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Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'
Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence by Anna Lembke
46 reviews
challenging
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism
informative
reflective
medium-paced
I thought this book would be more scienced based but is more about the authors personal experiences with patients and their struggles with addiction. While I agree with a lot of larger points the author makes I struggled with how data was used to support claims throughout the book. The author often presents data assuming correlation equals causation, making larger conclusions that seem to support the author’s personal anecdotes vs objectively what we see in mental health findings. Maybe I wouldn’t have felt this way if there was more data exploration along side the personal anecdotes of patients. In particular, one study is referenced that the author goes on to say is discredited and then doesn’t talk to why or how. Maybe just don’t mention it in the first place if it’s not good data.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Sexual content
informative
reflective
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Sexual content
informative
reflective
medium-paced
I am practicing radical honesty in saying that, despite what the most popular goodreads reviews say, I really enjoyed this book! I read it alongside digital minimalism, and I felt like they were constantly talking to each other in a way that was quite fascinating. I didn't feel like Dr. Lembke was fearmongering, or encouraging eating disorders (???) or even exaggerating way too much when she brought up personal accounts. Instead, I felt like the whole book had a strong recurring theme of taking accountability for your own actions and choices, and facing reality as it is, instead of running away from it trough various different addictive behaviors. Yes, some of her suggestions aren't for everyone (cold plunges, for example, have not been proven to be as beneficial to women as they are to men), but I feel like it's a worthwhile story to be told regardless. It was about the bigger picture.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Sexual content
informative
medium-paced
I didn’t really find anything she said to be particularly enlightening.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
challenging
dark
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual content
informative
medium-paced
Listened to this on audiobook. Overall, not perfect but still an enlightening read particularly in the high dopamine world we currently live in, especially for anyone who is an active user of social media platforms. Please do check content warnings as this does offer some intense/ shocking case studies on various addictions - maybe a bit too much and some case studies felt a bit like it was added to shock the reader more than anything. Also the one on the ice bathes/cold plunges may have been a bit of a reach but I kind of see what point she was getting at, potentially a different example could have been better to make the same point. Otherwise, some of the other case studies from the author’s own career were useful which made the book feel engaging. Despite the negative reviews, I personally didn’t really feel like the author was taking any sort of moralistic stance on things but that was just my impression, I actually thought it was quite balanced which I remember appreciating while listening to the audiobook as it did try and show different perspectives through the case studies, including sharing her own experiences, which then made the book feel unbiased to me at least as I didn’t think I was being pushed to think one way or the other but presented both sides to make my own mind up. For example - where she mentions use of drugs/ medication to help with mental health conditions, and pros/cons for such medications (and case studies where it has helped people and where it has not, as it can be very dependant on the individual). Helpful for me because I am someone where medication definitely didn’t work for me on a long-term basis from personal experience in the past but do appreciate that it can be helpful for others.
I definitely do want to learn/ read more around this and this was a decent starting point!
I definitely do want to learn/ read more around this and this was a decent starting point!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Too much pleasure or pain creates an imbalance. The lesson was important, though the writing wasn’t particularly compelling.
TLDR; Learn to live with the messiness that is life.
TLDR; Learn to live with the messiness that is life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Sexual content
informative
medium-paced
As a social worker I enjoyed parts of this and I think there were some very informative and helpful aspects. That being said, like all books, it should be read with critical eye. There's a very heavy focus on abstinence-based interventions and prosocial shame and I found Lembke danced with fat hatred in too many sections.
4/10 would recommend.
4/10 would recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual content
Moderate: Alcoholism, Fatphobia