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This week, we bring you the second part of our 2023 conversation on the perils of too much pleasure. Psychiatrist Anna Lembke explains the neuroscience behind compulsive consumption. She also shares techniques she’s learned from her patients to overcome the lure of addictive substances and behaviors. Then, Anna responds to your questions and comments on everything from dopamine fasts to kids' use of cell phones in our segment "Your Questions Answered."
If you missed the first part of this episode, listen to it here.
Looking for the perfect holiday gift for the Hidden Brain fan in your life? How about a membership to our podcast subscription, Hidden Brain+? You can learn more about gift subscriptions at patreon.com/hiddenbrain/gift. If t-shirts, tote bags and mugs are more your thing, you can find all kinds of Hidden Brain swag at our online store -- just go to shop.hiddenbrain.org. And if you prefer to give the gift of an experience, consider tickets to our live tour! To see where we’re headed in 2026, go to hiddenbrain.org/tour. Thanks and Happy Holidays!
Episode illustration by Anna Kutukova for Unsplash+
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
By Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam4.6
4102841,028 ratings
This week, we bring you the second part of our 2023 conversation on the perils of too much pleasure. Psychiatrist Anna Lembke explains the neuroscience behind compulsive consumption. She also shares techniques she’s learned from her patients to overcome the lure of addictive substances and behaviors. Then, Anna responds to your questions and comments on everything from dopamine fasts to kids' use of cell phones in our segment "Your Questions Answered."
If you missed the first part of this episode, listen to it here.
Looking for the perfect holiday gift for the Hidden Brain fan in your life? How about a membership to our podcast subscription, Hidden Brain+? You can learn more about gift subscriptions at patreon.com/hiddenbrain/gift. If t-shirts, tote bags and mugs are more your thing, you can find all kinds of Hidden Brain swag at our online store -- just go to shop.hiddenbrain.org. And if you prefer to give the gift of an experience, consider tickets to our live tour! To see where we’re headed in 2026, go to hiddenbrain.org/tour. Thanks and Happy Holidays!
Episode illustration by Anna Kutukova for Unsplash+
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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