The Hidden Risks Of A “Dopamine Detox” That People Don’t Talk About

No caffeine.

No exercising.

No screen time.

No socialising.

No sexual activity.

No food, even.

The instructions for a dopamine detox vary in intensity, from mildly inconvenient to highly self-depriving.

Some suggest protecting a day every week or two. Others say you need to go off the grid for multiple weeks to experience any lasting benefits.

Aside from the scientific issues of the term “dopamine detox” — seeing as you can’t detox from a naturally occurring chemical in the brain — is it a worthwhile thing to do?

Well, we first need to clarify…

What Caused The Rise Of This Sociocultural Movement Over The Last 5 Years?

Also known as dopamine fasting, the dopamine detox movement was developed by a psychiatrist named Cameron Sepah.

Cameron hoped to help people reduce unhealthy stimuli and reconnect with themselves and others.

With 10,000 online searches per month for dopamine fasting, and over 130,000 searches a month for dopamine detox, the movement has exploded in popularity.

Like many trends, a minority of people take this to extremes.

In the tech bro and hustle culture communities, the length and extent of one’s ability to “detox” from dopamine has become something to brag about online, which is ironic.

While I believe in the general benefits of the less extreme forms of the movement, I decided to name my newsletter Stimulation Detox instead of Dopamine Detox for the scientific reasons mentioned earlier.

We’re not attempting to get rid of our dopamine here. We need dopamine.

Instead, we want to slowly reduce how much unhealthy stimulation we expose ourselves to daily.

Even a milder stimulation detox has challenges, though, which brings me to…

The Dark Side Of The "Dopamine Detox" Movement

Depending on how strict the conditions of your detox are, you may bite off more than you can chew and end up feeling worse.

Often, a detox intends to cut back on your external inputs — energy drinks, short-form videos, fast food, porn, and shopping, among others.

The idea is to teach your brain to be less hyper in its patterns of novelty-seeking.

Less addicted. Less reactive. Less frantic.

However, for most people, a detox like this is not a sunshine and rainbows experience. They’re not feeling calm and joyful.

Rather, the more common experience — especially during the first few you try — is the complete opposite.

Waves of intense boredom. Restlessness. Anxiety. Exhaustion, even, as you realise just how tired you are without being able to get a fake energy boost from sugar or caffeine or short-form content.

Don’t be surprised if you meet all of these discomforts head-on at some point. They can prompt thoughts such as:

“This is too hard.”

“This is pointless.”

“This is a waste of time.”

“Maybe I should finish early.”

“Maybe I can do it next week instead.”

You can feel like your mind and body are a pair of volcanoes about to erupt into the sky or collapse into the ocean depths.

Now, this does sound dramatic! I admit the experience won’t be quite so difficult for many people, but it can be for some who have conditioned their brains to expect hyperstimulation most hours they’re awake.

Without distractions, the emotions and past hurts stored in the dusty cupboards of the unconscious mind may begin to knock on the door of your conscious mind.

You may experience racing thoughts. Flashbacks. And strong feelings that make you rage, cringe, or cry.

This is a good sign, believe it or not. Why?

The lack of distractions has signalled to the unconscious that now is a safer time to process those stressors from the past that you didn’t have an opportunity to process properly before, because your mind was too darn busy.

Still, this can feel overwhelming if you’ve experienced trauma in either childhood or adulthood, or there is significant stress in your current life situations.

Sitting in silence can, as strange as it may seem, feel like the hardest thing to do in these situations.

So, how can we make your first few detoxes a less intense experience, so that it’s both achievable and sustainable as a long-term habit?

Check out this beginner’s detox template to help you create a less demanding detox schedule. Otherwise, let’s continue.

How To Approach Your First Stimulation Detox Day

Here are some strategies I’ve found helpful to make it more likely that I’ll begin to establish healthy habits in this area of life:

Choose a smaller number of stimuli

The more stimuli you try to avoid in your first detox or two, the harder it will be to stick to.

Instead, can you start with three forms of stimulation to cut out for 24 hours before expanding further?

For example:

• No Netflix

• No sugar

• No intense exercise

Commit to a shorter time

I know it’s tempting to jump into the deep end, delete all social media and move to an island with no wi-fi for a month. But then what?

Is that a lifestyle you can, or want, to sustain?

Probably not.

Instead, opt for a more realistic alternative. Can you protect one half-day every two weeks to do a detox?

If you can, then build up to one half-day a week. Then to one day a week.

Of course, the effects will be more subtle than if you went offline for a month in the Bahamas. That’s fine.

Just keep building the habit in the right direction, one step at a time.

Swap out all-or-nothing behaviours

The point of this whole endeavour is to lower your total stimulation load, not get rid of it altogether.

Fasting for the entire day isn’t beginner-friendly, in my opinion. How about eating plainer food on the day of your detox?

Oatmeal, meat, green veggies — that kind of thing.

Forgoing all cognitive stimulation is a tough ask, too.

Can you allow reading books, writing, or allowing yourself to listen to one podcast that day at a normal speed?

Giving the green light to walks and stretching are good alternatives, too, instead of no exercise or movement throughout the day.

You get the idea.

Set goals but accept where you’re at now, too. Rome wasn’t built in a day.

All of these strategies have enabled me to scale healthy habits, rather than getting stuck in the perfectionism trap.

And as for dealing with difficult thoughts or emotions that arise when you can’t engage in distracting behaviours?

Options here include:

• Journalling

• Acceptance and compassion guided meditation

• Slow walks in nature

• Somatic experiencing

Feeling anxious and jittery?

Try shaking your legs and/or arms for five minutes.

Feeling grumpy or angry?

Try tensing your muscles or hitting a pillow for five minutes.

Feeling numb or low in mood?

Place your hand on your chest or belly, and gently caress this area for five minutes.

If you’re like me, these strategies can be awkward and forced at first. You’ll feel self-conscious. But, after some repetition, it can become more natural and intuitive.

All of the options above are healthier forms of self-soothing that can help you persevere during the most uncomfortable phases of your detox.

You may surprise yourself at how quickly they can elevate your emotional and physical state.

The Personal Growth You Can Look Forward To After Your First 3-5 Detox Days

So, let’s say you plan to try a dopamine or stimulation detox every Sunday for the next four weeks.

You’ve added it to your calendar and have decided which forms of stimulation to avoid:

• Gaming

• Junk food

• Porn

• Social media

You also want to limit your caffeine intake to one coffee in the morning and reduce your smartphone usage by 50%.

First off, I commend you if this was how you chose to start things off. Because while it will be a challenge, it also gives you some breathing space.

The point is, you’re choosing to avoid several larger forms of stimulation, lessen the impact of a couple of others, and allow the rest.

Notice how we haven’t set other conditions like avoiding alcohol, laptop use, shopping, exercising, and socialising in person.

What kind of benefits can you expect from an experiment like this?

Well, first and foremost, I predict that you will feel slightly better rather than worse. Your mind and body will feel a little “cleaner” or lighter after the detox day.

Maybe you feel calmer, less rushed, less bogged down.

For most people, this is an achievable challenge on a Sunday, a typical day of rest. But I realise for people who have kids or work on Sundays, you may need to tweak the conditions of the detox to suit you.

Whatever makes it a realistic first step is the way to go.

When you cut out all sources of highly stimulating inputs at once, it’s a genuine shock to your system. And a detox day, in this case, can make you feel worse rather than better.

It’s simply too much change, too soon.

In my view, the first few detox days (or half-days if this is more accessible to you) you commit to should follow the S-M-A-R-T goal structure:

Specific

Define what you want to achieve with the stimulation detoxes over the next week and month.

Measurable

Build a system to track your detoxes — what worked, what you found hardest to stick to, etc.

Achievable

Set yourself up for success by making sure the goal is realistically attainable.

Relevant

Reflect on your purpose for reducing certain high-stimulation habits. It will keep you more motivated when you’re tempted to give in.

Time-bound

Plan a clear start and end for the challenge.

You want to develop a positive association with the detox experience, rather than always dreading the next one. This is meant to feel like self-nurturing rather than self-punishment.

To summarise the main ideas covered here, I’ll leave a link to a beginner’s detox template that can help you get started with a less intense detox schedule.

It’s still possible you will encounter racing thoughts or emotional discomfort, but less likely than if you take your first few detox days to an extreme level.

Good luck,

Declan Davey