Garrett Irwin’s Reviews > Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence > Status Update
Garrett Irwin
is on page 159 of 290
Micheal was addicted cocaine and alcohol. Decided to stop for marriage, found that he had no emotions when he stopped. Decided to start taking cold showers and ice baths, which then he felt really good after.
- The idea of pressing in on the pain side, to feel the pleasurable side. (Working out, cold baths, fasting)
“Just as pain is the price we pay for pleasure, so too is pleasure our reward for pain.”
— 4 hours, 17 min ago
- The idea of pressing in on the pain side, to feel the pleasurable side. (Working out, cold baths, fasting)
“Just as pain is the price we pay for pleasure, so too is pleasure our reward for pain.”
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Garrett’s Previous Updates
Garrett Irwin
is on page 118 of 290
3.) Categorial Self-Binding
All the kinds of diet. Limit the problem, but just enough to keep one thing. Can be used in a positive way. Jasmine who drank 10 beers a day, limited all alcohol (physical binding) in house, but kept one in fridge. Helped her to think of just not drinking this one single beer, instead of all the alcohol in her house.
“Binding ourselves is a way to be free.”
— Feb 14, 2026 09:34PM
All the kinds of diet. Limit the problem, but just enough to keep one thing. Can be used in a positive way. Jasmine who drank 10 beers a day, limited all alcohol (physical binding) in house, but kept one in fridge. Helped her to think of just not drinking this one single beer, instead of all the alcohol in her house.
“Binding ourselves is a way to be free.”
Garrett Irwin
is on page 110 of 290
2.) Chronological Self-Binding
The act of trying to impose time limits. I will only smoke once, then only on weekends, then only on days I have classes, then only on days I don’t have exams, then only before 9am. Once we partake in our drug of choice, we aren’t ruled by time, but by our pleasure pain balance.
-less work means more leisure activity time
— Feb 14, 2026 09:20PM
The act of trying to impose time limits. I will only smoke once, then only on weekends, then only on days I have classes, then only on days I don’t have exams, then only before 9am. Once we partake in our drug of choice, we aren’t ruled by time, but by our pleasure pain balance.
-less work means more leisure activity time
Garrett Irwin
is on page 100 of 290
3 Types of Self Binding
1.) Physical Self- Binding- Create a physical barrier for drug of use. Ex, lockbox for pain pills, locked cabinets for alcohol, get rid of Kindle and made it to where you had to go to bookstore/library
— Feb 13, 2026 06:46AM
1.) Physical Self- Binding- Create a physical barrier for drug of use. Ex, lockbox for pain pills, locked cabinets for alcohol, get rid of Kindle and made it to where you had to go to bookstore/library
Garrett Irwin
is on page 88 of 290
D- Date
O- Objectives
P- Problems
A- Abstinence
M- Mindfulness
I- Insight
N- Next Steps
E- Experiment
— Feb 13, 2026 06:30AM
O- Objectives
P- Problems
A- Abstinence
M- Mindfulness
I- Insight
N- Next Steps
E- Experiment
Garrett Irwin
is on page 47 of 290
Chapter 2 (Cont.)
- 34% of Americans feel pain often/very often, the most of any country.
Stimulants doubled in children from 2006-2016, nearly 2/3 of American children were giving medicine for ADD symptoms.
Adults are taking more opioids, which have killed more than guns/cars in the year 2012.
“The reason we’re all miserable may be because we are working so hard to avoid being miserable.”
— Feb 11, 2026 08:36PM
- 34% of Americans feel pain often/very often, the most of any country.
Stimulants doubled in children from 2006-2016, nearly 2/3 of American children were giving medicine for ADD symptoms.
Adults are taking more opioids, which have killed more than guns/cars in the year 2012.
“The reason we’re all miserable may be because we are working so hard to avoid being miserable.”
Garrett Irwin
is on page 46 of 290
Chapter 2 (Cont.)
- Are we striving too much for a pain free world? Kids currently receive stars every week in grade school, but then become anxious and depressed when getting into the real world. Should we allow kids to feel some pain and go through some difficulty in safe ways? Doctors in 1900s believed some levels of pain were beneficial.
- 50% increase in new depression cases from 1990-2017
— Feb 11, 2026 08:32PM
- Are we striving too much for a pain free world? Kids currently receive stars every week in grade school, but then become anxious and depressed when getting into the real world. Should we allow kids to feel some pain and go through some difficulty in safe ways? Doctors in 1900s believed some levels of pain were beneficial.
- 50% increase in new depression cases from 1990-2017
Garrett Irwin
is on page 45 of 290
Chapter 2
- David Story, began taking adderal and anxiety medicine. Ends up getting addicted and taking 3 types of medications every single day. Becomes suicidal, wife gets pregnant and he realizes he needs change. Takes two weeks in a psych ward and turns around
— Feb 11, 2026 08:28PM
- David Story, began taking adderal and anxiety medicine. Ends up getting addicted and taking 3 types of medications every single day. Becomes suicidal, wife gets pregnant and he realizes he needs change. Takes two weeks in a psych ward and turns around
Garrett Irwin
is on page 28 of 290
Jacob is caught by wife who leaves him. As other people control the electricity in chat rooms. “It is never as good as I Imagine. The reality is always less. I tell myself never again and destroy my machine. But at 4am the next morning I am rebuilding it. I want to stop. I want to. I don’t want to die an addict.”
— Feb 11, 2026 11:57AM
Garrett Irwin
is on page 27 of 290
Detective story about older brother seeing Japenese cartoon sex drawings and doing them on younger brother.
- “The internet promotes compulsive overconsumption not merely by providing increased access to drugs old and new, but also by suggesting behaviors that otherwise may never have occurred to us”
— Feb 11, 2026 11:55AM
- “The internet promotes compulsive overconsumption not merely by providing increased access to drugs old and new, but also by suggesting behaviors that otherwise may never have occurred to us”
