Audit a URL →

Sign in Sign up free

Loading…

Weekly · Sunday Morning

Five longevity claims.
Worth your time.
Every Sunday.

Last Sunday

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

5 audits·1 verdict change·0 affiliate links·Every Sunday

Joining 1,247 readers — founders, MDs, and longevity-obsessed people who fact-check their own health decisions.

Browse

Decisions Claims Content Creators

Product

Audit a URL Sunday roundup API (soon)Pricing

About

FAQ Methodology Editorial Standards Corrections Press & brand RSS feed

Legal

Terms of Service Privacy Policy DMCA

Finally, something serious in this space.
Because we actually read the papers.

© 2026 Whalespan. Independent, evidence-graded longevity.

Understanding & Treating Addiction | Dr. Anna Lembke — Whalespan

Content›Video›Understanding & Treating Add…

Understanding & Treating Addiction | Dr. Anna Lembke

Andrew Huberman2h 3m · 2021-08-16

Claims Made

174

Claims Supported

137

Support Rate

79%

Support rate

137 of 174 claims supported

137 supported37 partial / not

Claims from this content

92

◐Partially SupportedResearch is exploring modifications to psychedelics to retain therapeutic effects while removing hallucinogenic properties.✓Well SupportedAddiction narrows the range of pleasurable activities.✓Well SupportedConstant pursuit of pleasure leads to less dopamine release and increased craving over time.✓Well SupportedThe release of oxytocin through social connections stimulates dopamine pathways.◐Partially Supported

More from Andrew Huberman

Andrew Huberman on Creatine

Huberman X thread: creatine and aging

Andrew Huberman on Morning Sunlight

Discussion

Native comments, Twitter mentions, and Reddit threads about this content — surfaced together so the conversation isn't fragmented across platforms.

M

Share your read of this content…

Posting publicly as you · linked to your social profiles

Sort by:

AV

A. Volkovreader

4h

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

NP

N. Park

2d

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

A 30-day break from a phone is recommended for severe addiction, with less time potentially sufficing for mild addiction.

◐Partially SupportedThe brain works to restore homeostasis by creating an equal and opposite response to any deviation.

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

◐Partially SupportedSleep is important for overall well-being and is a beneficial practice, not just for performance.

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

✓Well SupportedThe pleasure drive includes relief from pain, safety, and security, not just hedonism.

◐Partially SupportedRepeated indulgence in behaviors that cause dopamine peaks leads to a reduced capacity for joy.

◐Partially SupportedA 30-day period of zero interaction with a substance or person is the average time required for the brain to reset reward pathways and regenerate dopamine transmission.

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

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

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

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

◐Partially SupportedTelling the truth helps re-engage brain circuits, anticipate future consequences, and consider long-term effects of actions, which is crucial for recovery from addiction.

◐Partially SupportedDr. Matthew Johnson has been instrumental in securing funding and establishing clinical trials for psychedelic research.

◐Partially SupportedCoffee has a consumption-limiting mechanism, suggesting it may be less addictive than other substances.

◐Partially SupportedIndividuals in recovery from addiction often learn to focus on taking things 'one day at a time'.

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

◐Partially SupportedA 30-day abstinence period can lead to a better life and improved well-being.

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

◐Partially SupportedFor some individuals in recovery, meetings can become a source of dopamine similar to the original addictive substance.

◐Partially SupportedDopamine systems are involved in calculating value, motivation, and desire.

◐Partially SupportedEngaging in dopamine fasts with friends can mitigate the fear of missing out (FOMO) compared to doing them alone.

◐Partially SupportedDog walks without phone use can become a favorite part of the day.

◐Partially SupportedMany individuals with severe addictions are willing and able to undertake a 30-day abstinence experiment.

◐Partially SupportedIndividuals with severe trauma who underwent psychedelic-assisted therapy appear to be doing better.

◐Partially SupportedThe speaker experiences a flood of pleasure, likely from dopamine, when on the right path or onto something exciting.

◐Partially SupportedPlaying video games can lead to distorted perceptions of pleasure and pain due to their potent dopaminergic effects.

◐Partially SupportedPeople in recovery from severe addiction possess wisdom regarding adaptive ways to obtain dopamine without excessively tipping the balance towards pleasure.

◐Partially SupportedThe nervous system integrates pleasure pursuit with pain or deficit to drive motivation for rewarding stimuli.

◐Partially SupportedDopamine release can be triggered by stimuli like coffee taste after 21-30 days of abstinence from addictive substances or behaviors.

◐Partially SupportedThe initial 10-40 days of detox can be viewed as a dopamine fast, with the first 10 days being miserable, followed by gradual improvement.

◐Partially SupportedFocusing on immediate tasks and the present environment can lead to reduced anxiety and depression.

◐Partially SupportedVigilance against addiction can provide relief and peace to individuals in recovery.

◐Partially SupportedHumans are wired for addiction, with risk increasing with new drugs and behaviors.

◐Partially SupportedNegative life experiences can trigger drug use.

◐Partially SupportedEighty percent of depressed men addicted to alcohol no longer met criteria for major depression after four weeks of abstinence.

◐Partially SupportedExperiencing boredom can lead to creative initiative and self-reflection on life's purpose.

◐Partially SupportedExperiencing appropriate shame for one's actions and the associated pain is important for recovery and for preventing addiction.

◐Partially SupportedTaking breaks from phone use and not responding immediately to messages is a strategy to regulate phone behavior.

◐Partially SupportedControlling social media use requires implementing barriers for moderation in quantity, frequency, and potency.

◐Partially SupportedSevere addiction to one substance increases vulnerability to addiction to other substances or behaviors.

◐Partially SupportedFor many individuals with addiction, the intense pull or craving subsides after approximately four weeks of abstinence.

◐Partially SupportedThe term 'drug' in addiction can encompass substances and behaviors like gambling, sex, and gaming.

◐Partially SupportedAddiction involves lying about mundane aspects of life, such as being late for work.

◐Partially SupportedBy week four of abstinence from a substance or behavior, most people feel significantly better than they did before stopping.

◐Partially SupportedKeeping phones out of the gym can enhance the workout experience and enjoyment.

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

◐Partially SupportedAcquiring skills through hard work and feedback is a more effective way to develop passion than introspection.

◐Partially SupportedAbstaining from video games can reset reward pathways, increasing receptivity to pleasure in other activities.

◐Partially SupportedActing on one's immediate environment and doing tasks that need to be done cultivates brain circuits related to action and reward, which can lead to larger rewards.

◐Partially SupportedEngaging in necessary but undesirable work and focusing on the present moment is key for individuals in addiction recovery.

◐Partially SupportedFocus on what needs to be done in your immediate environment, including undesirable tasks, instead of searching for passion.

◐Partially SupportedConnecting with other humans provides a dopamine hit that can replace dopamine from drugs.

◐Partially SupportedHigher levels of care, such as residential treatment, are necessary for individuals with addictions so severe that they cannot stop on their own.

◐Partially SupportedBrain imaging shows individuals can remain in a dopamine-deficit state for up to two weeks after drug cessation.

◐Partially SupportedIndividuals have different propensities for addiction, which applies to social media as well, with some easily becoming addicted while others can use it in moderation.

◐Partially SupportedThe nervous system aims to make deliberate behaviors reflexive to conserve energy because decision-making is metabolically costly.

◐Partially SupportedAddiction is driven by a core set of brain processes generalizable across different substances and behaviors.

◐Partially SupportedHaving a dog can help draw a person out of themselves and away from work.

◐Partially SupportedPrefrontal cortical circuits become disconnected from limbic and reward brain systems during addiction.

◐Partially SupportedAdaptive dopamine regulation involves maintaining flexibility in the pleasure-pain balance and the ability to easily reassert homeostasis.

◐Partially SupportedConstant interruption from checking phones or emails prevents the completion of sustained thoughts essential for creative thinking.

◐Partially SupportedExcessive social media use can lead to a divestment of 'libidinous energies' from real-life interactions, potentially causing loneliness when offline.

◐Partially SupportedA heightened startle reflex is more likely related to anxiety than impulsivity.

?Limited ResearchAddiction is a chronic, relapsing, and remitting problem, making it difficult to believe that rapid short-term interventions can be effective for a long-lasting disease.

◐Partially SupportedGiving up a drug or behavior that one is addicted to requires significant courage, fortitude, and discipline.

◐Partially SupportedBeing open and honest with people creates intimate connections, which in turn generate dopamine.

◐Partially SupportedThe constant urge to use can persist even after sustained periods of abstinence for some individuals with addiction.

◐Partially SupportedAllocating specific time blocks for phone use can help manage usage.

◐Partially SupportedIntentionally creating physical and metacognitive barriers can help individuals manage their phone behavior and avoid constant self-interruption.

◐Partially SupportedThe key characteristic of addiction is that individuals do not perceive it as addiction while it is happening.

◐Partially SupportedDopamine release can be triggered by the taste of coffee in individuals recovering from addiction.

◐Partially SupportedConfessing wrongs to God or a higher power, and to another human being, while considering one's character defects and their contribution, is an important practice.

◐Partially SupportedNeuroscience research on truth-telling is a promising and exciting area.

◐Partially SupportedAddictive substances or behaviors cause a significant dopamine release in the brain's reward pathway.

◐Partially SupportedSeeking pleasure to eliminate pain can indicate a state of feeling lost, depressed, or underwhelmed.

◐Partially SupportedBoredom can be accompanied by stress and anxiety.

◐Partially SupportedThe ability to derive pleasure from a wide range of experiences reflects a healthily tuned dopamine system capable of engagement and disengagement.

◐Partially SupportedThe brain has a general circuit for pleasure, pain, and addiction activated by various substances or behaviors.

◐Partially SupportedChronic indulgence in high-reward behaviors or substances can reset the brain to a dopamine-deficit state, causing anhedonia, anxiety, irritability, insomnia, and dysphoria.

◐Partially SupportedIndividuals recovering from addiction may become addicted to the recovery community itself.

◐Partially SupportedA patient with severe alcohol addiction intentionally overdosed on water, leading to hyponatremia, delirium, and suicide.

◐Partially SupportedDopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with reward and movement that bridges the gap between neurons.

◐Partially SupportedPsychedelic therapy is not a one-size-fits-all treatment and may have utility under specific conditions.

◐Partially SupportedPleasure is associated with dopamine release above a tonic baseline, while release below baseline is experienced as pain.

◐Partially SupportedBaseline dopamine levels are set by genetics and impacted by experiences.

◐Partially SupportedDopamine is released when food is sensed in the environment.

◐Partially SupportedImpulsivity is a risk factor for addiction.