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When Dopamine Betrays You — Stress, Trauma, & Mis-Wiring
When life hits hard, your dopamine doesn’t disappear — it shifts.
In this raw and eye-opening episode, Emily breaks down how stress, trauma, and constant chaos can rewire your reward system. You’ll learn why peace feels uncomfortable, why drama feels addictive, and how your brain confuses survival mode for motivation. Then in her powerful Fix Your Chemistry rant, Emily shows you how to regulate your nervous system, rebuild healthy dopamine pathways, and finally make calm feel good again.
This one hits deep — and it hits home.
Sources & Notes (Episode 7)
• Loeb, J., Lone Star Neurology (2023): “How Chronic Stress Affects Dopamine and Mental Health.”
• Nature Reviews Neuroscience (2010): Dopamine and chronic stress mechanisms.
• McGill University (2020): “Understanding the Brain’s Reward System and Addiction Mechanisms.”
• Lembke A., Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence (2021).
• Harvard Medical School (2022): Vagus nerve activation and stress regulation.
• American Psychological Association (2021): Sensory overstimulation and dopamine regulation.
• Sapolsky R. M., Stanford University Lectures (2019): Micro-reward cycles and motivation.
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By Emily FierroWhen life hits hard, your dopamine doesn’t disappear — it shifts.
In this raw and eye-opening episode, Emily breaks down how stress, trauma, and constant chaos can rewire your reward system. You’ll learn why peace feels uncomfortable, why drama feels addictive, and how your brain confuses survival mode for motivation. Then in her powerful Fix Your Chemistry rant, Emily shows you how to regulate your nervous system, rebuild healthy dopamine pathways, and finally make calm feel good again.
This one hits deep — and it hits home.
Sources & Notes (Episode 7)
• Loeb, J., Lone Star Neurology (2023): “How Chronic Stress Affects Dopamine and Mental Health.”
• Nature Reviews Neuroscience (2010): Dopamine and chronic stress mechanisms.
• McGill University (2020): “Understanding the Brain’s Reward System and Addiction Mechanisms.”
• Lembke A., Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence (2021).
• Harvard Medical School (2022): Vagus nerve activation and stress regulation.
• American Psychological Association (2021): Sensory overstimulation and dopamine regulation.
• Sapolsky R. M., Stanford University Lectures (2019): Micro-reward cycles and motivation.