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Rapamycin extends mouse lifespan 9–14%
NAD+ precursors reverse aging in humans
Blue-light glasses improve sleep quality
Walking 10 min after meals blunts glucose
Verdict change — caffeine half-life downgraded

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Essentials: Understanding & Treating Addiction | Dr. Anna Lembke — Whalespan

Content›Video›Essentials: Understanding & …

Essentials: Understanding & Treating Addiction | Dr. Anna Lembke

Andrew Huberman32m · 2025-06-26

Claims Made

49

Claims Supported

28

Support Rate

57%

Support rate

28 of 49 claims supported

28 supported21 partial / not

Claims from this content

38

✓Well SupportedDopamine is primarily involved in the anticipation of reward and generating motivation for goal-directed behavior.◐Partially SupportedThe brain works to restore homeostasis by creating an equal and opposite response to any deviation.◐Partially SupportedThe experience of dopamine release and pleasure diminishes with repeated exposure to a stimulus, while the associated pain response increases.◐Partially SupportedDopamine is associated with reward and movement.◐Partially Supported

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A. Volkovreader

4h

Bookmarking — the dossier-vs-overview split is the right call. Most of the time I want overview; sometimes I want receipts.

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N. Park

2d

Would love a "what would change this verdict" RSS feed. Sign me up if it exists.

Chronic exposure to substances or behaviors that repeatedly release large amounts of dopamine can lower one's tonic baseline dopamine level over time.

✓Well SupportedA dopamine deficit state, resulting from overindulgence, can manifest as anxiety, irritability, insomnia, dysphoria, and preoccupation with using again.

◐Partially SupportedAddiction is a spectrum disease where severe addiction involves a broken balance preventing homeostasis restoration.

◐Partially SupportedWithdrawal from addictive patterns may involve feeling worse for approximately two weeks before feeling better.

◐Partially SupportedAddiction involves disconnection between limbic and prefrontal circuits, which can be re-engaged by telling the truth.

◐Partially SupportedThe pleasure and pain circuits in the brain are controlled by the same system.

◐Partially SupportedResetting the dopamine circuit associated with addictive behaviors requires stopping the behavior and replacing it with something adaptive.

◐Partially SupportedOverindulgence in highly pleasurable behaviors or substances leads the brain to down-regulate dopamine receptors and transmission.

✕Not SupportedIndividuals attempting to achieve spiritual awakening through unsupervised microdosing of psychedelics without therapeutic support often experience negative outcomes.

◐Partially SupportedMDMA and psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy can serve as a condensed, faster alternative to traditional psychotherapy for addiction in controlled settings.

◐Partially SupportedIndividuals in recovery from addiction learn to tolerate boredom and avoid thrill-seeking.

◐Partially SupportedDepressed individuals may have lower tonic levels of dopamine.

◐Partially SupportedIndividuals vulnerable to addiction may be most vulnerable when things are going well.

◐Partially SupportedIn severe addiction, the inability to resist the urge to use a substance can occur reflexively when not actively focusing on abstinence.

◐Partially SupportedPsychedelic-assisted psychotherapy can help individuals reconnect with values and family, which can be powerful for addiction recovery.

◐Partially SupportedAddiction can be conceptualized as a brain disease due to physiological changes from sustained heavy drug use.

✕Not SupportedData on psychedelic use for mental health conditions are derived from highly controlled settings and are often misconstrued to suggest they are safe for general use.

✕Not SupportedAddiction is a chronic, relapsing-remitting problem, making short-term interventions like psychedelic therapy potentially insufficient for lasting solutions.

◐Partially SupportedDopamine release deviations from a tonic baseline rate, rather than isolated hits, are what make a difference in experience.

◐Partially SupportedBaseline dopamine levels are initially set by genetics but can be impacted by life experiences.

◐Partially SupportedImplementing physical and metacognitive barriers between oneself and devices is crucial for creating intentional spaces free from distraction.

◐Partially SupportedPsychedelic-assisted therapy may be more effective for individuals with severe trauma.

◐Partially SupportedConstant digital interruption leads to a loss of the ability to sustain thought.

◐Partially SupportedRelapse can occur when things are going well due to dopamine release from positive events activating the dopamine system.

◐Partially SupportedPsychedelics may have utility for mental health conditions only under specific conditions.

◐Partially SupportedDopamine is a neurotransmitter that bridges the gap between neurons, enabling communication from the presynaptic to the postsynaptic neuron.

✕Not SupportedUsing drugs like MDMA or psilocybin to treat addiction may paradoxically increase addiction by causing a 'dopamine feast'.

◐Partially SupportedSocial media is engineered to be a drug and should be used intentionally and with prior planning.

◐Partially SupportedBeing open and honest with people can create intimate connections that release dopamine.

◐Partially SupportedExcessive time on social media leads to a divestment of libidinal energies from real-life interactions.

◐Partially SupportedA flexible and resilient pleasure-pain balance that can easily reassert homeostasis is adaptive and healthy.

◐Partially SupportedThe nervous system makes deliberate behaviors reflexive to reduce cognitive cost.

◐Partially SupportedRe-engaging prefrontal cortical circuits by anticipating future consequences is crucial for recovery from addiction.

◐Partially SupportedImpulsivity increases vulnerability to addiction.