Dopamine fasting reddit adhd Not trying to be a dick, but if caffeine makes a person with ADHD focus most likely that person does not have ADHD or they are on the spectrum of it. Meds have helped me dramatically - I had symptoms very similar to yours and now, with medication, I feel normal and able to bring myself to do things. Jul 29, 2022 · People who have ADHD have high dopamine transporters and low dopamine levels. Start with a Dopamine Detox, then maintain a Dopamine Fast. Dr Russell Barkley remarked in one of his lectures (available on YouTube) that a SMALL amount of simple, fast-absorbing sugar, ingested regularly, can help keep the adhd brain on task. Important to know that dopamine fasting isn't possible. You need to be careful, since doing high dopamine stuff early in the day will make it much harder to be productive. Jan 11, 2025 · Dopamine detox, also known as dopamine fasting, has become a popular trend in recent years, with claims that it can help reset the brain’s reward system, improve focus, and reduce the need for constant stimulation. Dopamine fasting, or dopamine detox, is a technique that consists of completely abstaining from any experience that brings you pleasure, especially addictive technologies; like social media, doom scrolling, internet, youtube, reddit, listening to music, videogames, texting, etc. As you accomplish this you will experience natural dopamine. Satisfaction. Amphetamines are direct dopamine stimulant, whereas Ritalin is like a reuptake inhibitor that reduces how quickly dopamine is "mopped up". Jan 15, 2025 · If any of this sounds like your life, it might be time to try dopamine fasting. As a reminder, here are the rules for my dopamine fast: 1) No social media. Different circadiam rhythms, increased distractions, dopamine farming, higher anxiety and racing thoughts can all contribute. It's used to help quit smoking, against narcolepsy, around seventh in line for what doctors prescribe against depression, and may be used as an "if all else fails" ADHD medication, but it targets the dopamine reuptake which we all know is a great part of what messes us up. Adhd makes you produce less dopamine and dopamine detox can lead to depression-like symptoms and make executive function even worse! So be super careful. You can't wean yourself off dopamine, especially not if you have ADHD. So, the consequence of this is that the brain doesn’t keep the dopamine for as long as it’s needed to satisfy itself. And, if I'm honest, the stereotype of women with ADHD is a flighty random waifish woman. when Im not taking my meds (Im on a stimulant so I want to try and space the meds out to avoid my body becoming used to my dosage and what not as long as possible), Ill get an intense urge to eat a specific food, do a specific action (not exactly unhealthy I’m planning to start dopamine detoxing and I just discovered this subreddit, so I want to ask for some opinion and advice about the plan and the experience. Stimulant medications work to correct this deficiency. Dopamine fasting isn’t supported by any peer reviewed science. The only (non pharmaceutical) way to correct course for pleasure-pain balance is by abstinence, or pressing on the physical pain side of the seesaw. For individuals with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), where dopamine dysregulation plays a significant role, the idea of a dopamine detox can be particularly • Turn to dopamine high of whatever nature (weed, video games, spend money, waste time on Reddit) • do the above until there’s no time left for the work to be done and my persistent fear of complete failure makes me do the work in a mostly mediocre fashion and my grades reflect that, in my opinion. If later in the child's developmen Dopamine fasting isn't meant to be the literal abstention from all dopamine. “Dopamine fasting” is junk science. In other words, it can make ADHD symptoms worse. Look into Wellbutrin (bupropion). You know what the main problem with ADHD is? To little dopamine. If you have any health concerns please talk to your doctor. Double blind trials haven't been performed for parachutes either. The term started buzzing in Silicon Valley boardrooms in 2019, and it has since stuck. The #1 social media platform for MCAT advice. My dopamine and norepinephrine system is fucked, I don’t need to “fast”, I need medication. Actually that depends on how you define ADHD. Low dopamine is often seen with folks with ADHD and having a diagnosis can help see things more clearly. honestly its worrying me a lot more than ADHD itself. The more you chase it constantly, the harder it will be later. You should research it and perhaps add it to your list. He has an episode about dopamine and he has an episode on adHd as well. I usually don't 'correct' these terms because - as long as it gets people to simplify/understand what they need to do to implement a change - it doesn't matter too much to me (on the Ive noticed throughout my adhd life I tend to get "addicted" to foods, activities, and habits that give me short quick dopamine releases. I did a month away from stimulating internet things over winter and it was actually insane how ridiculously easy it was to do things. Having to little dopamine causes you to be unconcentrated, nervous, unable to start tasks and so on. Nowadays, I don’t feel a response to anything from caffeine to 20mg Adderall XR. Get the Reddit app Scan this QR code to download the app now. Sometimes children have a prefrontal cortex that develops slower/ different, making a child that is seen as ADHD when tested and compared to a child with ADHD is the same. It should be called "reducing dopamine overload by reducing easy empty quick dopamine hits so you can gain natural dopamine from things that are fulfilling". It’s just that being ND makes it really difficult to live since those symptoms are either really severe, happen very often, or both. Does anyone else struggle with this? How do you cope? Have you found habits to replace the mindless grazing, or other tricks for a quick dopamine hit? Edit: non-food suggestions especially welcome! The more Dopamine you get, the more resistance you build up to it, and the more you will need. It sounds counter intuitive to do a detox but also take dopamine producing drugs, but there is a method to the madness. Take a typical antipsychotic for 3 weeks and let me know if you still have ADHD after the drug leaves your system. one of the apps that has you grow virtual plants bc you don’t move your phone. Yesterday I made a post called “My 7-Day Dopamine Fast (Day 0)”. you will love hard dopamine fasting, aka visual and audio deprivation for 90+ minutes. Dopamine has been linked as a possible contributor to ADHD. Challenges and Considerations of Dopamine Fasting for ADHD. If done correctly, "dopamine detox" actually increases real dopamine and can rewire your brain to use that as the primary motivator. Because sugar consumption produces high amounts of dopamine in short bursts, it seems logical that a person with ADHD would crave sugar. Like its too much if you try removing it all at once, and also there I would recommend doing it for real, not just dopamine fasting. Keep in mind the dopamine fast is NOT designed for treating diseases, fixing mental health issues or managing your diet. But we’re less happy overall. A person that has ADHD would not be focus with coffee/caffeine. I disagree with: "Of course Dopamine fasting does not mean that one depletes themselves of any Dopaminergic stimuli - but nobody ever claimed that. Zyban. It gobbles up the dopamine too quickly, so it cannot cross the synaptic gap to the next neuron. K offers, this one is by far the most useful to me. im drinking heavly 3-4 times a week. In that post, I talked about why I have decided to go on this challenge. Engage with friends. Dopamine upregulation is hardly relevant if your brain is only going to release it in response to chemical stimuli. This helps produce natural dopamine. Link is here. From what I understand it's a misnomer, you can't really fast from dopamine you can only shift how and why it is released. I need dopamine to stay motivated in all areas so I’m always on the hunt. I tried it and it seems to work! I always thought I was an introvert because I hate crowds and navigating new social situations, then I thought I was an extrovert but autistic, because I hate crowds but love having rowdy infodump conversations with other ADHD/autistic folks, and now I'm thinking maybe I AM an introvert, I just also rely on dopamine from (safe, comfortable With that out of the way, let’s talk about how the final day of my dopamine fast went: Overall, I had a great day! I broke my record for most steps walked in a single day, with almost 30k. He suggested that rather than labeling myself with a disorder, I should consider the possibility that I might be overstimulating my dopamine system. It's not a detox, it's not a fast, it doesn't lower dopamine levels and it doesn't upregulate dopamine receptors, as it is too short in duration. Unlike traditional fasting, which restricts food and caloric intake, dry fasting requires the body to rely on its internal water reserves and metabolic reactions for energy. They will need a strict routine, diet, workout, and medicine. Thinking about the dreaded dopamine fast as a possibility. Also, there are studies that show people with ADHD have longer REM cycles, which means their deep sleep (the most restful kind of sleep) is impacted. The dopamine fast is a tool for recalibrating your habits and your life. It was the perfect weather outside, so it felt good to go out and enjoy the air and sunlight. I probably walked 5 hours or more. Like sipping juice or gatorade--he very clearly noted this is sipping, NOT gulping. This results in the ADHD brain being faster than the non-ADHD brain. This includes YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, Discord, etc. I highly recommend listening to/watching the Dr Andrew Huberman podcast episode on ADHD and then the one on dopamine. If you're an adrenaline junkie like I was, then there is a right way and a very wrong way to do this. When turning to electronics, shopping, eating or other addictions becomes a problem, learn how to reset the reward pathway in your brain. Thats why people with adhd can get easily hooked to social media, video games ect. As genetic or as a brain development impairment. I’ve seen a few times in this community that people really push the ‘dopamine deficiency’ and it’s a bit of a pet peeve of mine as a scientist - Whilst there is evidence to suggest that dopamine is involved, we certainly don’t have enough of it to be able to go around saying that ADHD is rooted in dopamine deficiency. Dry fasting is a type of fasting where individuals abstain from both food and water for a certain period. Contrasts are important. As far as increasing dopamine you should check out Andrew hubermans video on YouTube he’s a neuroscientist that shares research and advice. This resulted into things like videogames. Try to limit the amount of “cheap” dopamine you get in the first half of the day. I love solving "problems/puzzles"; it's a key part of my ADHD, gives me a huge dopamine rush. See the Required Reading for more. E. So you condition yourself to pursue longer term, sustainable dopamine fixes. With dopamine fasting you do it, then you get some benefits and after a while you are back where you left: there is no real change really Feb 26, 2020 · While dopamine does rise in response to rewards or pleasurable activities, it doesn’t actually decrease when you avoid overstimulating activities, so a dopamine “fast” doesn’t actually lower your dopamine levels. You forgot one of the most effective ways to raise dopamine by the way, fasting. This led me to research more about the so-called "dopamine detox". Sabroxy doesn't make more of anything, it just increases the amount of time dopamine hangs around outside of neurons. The more you know, everything you have described is textbook ADHD. Nearly a million and a half users say they 'feel at home' and 'finally found a place where people understand them'. Pavlovian Everyone has ADHD symptoms to some extent, and only sometimes. The mobile apps used for Reddit are broken or are missing features that this subreddit depends on. I posted on r/DopamineDetoxing in the beginning of March that I intended on doing a full month of a dopamine detox, and wanted to put it on the record to keep myself accountable. This has been a major gamechanger; we met, slowly started I've seen lots of stuff about ADHD women forgetting to eat all day, or accidentally doing intermittent fasting. Now onto the science: "Dopamine Detox" (and "Dopamine Fasting") is a term coined by the public (not scientists), but it is the language that the public speaks. To convey a signal, dopamine is released. I cut out video games during school semester for example because i get addicted, but i try not to be too strict otherwise with for example switching tasks etc. You couldn't do a double blind trial on "dopamine detox" because the treatment is to stop such activities that provide easy dopamine hits (gaming, drinking, netflix, social media, etc), and obviously both the test subject and the researcher are going to know whether a test subject has been treated or not. You can't fast from dopamine, it naturally secretes when you eat food, when you do something you enjoy, when you talk with people, you need it to do things neurologically speaking (lowkey -- this is only a small facade of the whole btw -- depressed people are depressed because their brain don't produce enough dopamine, people who have ADHD also Fasting and ketosis (either from fasting or just a few days in a row of ketogenic eating, which I cycle) have done more for my brain health than anything else. You can leverage your ADHD and do the opposite of what you do for building healthy habits: raise the barrier of entry, remove it from your sight. We're an inclusive, disability-oriented peer support group for people with ADHD with an emphasis on science-backed information. The main takeaway from the detox for me was that I have to watch my dopamine intake the same way I watch my sugar or alcohol intake. Aug 4, 2024 · It’s worth noting that these benefits may vary from person to person, and more research is needed to fully understand the long-term effects of dopamine fasting on ADHD symptoms. The problem with that approach is that these dopamine detox videos were created by people who have a very limited understanding of what dopamine does in our brains. Avoid focusing to much on dopamine this and dopamine that. Amphetamine-based ADHD meds (Adderall, Vyvanse, dexedrine) work by increasing the activity of dopamine and norepinephrine. Norepinephrine–dopamine reuptake inhibitor (NDRI) , major depressive disorder, atypical antidepressant , Epileptic seizures , ADHD, alleviate sexual dysfunction, weight loss, releasing agent of dopamine and norepinephrine (NDRA), similarly to other cathinones , Wellbutrin SR and XL I'm 35 and Yes, I do have ADHD. As a result, the neuro-chemical signal isn't passed on efficient;y because too little dopamine is connecting to the receptors on the opposite Dopamine detox doesn't detox dopamine. I plan on implementing this myself. So, the stimulation I actually got diagnosed with ADHD when I talked to my Dr about binge eating, I ate massive amounts of food for the dopamine rush. They feel different (I don't know why), but one or both of them is very likely to work for you. Low Dopamine is shit, but hanging around high-Dopamine a lot, makes it the new zero. My therapist has adhd and suggested I prolong dopamine-inducing activity on purpose and speed up low-reward tasks. Yes. The constant barrage of digital content and immediate gratification, he suggested, could be causing a sort of 'dopamine burnout'. It fills a gap. Most dopaminergic neurotransmission is relatively intact in ADHD, which is why we get some side effects from stimulants even at appropriate doses. You cant fast from dopamine, it's a neurotransmitter. There is almost no empirical evidence that a behavioural intervention like the 'dopamine detox' that you described would have an effect on your dopamine receptor upregulation. There are various mao-b inhibitors herbal and pharmaceutical which would benefit you in this case, but its best to exhaust all other options before you start fucking There is no such thing as dopamine Detox. Even a "dopamine diet" would look something like ADHD crossed with Parkinson's Disease and the side effects of antipsychotics. Force yourself to do 30 minutes of whatever you consider to be your hardest task for the day. The period has now ended, and I wanted to post some reflections. My theory is that this is either a delaying tactic, a desperate attempt to get a dopamine hit to my brain, an ingrained habit, or all-of-the-above. Dopamine fast is not a magical cure. " Because of the way ADHD effects the brain, an ADHD brain is unable to produce the same levels of dopamine, serotonin, and adrenaline as a neurotypical person's brain produces. I tend to not do well if I can't keep my mind busy, but I am struggling to get busy on productive things because of focus and the fact short, cheap dopamine hits make me feel better. If dopamine was a pleasure chemical, this would not happen. If you've found success with soft dopamine fasting, like cutting out porn/drugs, etc. Or check it out in the app stores so are adhd people just dopamine fasting all the time or what Sure, my partners all had their issues, but a lot of self reflection, googling and ADHD therapy made me realize that this relationship pattern is unhealthy. So focus on removing you bad habits for a time being (90+ days) while working on your prioritization and better habits. You wont. Share your stories, struggles, and non-medication strategies. A good ADHD specialist will try you on different ones to see which ones worked. I don’t have ADHD, but I think from all the courses Dr. High dopamine levels in the ADHD brain can lead to severe anxiety, insomnia, increased impulsivity, and even addiction. This causes a loss of attention, procrastination, and episodes of hyperactivity. ADHD meds. Recently I had gotten a boost to improve myself. Dopamine (and all neurotransmitters) are involved in complex exchanges and it isn’t as simple as “dopamine = feel good compound, serotonin = feel happy compound”. This is more or less how I fell into a pit of dopamine chasing briefly then escaped. I (19M) am prescribed 70mg Vyvanse daily for ADHD which worked really well for a few months- until I started using IR Ritalin for when my dose would start to run out towards the afternoon. And also fasting Welcome to Dopamine Detoxing, by Andrew Kirby. Replace it with something even more dopamine generating, e. Trouble is, once I consume the bagel or chat with a friend or buy the Amazon thingie, I’m back to square one. I find that after a dopamine detox and quitting the medication my overal focus is better than with the meds. This can give them undesirable side effects. 2. That’s why I’ve sworn off dopamine entirely until I’m 80 years old, at which point I will break my dopamine fast and start injecting meth and heroin for the remainder of my days. You could have a billion dopamine receptors and soo much dopamine but you need to train your brain to release it at whatever time you may feel it is the most important. I set aside time at work to work on problems which may yield "interesting" results. I would like to fix this, but I am also aware that ADHD is largely due to insufficient dopamine uptake and that cutting back on dopamine more can risk depression. My goal was to change the sources of dopamine in my brain to be more productive and produce a slow long term trickle instead of a dopamine dump. Let's share our experience doing dopamine fast. It's a NDRI, a noreponephrine-dopamine-reuptske-inhibitor. So it’s possible that increasing dopamine levels can help reduce ADHD symptoms. Fast forward and I feel like I’m treading water. Basically, ADHD medications help by giving you more dopamine. Push through all the sciency stuff if you don't understand it. This is a support group to help with impulsive behaviour towards Eating, Gaming, Gambling, Thrill, and Tech. It's supposed to be the abstention from EASY dopamine fixes, because they cause crashes when they're gone. This is also why stimulant medications are so effective in the treatment of ADHD; stimulants act as dopamine reuptake inhibitors, causing a more regular rate of consumption of dopamine and lowering how much we have to do to remain at a balanced level. Hi u/tillymint259 and thanks for posting on r/ADHD! Please take a second to read our rules if you haven't already. K’s new course (ADHD & doing stuff) and I found the video about dopamine detoxing. I have played a lot of videogames in my life, currently must have like over 4000 games on Digital shops. It’s good to disconnect from cheap easy entertainment to develop skills. (BTW dont do this). Since ADHD downregulates dopamine over the long term I think (and also speaking from personal experience) it is best tot taper the medication to come to a complete stop. Unfortunately in ADHD brains, the re-uptake mechanism is too fast. I have inattentive ADHD, so I’ve heard about the strong benefits that dopamine fasting brings to the brain and the dopamine addiction. Oooh I read about making a dopamenu with appetizers for quick but doable dopamine activities (pushups, a piece of candy, what have you), entrees for things that take longer or expend more energy but give more dopamine (drawing, spend time with friends), I have no idea what would be good for you), and of course desserts for those big dopamine but not regularly doable stuff (ie concerts/lie in People with ADHD commonly have low levels of dopamine and/or have a higher amount of dopamine transporters, which processes what dopamine they have faster and results in a lower overall baseline. [1] Can Increasing Dopamine Levels Help ADHD? ADHD and dopamine deficiency are linked. Unfortunately, legions of people have misinterpreted the science, as well as the entire concept of a dopamine fast. you are correct that one of the genetic conditions of adhd is lack of dopamine. . Is this a sign of dopamine burnout? Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this and how they corrected it. The same techniques used to break addiction for thing like nicotine and heroin are effective for breaking junk food dependence. ADHD is not a real disease, and in most cases it just comes from having destroyed your dopamine receptors through puberty and adolescence whilst not being aware of it. You described me before I got on meds (which brings its challenges, too, unfortunately). While dopamine fasting shows promise, it’s not without its challenges and potential drawbacks. All the saved up dopamine flooding my receptors on top of the drugs will turn me into a Euphoric God-King Superman. Welcome to Dopamine Detoxing. It's a dopamine reuptake inhibitor. after the alcohol crash and dopamine depression my hangovers are a nightmare. Aug 24, 2023 · Dopamine fasting is trending, but can a digital detox help ADHD brains better manage addictive behaviors like video gaming and social media use? Dec 21, 2023 · "Dopamine Detox" can have some small and transient positive effects but there are two problems with the detox: It makes false claims about what it does. Telling people with ADHD that a dopamine detox could help them may prevent them from seeking traditional ADHD treatments. We recommend browsing /r/adhd on desktop for the best experience. Fasting allegedly doesn't achieve much, since it's more likely to do harm than good, and if you don't replace the dopamine from "negative" stimuli, then you'll only come back to it. g setting up little simple and achievable tasks and completing them. People with ADHD are speculated to have lower tonic dopamine firing -- sort of a constant "pace-maker" firing -- and, in turn, low tonic dopamine firing drives higher phasic dopamine firing, also called "burst firing", which follows stimulation with rewarding, aversive firing and reinforces stimulating learned behaviors. While most studies are done on rats, I did notice that so are yours. But, I'm not slender in the slightest, and could definitely be accused of "chasing the dopamine" through almost constant grazing. Doing a "fast", for which there is no scientific support, serves no purpose if your adhd isnt treated properly. I have adhd and MDD and GAD and both intermittent and occasional extended fasting as well as periodic ketogenic eating do wonders to help my focus and mood and other adhd symptoms The problem with ADHD is a lack of dopamine. When people use that term they mean regulating things you enjoy in order to focus the mind. The solution is to treat dopamine inducing foods like what they actually are, drugs. 1 In particular, low dopamine levels are thought to be a main cause of executive dysfunction. Methylephebidate-based ADHD meds, like Ritalin and Concerta work by blocking dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake. ADHD gets throwing around easily and misdiagnosed even by doctors. Thats the reason to give those kinds of medication, to raise the dopamine level to a somewhat normal and healthy dopamine level. Nov 7, 2024 · This can lead to low levels of dopamine and contribute to symptoms of ADHD. Dopamine and Dopamine Fasting If your source of information is any of dopamine detox YouTube videos with dozens of millions of views, you might think that it must be effective. Does watching shows or reading book series really gives more dopamine than playing sport with friends or a heavy workout? And yet many fall back to bad habits. The MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) is offered by the AAMC and is a required exam for admission to medical schools in the USA and Canada. Thank you! I ended up deciding to quit video games for good since ADHD makes us especially vulnerable to them. Meds broke the binge eating cycle, I still have my hunger when on them and when I'm not on them I can do another activity that gives me a dopamine boost that doesn't involve food lol Aug 4, 2024 · – Dopamine fasting for ADHD: This approach involves temporarily abstaining from activities that trigger dopamine release, potentially helping to reset reward pathways in the brain. You can find the post if you go on my profile. – NoFap and ADHD : Some individuals report improvements in focus and motivation when abstaining from pornography and excessive masturbation, although more This is even more important for people with ADHD. g. Fasting may provide clarity and focus but that’s not all that ADHD is and I think the title and intention of OP’s post is just really mis-phrased. But instead of the fad that the Internet paints it to be, dopamine fasting is far more than just putting your phone on airplane mode from time to time. Most ADHD meds, or coffee in your case, cause the synthesis of dopamine, along with serotonin and norepinephrine. Dopamine fasting is pseudoscience popularized by motivational blogs and such MAO: It may be the case MAO-B (mono amine oxidase) is breaking dopamine down too fast, you can check MAO genes roo, as opposed to MAO-A which breaks down serotonin in the brain. Fast forward to now: I've been dating a guy for 5 months, and since a little over 3 months we've been in an actual relationship. It seemed like the right approach to me, and seemed logical. /r/MCAT is a place for MCAT practice, questions, discussion, advice, social networking, news, study tips and more. He also mentions some other techniques in generating dopamine eg working on a focussed specific goal, be it physical or mental, releases dopamine. The most widely used ADHD medications work by increasing dopamine levels in the brain. So naturally, I bought Dr. i feel like if i stand up my legs dont have the strenght to support my weight. " I claim it. Since we (people with ADHD) have low dopamine anyways, I've been trying to get as much dopamine wherever I can for my whole life. If you're always chasing and getting it, you never get "reset". I can put a link that summarizes the video and has list of some tips. An addict will get hit with a tactical nuke of dopamine upon the slightest whiff of their substance/experience of abuse, yet even when they consume that substance/experience, they may not experience pleasure. Jan 2, 2025 · Learn how dopamine fasting can reduce instant gratification habits, like social media or binge eating, to improve happiness and mental well-being. 5-3 GPA isn’t terrible, but I know I Anyone with ADHD, regardless of what type, understands that it can feel like a constant "all or nothing. It detoxes adrenaline and cortisol. If you were in an Amish community you would get your dopamine from riding a horse or churning butter or whatever Amish people do. ADHD and dopamine . The avalanche of dopamine can actually be incredibly uncomfortable. A real "dopamine fast" would look more like neuroleptic malignant syndrome. We’re not used to waiting for the dopamine hits we easily get from fast access to shopping, social media, sweets, booze, porn etc. fltubvh hxf kfk skwiefq wljh towkau tman uxay pggufl lptkww ewux akrxnn znvwkk blb srkm