New York Times Bestseller
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In Dopamine Nation, Dr. Anna Lembke, psychiatrist and author, explores the exciting new scientific discoveries that explain why the relentless pursuit of pleasure leads to pain. Most important, she tells readers how to find the delicate balance between the two. Condensing complex neuroscience into easy-to-understand metaphors, Lembke illustrates how finding contentment and connectedness means keeping dopamine in check. The lived experiences of her patients are the gripping fabric of her narrative. Their riveting stories of suffering and redemption give us all hope for managing our consumption and transforming our lives.
“Dopamine Nation explains the personal and societal price of being ruled by the next fix—and how to manage it. No matter what you might find yourself over-indulging in—from the internet to food to work to sex—you’ll find this book riveting, scary, cogent, and cleverly argued. Lembke weaves patient stories with research, in a voice that’s as empathetic as it is clear-eyed.” —Beth Macy, author of Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors
“We all desire a break from our routines and those parts of life that upset us. What if, instead of trying to escape these things, we learn to turn toward them, to reach a peaceful harmony with ourselves and the people we share our lives with? Lembke has written a book that radically changes the way we think about mental illness, pleasure, pain, reward, and stress. ” —Daniel Levitin, New York Times bestselling author of The Organized Mind and Successful Aging
“Anna Lembke deeply understands an experience I hear about often in the therapy room at the nexus between our modern addictions and our primal brains. Her stories of guiding people to find a healthy balance between pleasure and pain have the power to transform your life. ”—Lori Gottlieb, “Dear Therapist” columnist at The Atlantic, New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone
“Anna Lembke is professor of psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine and chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic. A clinician scholar, she has published more than a hundred peer-reviewed papers, book chapters, and commentaries. She sits on the board of several state and national addiction-focused organizations, has testified before various committees in the United States House of Representatives and Senate, keeps an active speaking calendar, and maintains a thriving clinical practice.”
Selected Publications
Lembke, A., Digital Addictions Are Drowning Us in Dopamine, The Wall Street Journal, August 13, 2021
Lembke, A., Eyal, N. Is Social Media Hijacking our Minds?, Pairagraph: A hub of discourse between pairs of notable individuals, 2021
Lembke, A. Unsafe Supply: Why Making Controlled Prescription Drugs Available for Unsupervised Use Will Not Target the Syndemic of HIV, Hepatitis C, Overdose, and COVID-19, Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 2020 Sep;81(5):564-565.
Lembke, A. Purdue Pharma is Done Promoting Opioids: Here’s Why It’s a Big Deal, Fortune Magazine, Feb 2018
Lembke, A., Papac, J., Humphreys, K. Our Other Prescription Drug Problem, NEJM, 2018; 378(8):693-695.
Selected Speaking Events
Sept 2020 Anna Lembke appeared on the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma, explaining that "social media is a drug" which exploits the brain's evolutionary need for interpersonal connection. https://www.thesocialdilemma.com/reclaim-your-screen-time/
Jan 2021 The Social Dilemma: Preconceived with Zale Mednick (Apple Podcasts) https://link.chtbl.com/FYGb94jM
Jan 2021 PharmedOut at Georgetown University Panel Discussion w/ Dr. Anna Lembke https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCaF2JSVhdg&t=6s
Jan 2021 The Impact of Technology on Mental Health, Q & A with Microsoft Interns, online panel discussion with Tim Kendall and Jaron Lanier
Feb 2021 HBO Panel regarding the documentary The Crime of the Century on the opioid crisis
March 2021 Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence, The Parent Venture (Parent Education), Menlo Park, CA August 2021 Dr. Anna Lembke Understanding & Treating Addiction, Episode 33,
April 2021
Dopamine Nation: Social Media, Persuasion, and the Science of Addiction, Anna Lembke in conversation with Aza Raskin, Aspen Brain Institute Expert Series
August 2021 Huberman Lab podcast, https://hubermanlab.libsyn.com/dr-anna-lembke-understanding-treating-addiction-episode-33
August 2021 Interview with Terri Gross, NPR’s Fresh Air, about Dopamine Nation https://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/2021/08/25/1030929916/fresh-air-for-aug-25-2021-dopamine-nation-author-anna-lembke
August 2021 Interview with Rich Roll, The Rich Roll Podcast, about Dopamine Nation https://www.richroll.com/podcast/anna-lembke-623/
August 2021 Anna Lembke: Dopamine & Digital Addiction, Singularity Radio https://anchor.fm/singularity-radio/episodes/FBL24---Anna-Lembke-Dopamine--Digital-Addiction-e16eso2
August 2021 Dopamine Nation with Anna Lembke MD, Straight Talk MD with Frank Sweeny https://straighttalkmd.com/podcast/dopamine-nation-with-anna-lembke-md/
August 2021 With Pleasure Comes Pain - Our Addiction to Dopamine, Interview with Dr. David Perlmutter, MD, Empowering Neurologist
August 2021 KALW Radio, Interview on The State of the Bay, Dopamine Nationhttps://www.kalw.org/show/state-of-the-bay/2021-08-29/the-neuroscience-of-addiction-san-franciscos-corruption-sfjazz-high-school-all-stars
August 2021 Is Instagram a Drug?: Dr. Anna Lembke, SuperAge: Live Better podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/tn/podcast/is-instagram-a-drug-dr-anna-lembke/id1514482663?i=1000533053656
August 2021 On the Podcast: Leigh Montville, Robert Meyer and Dan Koeppel, and Anna Lembke, Author https://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/blog/on-the-podcast-leigh-montville-robert-meyer-and-dan-koeppel-and-anna-lembke/
August 2021 Tech, Social Media & Addiction – Anna Lembke, Engineer-Mind podcast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIEFb0spXRY
August 2021 Overcoming Social Media Addiction, Mind Espresso with Scott Engler https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/overcoming-social-media-addiction/id1460146095?i=1000533877661
August 2021 Dr. Anna Lembke: Finding Balance in a Dopamine-Overloaded World, The Courageously. U Podcast https://courageouslyu.com/anna-lembke/
August 2021 Anna Lembke MD: social media is a drug, Northstar Unplugged, https://www.northstarsleepschool.com/anna-lembke-md
August 2021 Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence: With Guest Dr. Anna Lembke, The Rick Ungar Show https://www.rickungarshow.com/finding-balance-in-the-age-of-indulgence-with-guest-dr-anna-lembke/
September 2021 The Correlation Between the Opioid Epidemic and Social Media with Dr. Anna Lembke, Adjusted Reality podcast, https://www.buzzsprout.com/1220486/9097921
September 2021 Dr. Anna Lembke | Dopamine, Addiction, Pleasure and Pain, Brokenness & The Importance of Truth, Freedom Pact https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbxalFNVsD0
September 2021 How We Became A Dopamine Nation with Anna Lembke, M.D., Chef AJ Live https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLImiOxEQKU
September 2021 Are You Addicted To Your Phone?, Viewpoints Radio https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIpvECU61us
September 2021 Dr. Anna Lembke, Medical Director of Addiction Medicine at Stanford University on "Dopamine Nation," Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Pu82wZRZwo
September 2021 How our smartphones are turning us into dopamine junkies, Radio New Zealand
September 2021 Dr. Anna Lembke – Dopamine Nation; Why We’re Addicted, ManTalks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IPrXhE-FUE
September 2021 Ep. 32: Dopamine Nation by Dr. Anna Lembke, Billboard Happiness https://podcasts.apple.com/no/podcast/ep-32-dopamine-nation-by-dr-anna-lembke/id1448644391?i=1000534719995
September 2021 Regulating the dopamine hit from gaming, Hack https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/hack/13518258
September 2021 KRTS Radio, Dr. Anna Lembke: Regulating dopamine production, https://soundcloud.com/550ktrs/dr-anna-lembke-regulating-dopamine-production
September 2021 Dr. Anna Lembke on The Zeitgeist, A Mighty Blaze https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4VBpCQ2XtI
September 2021 KPIX 5 CBS UPDATE: DEA Issues Safety Alert As San Francisco Fentanyl Seizures Soar https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2021/09/28/dea-drug-enforcement-administration-san-francisco-fentanyl-seizures/
September 2021 Experts Say TV Binge-Watching Feels Like A Drug, Reset with Sasha-Ann Simmonshttps://www.wbez.org/stories/experts-say-tv-binge-watching-feels-like-a-drug/24fefcf7-925b-4e92-8b51-5b4c5c0abbc0
October 2021 Interview with Tucker Carlson, The Tucker Carlson Show FOX News, about Dopamine Nation
October 2021 Anna Lembke - Dopamine Nation, The Hidden Why https://soundcloud.com/leigh-martinuzzi/1007-anna-lembke-dopamine-nation
October 2021 Dopamine Addiction featuring Dr. Anna Lembke, Rehab Road Trips https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0Qzbfl4q_k
October 2021 BNC News The Dark Side of Social Media https://www.facebook.com/BNCNews/videos/270205431643009/
October 2021 Anna Lembke, Food Junkies Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/food-junkies-podcast/id1547705773
October 2021 Podcast #745: Do You Need to Take a Dopamine Fast?, Art of Manliness Podcast https://www.artofmanliness.com/health-fitness/health/do-you-need-to-take-a-dopamine-fast/
October 2021 The Kennedy Forum: A Panel Discussion on the Impact of Social Media on Mental Health
