The Desire for Dopamine: Understanding What Drives Addiction

Original Air Date Wednesday, August 19, 2020.

Drug overdose is the number one cause of death among people under the age of 50 in the US and Canada. Effective treatment options for those afflicted with substance abuse issues are limited and lack government participation. But, why? All of us want to feel good and many people who become addicted are just trying to combat their depression and pain.

Lisa’s guests, Dr. Daniel Lieberman, and Mike Long describe the upside of dopamine and its role in human existence. Then, Travis Lupick unpacks the story of how the city of Vancouver, Canada, defies the stigma of drug consumption and helps substance abusers get clean.

Tune in:

Harvesting Happiness Talk Radio · The Desire for Dopamine: Understanding What Drives Addiction

Meet Our Guests:

The Desire for Dopamine: Understanding What Drives Addiction with Dr. Daniel Lieberman MD, Mike Long & Travis Lupick

Dr. Daniel Lieberman is a professor and Vice Chair for clinical affairs in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at George Washington University. He has provided insight on psychiatric issues for the US Dept. of Health and Human Services, the US Dept of Commerce and the office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and has discussed mental health interviews on CNN, C-Span, and PBS.

Michael Long is an award-winning speechwriter, screenwriter, and playwright. A popular speaker and educator, Mr. Long has addressed audiences around the world including a keynote at Oxford University. He teaches writing at Georgetown University where he is a former Director of Writing. Mr. Long pursued undergraduate studies at Murray State University and graduate studies at Vanderbilt University.

Book: Book: The Molecule of More: How a Single Chemical in Your Brain Drives Love, Sex, and Creativity— And Will Determine the Fate of the Human Race

Dr. Daniel Z. Lieberman & Mike Long — The Molecule of More:

Dr. Daniel Lieberman and Mike Long explain the role dopamine plays in a human’s desire for more. {3:17}
Is love an imaginary construct that only exists in our minds? {6:42}
What makes ADD and ADHD patients more susceptible to addiction? {11:15}
The dopamine system is behind both creativity and madness, according to Dr. Daniel Lieberman and Mike Long. {20:49}
The dissatisfaction component of dopamine is the engine of human progress, more is where the money is, and free will. {26:27}

Follow Dr. Daniel Z. Lieberman & Mike Long:

Travis Lupick is an award-winning journalist based in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. He works as a staff reporter for the Georgia Straight newspaper and has also written about drug addiction, harm reduction, and mental health for the Toronto Star and Al Jazeera English, among other outlets.

For his reporting on Canada’s opioid crisis, Lupick received the Canadian Association of Journalists’ prestigious Don McGillivray award for best overall investigative report of 2016 and two 2017 Jack Webster awards for excellence in B.C. journalism.

Book: Fighting for Space: How a Group of Drug Users Transformed One City’s Struggle with Addiction

Travis Lupick — Is it Time to Decriminalize Drug Addiction?:

The fentanyl crisis and the addiction epidemic is an effort to reduce the pain caused by human suffering. {37:40}
With so many different types of learners, why do school systems not nurture neurodiversity? {32:02}
How Vancouver handles the public health crisis of substance abuse with harm prevention techniques, housing options, and offering prescription heroin. {39:50}
Travis Lupick describes how harm reduction sites, volunteers, and mothers work to end substance abuse. {53:58}

Follow Travis Lupick:

Shareables:

“All drugs of abuse stimulate dopamine.” @MoleculeofMore on @HHTalkRadio Share on X “Drugs are like a guided missile that outweighs anything nature is capable of giving us.” @MoleculeofMore on @HHTalkRadio Share on X “Addiction is a tricky thing to treat because you have to address all the different aspects.” @TLupick on @HHTalkRadio Share on X “Too often our approach to drug use and our policies around drug users are based on morals as opposed to science.” @TLupick on @HHTalkRadio Share on X

Grab More Joy Below:

Are We Happy Yet? Eight Keys to Unlocking a Joyful Life — A boot camp manual for greater emotional fitness. Happiness waits for no one and sometimes we all need support. What is getting in the way of your happiness right now?

H–Factor: Where is Your Heart? — Lisa’s documentary film explores the journey of human happiness. Emotions are contagious and happiness is a universally desired state. We tend to forget we all have the freedom to be happy or the liberty to be miserable each day.