addiction, dopamine withdrawal and anxiety/depression
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 2
addiction, dopamine withdrawal and anxiety/depression
Hi all,
Without going into personal details, I'd like to know if there are people on here who have (social) anxiety or depression that was caused by dopamine withdrawal (from an addiction involving high dopamine release).
If so, I'd like to know how you are managing it.
They say it can take up to several years without relapses to fully recover from this anxious hell. Is there anything at all, besides serotonin reuptake inhibitors, that is known to help recover (somewhat faster) from issues with dopamine and dopamine receptors?
I'm currently seeing a psychiatrist and am reluctant to tell her about my (sex/porn) addiction (out of shame) if it can't lead to more appropriate medications. Antidepressants cause a lot of weight gain, help somewhat but not like they should, which is why I dislike taking them. I don't really feel depressed as well, but I definitely do feel really anxious, panicked, even about the smallest things. Besides, sex addictions don't classify as a medical illness so I'm not sure how she'd react. I do however notice a very strong connection between the addiction and my symptoms. It's taken me way too long to realize that total abstinence is paramount when it comes to complete recovery, prolonging this suffering.
To make matters even worse I have a variety of physical symptoms that seem to coincide with these psychological symptoms (food intolerances and such).
I'm sure I could benefit from something that either reuptakes or removes dopamine (depending on levels) more than I can from something influencing serotonin (although these have some effect). If such a thing exists at all!
Are antidepressants proven to help in recovery from addiction and dopamine withdrawal? Or does numbing the brain with these have an opposite effect? I don't have anything against medications at all, I just want the truth. I want to know if treating problems like mine with them really is the answer because honestly I don't know anymore.
I've tried a lot. Psycho-therapy, exposure, medications, supplements,.. None of it really makes sense, since I'm sure this doesn't address the real cause of my problems.
Or is time the only answer? I will in any case not settle for less than an acceptable degree of recovery.
Any advise?
Thanks
Without going into personal details, I'd like to know if there are people on here who have (social) anxiety or depression that was caused by dopamine withdrawal (from an addiction involving high dopamine release).
If so, I'd like to know how you are managing it.
They say it can take up to several years without relapses to fully recover from this anxious hell. Is there anything at all, besides serotonin reuptake inhibitors, that is known to help recover (somewhat faster) from issues with dopamine and dopamine receptors?
I'm currently seeing a psychiatrist and am reluctant to tell her about my (sex/porn) addiction (out of shame) if it can't lead to more appropriate medications. Antidepressants cause a lot of weight gain, help somewhat but not like they should, which is why I dislike taking them. I don't really feel depressed as well, but I definitely do feel really anxious, panicked, even about the smallest things. Besides, sex addictions don't classify as a medical illness so I'm not sure how she'd react. I do however notice a very strong connection between the addiction and my symptoms. It's taken me way too long to realize that total abstinence is paramount when it comes to complete recovery, prolonging this suffering.
To make matters even worse I have a variety of physical symptoms that seem to coincide with these psychological symptoms (food intolerances and such).
I'm sure I could benefit from something that either reuptakes or removes dopamine (depending on levels) more than I can from something influencing serotonin (although these have some effect). If such a thing exists at all!
Are antidepressants proven to help in recovery from addiction and dopamine withdrawal? Or does numbing the brain with these have an opposite effect? I don't have anything against medications at all, I just want the truth. I want to know if treating problems like mine with them really is the answer because honestly I don't know anymore.
I've tried a lot. Psycho-therapy, exposure, medications, supplements,.. None of it really makes sense, since I'm sure this doesn't address the real cause of my problems.
Or is time the only answer? I will in any case not settle for less than an acceptable degree of recovery.
Any advise?
Thanks
Member
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Europe
Posts: 116
On dopamine optimization you can find a lot of threads where people lay down their experience on reddit. It looks like there is not a specific rule that applies for everyone and stimulating a specific neurotransmitter is not that easy but some cases that might show similarities. Nofap (as you mentions your sex addiction) is reported on reddit to regulate dopamine long term. Also, what might help besides common nutritional and lifestyle advice is to fulfill tasks and cross of checkmarks since this gives direct feedback to your brain in terms of dopamine stimulation.
It took me month to regulate my brain in terms of dopamine related symptoms.
It took me month to regulate my brain in terms of dopamine related symptoms.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 2
Thanks for the fast reply and suggestions.
I'm on Nofap as well. It's helped me a lot, but I feel that the occassional relapses have set me back every time. I start feeling improvements after about 3 months of nofap, but I've often made the critical mistake of doubting the importance of abstaining in terms of progress and recovery. That is, until last year. I'm now in it to win it so to speak.
If it can really take several years, I guess I'm one of the people who need at least that amount of time. My addiction to porn was really bad and lasted for about a decade. Then there's the very young age at which I discovered masturbation and pornography. As a kid, you have little understanding of how these things can affect you. Seemed like a harmless habit initially. Quickly turned into full blown addiction without me really realizing. I started getting panic attacks two weeks after I made the conscious decision of ending the habit. Unfortunately I've been dumb enough to think that the occassional 3-monthly relapse wouldn't matter. I now know it does. It most certainly does, in my case at least.
If I only could turn back time...
Anyway, regardless of the cause, I'm hoping human brains are capable of somehow resetting receptors involving dopamine and fear response. I've felt a very positive shift in my perception over the past few months. But being around strangers still gives me a very hard time for some reason. I'm not feeling the motivation and wellbeing I used to. It's as if something sucked the joy and life out of me around the time I decided to quit porn.
I assumed there would be immediate positive results, but this? Never would have imagined quitting something like porn could be so hard, but then again, it does involve the reward center and is very stimulating indeed. I for one am really thinking of it as a drug, albeit a behavioral habit, from now on.
I'll see what I can find on reddit.
Thanks again!
I'm on Nofap as well. It's helped me a lot, but I feel that the occassional relapses have set me back every time. I start feeling improvements after about 3 months of nofap, but I've often made the critical mistake of doubting the importance of abstaining in terms of progress and recovery. That is, until last year. I'm now in it to win it so to speak.
If it can really take several years, I guess I'm one of the people who need at least that amount of time. My addiction to porn was really bad and lasted for about a decade. Then there's the very young age at which I discovered masturbation and pornography. As a kid, you have little understanding of how these things can affect you. Seemed like a harmless habit initially. Quickly turned into full blown addiction without me really realizing. I started getting panic attacks two weeks after I made the conscious decision of ending the habit. Unfortunately I've been dumb enough to think that the occassional 3-monthly relapse wouldn't matter. I now know it does. It most certainly does, in my case at least.
If I only could turn back time...
Anyway, regardless of the cause, I'm hoping human brains are capable of somehow resetting receptors involving dopamine and fear response. I've felt a very positive shift in my perception over the past few months. But being around strangers still gives me a very hard time for some reason. I'm not feeling the motivation and wellbeing I used to. It's as if something sucked the joy and life out of me around the time I decided to quit porn.
I assumed there would be immediate positive results, but this? Never would have imagined quitting something like porn could be so hard, but then again, it does involve the reward center and is very stimulating indeed. I for one am really thinking of it as a drug, albeit a behavioral habit, from now on.
I'll see what I can find on reddit.
Thanks again!
Member
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Europe
Posts: 116
Just one more thought: Be clear about underlying issues of your (porn) addiction. Addiction itself may or may not have underlying issues. From my perspective, I would not consider myself addicted to porn, while I am aware that I was using fapping for emotional relief as well, I tricked myself into sexual arousal before.
You mentioned that you don’t feel safe around strangers, so you might want to work on that too in order to avoid the triggers in the first place – which does NOT mean you don’t need to work on the level of the addiction itself, were nofap is for sure a proper way to deal with it.
I feel not qualified to give some more insights on dopamine, workout, Tasks fulfillment, being active and experience new things helped, but some of those activities go hand in hand with higher sexual drive.
Also you might want to google Dopamine and ADHD, because these guys have a dopamine deficiency and are eager to get their brain chemistry ok, also tons of stuff on reddit.
You mentioned that you don’t feel safe around strangers, so you might want to work on that too in order to avoid the triggers in the first place – which does NOT mean you don’t need to work on the level of the addiction itself, were nofap is for sure a proper way to deal with it.
I feel not qualified to give some more insights on dopamine, workout, Tasks fulfillment, being active and experience new things helped, but some of those activities go hand in hand with higher sexual drive.
Also you might want to google Dopamine and ADHD, because these guys have a dopamine deficiency and are eager to get their brain chemistry ok, also tons of stuff on reddit.
formerly luvSOBERlife
Join Date: May 2018
Location: East Tennessee USA
Posts: 116
This is a slightly older thread, but I hope you're still paying attention because I have some experience with dopamine and sex/ porn addiction.
1st and foremost, you MUST tell your psychiatrist/ therapist/ counselor about your addiction. You have no idea how common this is. You are absolutely NOT ALONE! I speak from experience. I was reluctant to tell both my psychiatrist and my counselor about my porn addiction (combined with cocaine to boot) but amazed with the response I received. This is incredibly common nowadays with the internet and availability of pornography. Do you really think you're the only one? So many people, guys and girls, have already reached out for help. You're part of a very large club. PLEASE do not hesitate to talk to someone about this. It's completely confidential. They have heard it all before and much worse than yours I assure you. You have nothing to be ashamed of.
2nd, there are definitely medications out there, some fairly common, that you can try to help re-balance the dopamine in your brain. I am currently taking 2 of them myself and have for years.
1. Bupropion (Wellbutrin) - a norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor so it works on dopamine and norephinephrine both. At 150 mg it's known as Zyban and is given to help quit smoking. It works really well for this. It's also used for ADHD and as a non-typical antidepressant. I have taken Bupropion off and on for 9 years now. I love it. It helped me quit smoking and gives me motivation I lost before. Your pdoc will likely try this one first and it's probably going to do the trick.
2. Pramipexole (Mirapex) - a dopamine agonist - it activates dopamine receptors. I have taking this one for over a decade now for RLS. This was my wonder drug for RLS which I suffered from since childhood but it got worse 15 years ago. Pramipexole has few side effects and is very safe. One thing though is some have suspected it has a role in compulsive behavior, sometimes extreme, in some people like gambling, sex, shopping, etc. I'm very skeptical of this though. It's possible but I have not felt this affect myself. It's possible that it does that to some people and not others though so just be aware.
There are other meds out there to address dopamine dysfunction but these two are probably what you'll try first and the only ones that I have experience with. Read up on them yourself. Always do a lot of research on any drug you're prescribed.
Please start talking to your therapists about your addiction. It's really nothing new to them. You'll be all nervous to say anything then when you do you'll feel silly for being worried at all. I know because I was you last year. Just telling someone takes away so much power from the addiction.
I hope you read this and it's helpful to you or someone else.
1st and foremost, you MUST tell your psychiatrist/ therapist/ counselor about your addiction. You have no idea how common this is. You are absolutely NOT ALONE! I speak from experience. I was reluctant to tell both my psychiatrist and my counselor about my porn addiction (combined with cocaine to boot) but amazed with the response I received. This is incredibly common nowadays with the internet and availability of pornography. Do you really think you're the only one? So many people, guys and girls, have already reached out for help. You're part of a very large club. PLEASE do not hesitate to talk to someone about this. It's completely confidential. They have heard it all before and much worse than yours I assure you. You have nothing to be ashamed of.
2nd, there are definitely medications out there, some fairly common, that you can try to help re-balance the dopamine in your brain. I am currently taking 2 of them myself and have for years.
1. Bupropion (Wellbutrin) - a norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor so it works on dopamine and norephinephrine both. At 150 mg it's known as Zyban and is given to help quit smoking. It works really well for this. It's also used for ADHD and as a non-typical antidepressant. I have taken Bupropion off and on for 9 years now. I love it. It helped me quit smoking and gives me motivation I lost before. Your pdoc will likely try this one first and it's probably going to do the trick.
2. Pramipexole (Mirapex) - a dopamine agonist - it activates dopamine receptors. I have taking this one for over a decade now for RLS. This was my wonder drug for RLS which I suffered from since childhood but it got worse 15 years ago. Pramipexole has few side effects and is very safe. One thing though is some have suspected it has a role in compulsive behavior, sometimes extreme, in some people like gambling, sex, shopping, etc. I'm very skeptical of this though. It's possible but I have not felt this affect myself. It's possible that it does that to some people and not others though so just be aware.
There are other meds out there to address dopamine dysfunction but these two are probably what you'll try first and the only ones that I have experience with. Read up on them yourself. Always do a lot of research on any drug you're prescribed.
Please start talking to your therapists about your addiction. It's really nothing new to them. You'll be all nervous to say anything then when you do you'll feel silly for being worried at all. I know because I was you last year. Just telling someone takes away so much power from the addiction.
I hope you read this and it's helpful to you or someone else.
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