Intense dopamine detox

[SirWanksalot]

What are your experiences with going on a dopamine detox?

For me it's challenging every time but I just feel so much better afterwards.
More focused and like what I am doing is actually fulfilling.
Helps me face the pains in my life and open up to them so I can work through them at least a little bit each time. Never had like LIFECHANGING things happen but just a little bit each time makes me see that I am making real life progress (work, studies, relationships, working out, etc.).

Of course I fail pretty much every time at least a bit where I spend 2 hours watching "educational" videos on YouTube about what I am working on or studying and end up at "10 most anticipated games for...." or some BS like that.
Or eat some junk food or whatever. Porn though has not been a problem.

I go for a couple of days or at least one full day.

What are your challenges, pit falls, what made you fail in the past?
And how did it help you?

 

[StonePlacidity]

I personally think complete dopamine detox is not needed. We are human beings and a healthy dose of natural dopamine can actually keep us motivated. And your name is interesting ha

 

[SirWanksalot]

No one talking about a complete dopamine detox here my friend.
Natural dopamine = very goooooooood

 

[Deleted Account]

I avoid also music , movies and videogames for example. Especially music gives me too much dopamine.
I'm not sure what you mean with natural dopamine. Fapping is natural too.
I think if you want to heal your dopamine receptors you have to avoid activities with high dopamine boost otherwise it'll take mach longer.

 

[Deleted Account]

I think he means like doing exercise is good natural dopamine.

Yes exercising is a good thing

 

[fil.exe]

What are your experiences with going on a dopamine detox?

Never had like LIFECHANGING things happen

Speaking of lifechanging stuff, last monday something substantial optimized how I operate towards boredom in general.

Long story short I deeply hated the person the brought me to an emotional pit back in 2015. After deciding to recover in order to not be dead weight to my mom, I embarked in a journey of self-improvement, sometimes seeking some sort of enlightenment. Anger was my main fuel, after all, the one responsible for all the current misfortune was my very own gratification junkie side. Now, during this stage of self-reflection and development, I swallowed lots of information but on very few occasions I would actually taste it.

Back to the present, Mazlov pyramid of needs, Dharma concepts and remembering this anger I felt towards myself were the triggers to the lifechanging event. It happens that I was always getting ahead of myself, I needed to get out of my own way in order to feel, not just think of progress. I was ignoring some core endeavors of life wondering why the data that made complete sense in my head wouldn't crystallize through my behavior. I knew what I needed to do to reach fulfillment but in terms of practice I was the same old me. I tried skipping one 'phase' of life and it backfired immensely.

 

[BigBadWolf_27]

My advice is - Get rid of porn and masturbation for good, then reduce other dopamine boosters. One step at a time, taking it easy...

 

[SirWanksalot]

My advice is - Get rid of porn and masturbation for good, then reduce other dopamine boosters. One step at a time, taking it easy...

Yes, sometimes that's the right approach as well.
In my case I also heavily go into meditation and turning towards and opening up towards my pain. With the right skillset you can gain a lot of inner clarity through that. But it would not be as effective if you still go for some other heavy hitters when it comes to dopamine triggers.

 

[SirWanksalot]

I avoid also music , movies and videogames for example. Especially music gives me too much dopamine.
I'm not sure what you mean with natural dopamine. Fapping is natural too.
I think if you want to heal your dopamine receptors you have to avoid activities with high dopamine boost otherwise it'll take mach longer.

I think he means like doing exercise is good natural dopamine. I find the same regarding music by the way. And you make a good point on helping dopamine receptors to recover.

Exactly right, let's call it "low level dopamine releases" instead of natural dopmine releases then.