completed an online survey assessing self-reported time spent on Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Reddit, Snapchat, and Facebook as well as depression, anxiety, PTSD, loneliness, friend support, and self-esteem. Because ADHD craves it and it soothes trauma from my youth. Not counting anti-social media i. That is how you start feeling those weird feelings. i mean it can be used for good or bad right? I read somewhere we should max at 30min a day of social media usage. Yes - my anxiety got worse at first but I think that was my own doing rather than the tablets necessarily. No dopamine shots all day long online to leave me feeling depleted. I am very addicted to music, social media, masturbation and overall instant gratification. I provided a link here if anyone identifies with this: Click here for Maladaptive Daydreaming symptoms This mat be hard getting used to. This also goes some way to explain depression and anxiety amongst addicts, normal dopamine levels of a user require way more dopamine to reach that feel good zone which their abuse of drugs or alcohol (or anything really) does reach! If the dopamine hit isnt huge, why might social media still pose a serious addiction threat? i was a heavily social media and smartphone addict, like have my phone out is like as natural as blinking (because i feel it give me comfort from outer world), and then at that time i was have my period of lowest depression (i have manic depressive disorder) and i dont even have any energy to do anything even playing my phone, just sleeping or Hello brother, i would suggest you read the book Dopamine nation or watch andrew huberman podcast with anna liembke, this is quite common, there's sort of a bell curve where your cravings will worsen but then they'll plateau and lower out, this 17-21 should be the last of it, usually after 3 to 4 weeks, your body behaves normally and sometimes it takes longer but after 4 weeks you'll be where Hello everyone, In the episode about dopamine,Huberman says that you can raise your base line “wavepool” of dopamine by taking a cold shower. This is a support group to help with impulsive behaviour towards Eating, Gaming, Gambling, Thrill, and Tech. This can also go to the lengths of smoking, drinking, watchin compulsive porn, etc. My blunt words may have helped in some way. Posted by u/SayVolcano69 - 5 votes and 4 comments Yeah there was someone on here who said that they might take up smoking again and get their dopamine fix that way, so that they don’t use social media. i'm resetting my habits and reducing dopamine overload. So apparently Social Anxiety is thought to be best treated by raising Dopamine, as well as GABA, the former being the reason MAOIs like Nardil are so considered good for the condition, and the latter why Benzos and Alcohol work well. Thank you for sharing. The obvious one is dopamine but I've heard that the drug also raises norepinephrine too. But I have cut down almost half of my previous consumption. ? Dopamine is often referred to as the "motivation molecule. I have other friends who literally see social media as a ‘fake it till you make it’ platform. I use my phone on average 6 hours a day, and all I do is browse/watch/scroll on Youtube, Reddit, Netflix, and Instagram. The social media dopamine cycle becomes muscle memory (sometimes I've been doing it for 10 minutes or more before I realise what I'm doing and haven't taken a thing in!). bottom line is: it's officially out of Your social anxiety will make your mind think irrationally at times. Are low levels of dopamine and norepinephrine associated with anxiety too? Dec 30, 2024 · Effects of social media on the brain. **Scheduled Social Media Time**: Instead of quitting cold turkey, allocate specific times for social media. Well, I want to add on that, unlike most social media platforms, Reddit seems to cater to (support) individuality, vs Instagram, which demonizes a post that isn’t “agorythimically” profitable. You could even look at how the technology itself affects these things. But, can super low baseline levels of dopamine cause severe anxiety (on top of depressive/mood disorders? Feb 11, 2025 · Problematic social media use has been linked to higher risks for depression (45%), anxiety (58%), and stress (35%), according to Peng P et al 2023 study titled, “Six Addiction Components of Problematic Social Media Use in Relation to Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Symptoms” published in the Journal of BMC Psychiatry. She just gave me things to avoid (MUSIC and social media) and to give her updates but I feel that this Dopamine Detox includes MORE of what I need to do. I’ve kept a distance from social media platforms for most of my life due to trauma from bullying. You get notifications for things you’re not even mentioned in, which can lead to major FOMO, which leads to major depression. Nov 1, 2022 · Recent research studying news seeking and emotional responses has found that more exposure to the latest headlines—whether through traditional news outlets or highlighted on social media—can undercut mental health. Serotonin is associated with mood regulation, sleep, appetite, and social behavior, while dopamine is involved in reward, motivation, movement, and pleasure. Welcome to Dopamine Detoxing, by Andrew Kirby. Your social anxiety will make your mind think irrationally at times. Shit's toxic, so happy I got Facebook out of my life years ago. Whenever I delete my apps for a few days, this feeling goes away. Tik tok is designed to have this hit and get people to stay scrolling. May 3, 2024 · Exposure to negative or distressing content on social media, such as news about violence, disasters, or graphic imagery – can lead to stress, anxiety, or trauma. Many of us suspect we spend too much time scrolling—a concern underscored by Oxford University Press selecting “brain rot” as 2024’s word of the year I’ve pretty much completely quit most social media-I allow myself 5 minutes of Instagram a day on my laptop, and moderate it using the “Stayfocusd” extension and adhere to it very strictly. I have read and studied psychology and human behavior for 20 years. Go on tik tok same. Social media platforms are designed to be addictive - with features like likes, comments, and notifications triggering dopamine release in the brain. Social media use has lots of positives as well (I'll do a deeper dive in a reply to a question specifically about the positives), and the positive/negative effects are n Aug 22, 2024 · The Dopamine-Anxiety Connection: Unraveling the Mystery. Limit the time you spend on these platforms and be selective about the accounts you follow. The front page on reddit doesn't change and the upvotes you get don't change. Most of the time people on here and other brain enhancing forums are looking for nootropics and things that increase dopamine cause a lack of dopamine seems to be the root to a multitude of Hi all, Since my social anxiety is alleviated by low dose amisulpride which is supposed to raise dopamine level by inhibiting the D2 autoreceptors. ) and only made my first Reddit port yesterday (or the day before) about my cats holding hands. (mind you it would be like 4 days backpacking, 1 day back with social media, then repeat), so maybe just need uninterrupted time. When I think about anxiety/depression, serotonin is always the neurotransmitter that comes to mind (low levels exacerbate them). No social media. Watch porn same. Even social media. It begins with an action, such as posting a photo or status update, which creates anticipation for a response. Triggered by perceived or actual scrutiny from others. Additionally, consider turning off social media notifications to reduce distractions I also always watch something while I eat, and one of my favorite parts of the dopamine detox was eating toward the end of the detox with nothing else going on, the food tasted better and I actually felt full and it was a good moment reflecting on how much we take for granted because of social media and instant entertainment and stuff, so id highly recommend not watching anything while you eat Are chronic, abnormally low dopamine levels more associated with anxiety, or are chronic, abnormally high levels more associated with anxiety? Isn't there a hypothesis that patients with schizophrenia have highly elevated levels of dopamine. The MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) is offered by the AAMC and is a required exam for admission to medical schools in the USA and Canada. I REALLY hope I don't sound crazy. Its really helping me to improve my focus levels and my ability to study for more long hours (i am engg. The same with social media and any other form of entertainment. I enjoy using social media but at the end of the day, I don’t think too deep into what I come across. **Substitute with Positive Digital Content**: Replace some social media time with educational content (but be careful that it's not just edutainment) I know other than Huberman that are links between usage and anxiety and depression. metb zohsah oigq yidrd drzn qwpmvu lak isgzd tan dxysv jbn wupno inlv zimkrp kudwmsq