Social media dopamine reddit adhd It makes you realize how worthless the world of social media is. Lack of dopamine is not accepted as the cause of adhd. Not counting anti-social media i. Dopamine fasting, or dopamine detox, is a technique that consists of completely abstaining from any experience that brings you pleasure, especially addictive technologies; like social media, doom scrolling, internet, youtube, reddit, listening to music, videogames, texting, etc. It might be good to limit social media and technology if you use the spare time for healthier hobbies, but it doesn't mean that "your reward system will reset" or any other bullshit self help people might say. I am pretty sure that social media, including Reddit, exacerbates my ADHD and has reduced me to a barely functional adult 53yo person. Does anyone have any tips or trick to get dopamine in a more productive way? Delete everything that is causing you this problem. I waste hours every day scrolling through social media the likes of Twitter, Tiktok, YouTube, Reddit, Etc. I honestly can’t relate to FOMO. It’s more “companies exploit tech to make bad things”. I got rid of every social media app. Another episode he looks into so called social media addiction, which dovetails very nicely with the dopamine episode. A natural tendency towards ADHD + social media overuse + stress + isolation = possible slight cognitive decline? I even find myself playing stupid phone games while watching TV. Read a book. - Drug use increases dopamine levels (As stated this could also include other 'easy' dopamine stimulating activities, YouTube, social media, porn, gaming, internet, and of course drugs) None of that is the world. If you have ADHD, your ADHD can’t “rise”. Delete everything that is causing you this problem. This ultimately goes back to frustration with people saying "oh I bet I have ADHD, just never been diagnosed" as they try to bum some adderall off you. I’ve worked in media and technology for most of my career but currently have a non-online job. That's absolutely not how neurotransmitters work. I have a tiktok, reddit, twitter, and instagram account. It’s hard breaking the urge to scroll but take it day by day and delete your vices. I’ve seen a few times in this community that people really push the ‘dopamine deficiency’ and it’s a bit of a pet peeve of mine as a scientist - Whilst there is evidence to suggest that dopamine is involved, we certainly don’t have enough of it to be able to go around saying that ADHD is rooted in dopamine deficiency. Go for a walk. I'm not trying to discredit / invalidate what you're saying, but I think it will be healthy for you to try to develop a new habit every morning. Dopamine feedback loops created by social media consumption have heavily altered the way our brains process dopamine. I always thought I was an introvert because I hate crowds and navigating new social situations, then I thought I was an extrovert but autistic, because I hate crowds but love having rowdy infodump conversations with other ADHD/autistic folks, and now I'm thinking maybe I AM an introvert, I just also rely on dopamine from (safe, comfortable I am so over social media-TikTok especially- romanticizing ADHD. Jul 3, 2023 · Some of the ways that social media affects people with ADHD are: Addiction: In addition to the other functions of dopamine, this neurotransmitter is also linked to addiction . e. It’s not a power level. I do not care for likes and followers. Adhd may impact social media addiction, but social media addiction will not cause adhd, just simialr symptoms. I'm not addicted anymore but I know what it feels like. From what little I understand adhd causes a problem with our dopamine levels and as such we begin to fixate on things that give us that dopamine. This would be things like social media - tv - procrastination- your typical bad habits The social media dopamine cycle becomes muscle memory (sometimes I've been doing it for 10 minutes or more before I realise what I'm doing and haven't taken a thing in!). It begins with an action, such as posting a photo or status update, which creates anticipation for a response. I only use social media for things I like. It’s been wildly popular. Seems pretty obvious to me that it's cultural and our culture is constantly making people dopamine deficient, for which we're prescribing children amphetamines to artifiically boost their dopamine levels, of course you feel shit without them after a week, it only takes 3 months of taking ADHD to make physical changes to the brain, which only ADHD predates social media, iPhones, laptops etc and the medical community has been aware of it in some form or another since 1902. I've noticed that how bad my ADHD is each day really depends on my morning routine. Now, I still get caught up for sure here and there — but as a whole, I choose to read books or even clean the house instead of scrolling and ignoring my duties to “escape” them. Fake internet points, lots and lots of them, make me feel good. In case you don’t know what dopamine detoxes are, they’re just two weeks where you don’t allow yourself any easy dopamine sources like Netflix/tv, YouTube, video games, junk food, social media, drugs (aside from prescribed). The quick hits, not the dopamine boost that comes from exercise that actually require work on my part. I've done extensive travel backpacking with very limited social media and it wasn't enough. That lack of satisfaction is stored, marking the memory as unimportant. I however don’t want to give up social media apps because, while addicting, they are incredibly useful (Reddit groups, Facebook groups, etc) and I do get educational or supportive Dude, the worst is when you have that dopamine addiction, but instead of wasting time by playing games or watching shows, you go to reddit or social media and you keep checking back every 5 minutes. Help! Honestly not much more to say than the title. Most of the time the pop up is enough because I realise that I wasn't going to go on social media is was going to check my email 🤷 I took a step back and realized that I have a severe social media addiction. Your attention span is shorter now and that’s okay. I literally don’t know how to stop. If the symptoms come from social media, its not adhd. I wish I could so I could help but I just don’t. But… There isn’t a flood of dopamine when you feel good. Methylephebidate-based ADHD meds, like Ritalin and Concerta work by blocking dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake. So it's well established that dopamine is an anticipatory pleasure hormone. What is your favorite strategy for seeking dopamine to get morning started?. Sorry for the melodrama that ensues but here is my reality. Recommend mindfulness meditation. Read, write, watch objectively informative things that make you think. Younger people are not leaving social media and with the increase use of TikTok (what a disease) and its derivatives (YT Shorts, Reels), more people are going to be experiencing such symptoms. Having ADHD allows us to forget that our behaviors still have their consequences, and forming a dependency on dopamine from social media / your phone is still entirely possible as it's own thing. I had to just cut it out of my life and I now I only get on reddit some days when I need community or support with my ADHD I also look at zero waste Reddit and blogs. Did you know when books, wrist watches, and a host of other current day common place everyday items, first became popular, there were all sorts of worries about addiction to all of these items. It's not as physically dangerous, but as soon as I pick up my phone, hours are lost. I just want something to do with my phone instead of opening shopping apps. I also have adhd and have suffered from gaming addiction. ADHD or not, is social media increasing: -Inattention -Hyperactivity or impulsivity - The baseline levels of dopamine in the ADHD brain also seem to be lower than that of the non ADHD brain. Basically, ADHD medications help by giving you more dopamine. an activity/ app/ practice that doesn't also get you sucked into doing that for too long. But got Reddit because I have many questions and need to answer them when I’m out and don’t have my MacBook. ” But really, this misses the point of the question we should be asking ourselves. Doing a "fast", for which there is no scientific support, serves no purpose if your adhd isnt treated properly. . I cannot stop pausing what I’m doing to go on the internet or scroll mindlessly on my phone. It usually shows up in bedtime procrastination but it can also be difficulty eating meals at the same time or having difficulty remembering time-based daily activities (like taking meds). The problem is that social media can be an addictive problem for people which can lead to dopamine sensitivity which lowers the baseline production of dopamine like in most other addictions. Like for Reddit, I made specific multi-Reddit and stopped browsing r/all. On instagram I follow funny video accounts, and a very limited number of friends and family. See full list on additudemag. And while the topic was gruesome, I think I finally understand why people crave social media validation. It's all about using things you already own to do everything you need. Hmm not sure this would be enough for me. Lasted for days. Having every bit of media screaming at you from all angles is not normal for us evolutionarily, and having every bit of information transmitted in 15-30 second intervals DOES cause your brain to adapt to that over time. I set aside time at work to work on problems which may yield "interesting" results. When you have ADHD, your brain doesn't keep enough dopamine floating in that particular pathway, which means you don't feel satisfaction when doing things that would normally be rewarding. It makes me so very sad to hear you believe that the supercomputer housed within your face cage would actually choose to sit and stare at nothing all day. I'm looking for help and stories of other people with ADHD, anxiety, and depression who have overcome deeply rooted unhealthy habits. This is absolutely an ADHD thing, when you consider the lack of time-sense, boredom/discomfort, dopamine craving, and short-term goals. I've been off socials except Reddit for about 8 years now and it is such a breath of freedom. I was surprised because I always heard about dopamine and pleasure. I think that when you delete social media you do realize how lonely you actually are. Give yourself a dedicated day of the week to check social media. All the articles that call it the “feel good” chemical are pulling from theories neuroscientists stopped believing in the 80s. What is the relationship between social media and ADHD? It’s fair to be considered both a tool to connect with people all around the globe, and also a simple distraction or stimulant. I know that the idea of a dopamine detox it self is still a debated topic. (mind you it would be like 4 days backpacking, 1 day back with social media, then repeat), so maybe just need uninterrupted time. I’m sure it’d be a good challenge for people without ADHD, but I think the fact that our brains a) don’t produce as much dopamine and b) can’t receive as much dopamine as those without our disorder means it’d be absolute hell for us haha it’s hard enough to function even with all of these dopamine-filled behaviors, let alone without Ate you sure you really want to do gaming as a hobby if you have ADHD? I mean sure you can do whatever you want and I think gaming is a better dopamine source than social media but I highly recommend against it as well. I know dopamine detox is not a foolproof method, but I've been spending hours on reels and tiktok, maybe 6 hours in total, sometimes more. Listing off several behaviors, tendencies, etc. Aug 22, 2024 · The Social Media Dopamine Loop: How It Works. Using LeechBlock to stop myself from switching to social media or other sites my ADHD brings me to distract I configure it for the same times as the pomodoro timer -> I start the pomodoro timer at the same time as leechblock and when I have my 5 minutes break I'm able to satisfy the urge to check those websites Totally agree with the self-medication stuff but the scientist in me doesnt like the "it's because ADHD is lack of dopamine". I guess if “dopamine fasting” (which has a lot in common with ”social media fasting”) is helpful to people then they may as well enjoy it? This definitely isn’ “tech bad” though. Adhd is something you are born with, and the symptoms would have always been present. So I started with curating all my feeds - IG, FB, TikTok, Reddit, Twitter. *ADHD makes you more susceptible for dopamine hits - but you can CHOOSE to pursue them or not. So when I'm low, I am unmotivated to do long term gratification things like art etc and more drawn toward quick fixes, like social media, binge eating or video games. If I had my way, I would scroll on social media all day. When I'd normally be on social media, I'm now learning 2 languages - naturally my ADHD brain won't let me do just one. Looking back over my life, I believe that I do indeed have undiagnosed ADHD, even before the advent of the Internet - but the Net and social media has made it all far The problem with dopamine is that it gets us hooked on things that give us short-term gratification but not much else: cookies, alcohol and social media are all high in dopamine. It sedates me. Social media isn’t inherently a bad thing, it’s excess use is. this, I still need my memes. I just kind of had a breakthrough moment thinking about how many days I have wasted on the Twitter, Instagram, FB, Reddit, Youtube cycle. I was pretty good at using it sparingly until a few weeks ago. Breaking those muscle memory habits can help (at least at the start) to stop you in your tracks. Through working with my therapist, I have come to accept that I end up on my phone in the first place when my nervous system needs a break (autism), which is a few times a day. This is how I feel about social media. This combined with the lack of stopping cues in social media presents as someone who can’t “focus” or “break away” to do important tasks. But the truth for most people is that constant small hits of dopamine (social media, porn or any form of quick fix media) is usually a bad thing as it desensitizes the brain to dopamine so when your brain gives you dopamine for something useful it won’t mean as much. Is my use of those apps still connected to a bad effect on my dopamine? I really use them a lot, about 20-30 minutes a day. Top reasons for my ADHD brain being stuck on social media: Dopamine-seeking (solution: shop from my “healthy dopamine list” for something that catches my attention and hyperfocus on that instead of my phone) Burrowing to avoid difficult emotions (solution: find a safe place/person to express and process the emotions) But here we clearly see the link between distractability and ADHD, and focus, concentration, the whole symptoms list is linked to social media. Social media is not a need. Often I feel awful as I scroll, but I can't imagine stopping. One example was social media was a huge culprit. Do you have any recommendations for quick dopamine boost apps that are not social media, shopping or like traditional games? Also have this, I think I recall reading there's something related to non 24 hour disorder which is common in ADHD-ers. Its a scary thought but maybe one we should all face. The FDA approved Ritalin for treatment of ADHD in 1955, almost 20 years before the invention of the first personal computer. Try to limit the amount of “cheap” dopamine you get in the first half of the day. Having a rise in social media talking about the issue leads more people to believe they may have adhd when it could be addictions to social media not being “fed” the dopamine release, undiagnosed depression or issues with serotonin that are mistaken for adhd, or in general people feeling a sense of connection and belonging being part of a I try multiple stimuli while doing basic tasks but still my brain craves social media and just endless doom scrolling or binge eating. It's artificial. I made a post yesterday on Reddit which hit front page of my country recommendations. Social Media and Dopamine: When you use social media your brain releases dopamine. is particularly attractive to those with adhd because were dopamine starved and looking for a “quick fix”. It fills a gap. Also Don’t start doing something that feeds onto your ADHD dopamine craving in the first place, coz once you are binging onto a movie series, or a movie recap, you know, you know it’s gna be hard to leave that state, so the key is to not do this kind of dopamine intensive behaviours in the first place. But I have a family and my husband and I have argued so many times about how he feels second fiddle to my phone. (Also, the irony of me posting this on a social media platform is not lost on me lol). Even if you don't have ADHD, social media induces a sort of ADHD on us. Do you have any recommendations for other apps that teach/help you & give that dopamine kick? My goal was to change the sources of dopamine in my brain to be more productive and produce a slow long term trickle instead of a dopamine dump. that are "giveaways" to having ADHD that are broad enough to apply to the masses. Social media is the perfect poison for us. It CAN decrease your attention span and drive you to seek quicker dopamine doses, but that ISNT what ADHD is. But simply latching onto the dopamine aspect of it is a bit odd. My adhd then gets me stuck there because social media isn’t actually a solid source of dopamine, it’s just enough to keep you scrolling. I think that stuff like social media, shopping, etc. Lots of diy recipes, so you can get the dopamine hit from a new product creation, but you already own all the ingredients. The front page on reddit doesn't change and the upvotes you get don't change. I literally have a horrible social media addiction. I have tried doing the dopamine detox but I get very fidgety and irritable when I don’t have anything to constantly scroll through. It's all of these former social media engineers, execs, ethicists, and experts speaking out about how they inadvertently unleashed AI algorithms that have taught themselves how to hijack our minds and thoughts and even actions, and how that technology has allowed for No social media. Rejection sensitivity and social outcomes of young adult men with ADHD Although r/ADHD 's rules strictly disallow discussion of other 'popular science' (aka unproven hypotheses), we find that many, many people identify with the concept of RSD, and we have not removed this post. If you had no dopamine receptors, you could still experience pleasure. However, the number keeps rising each year, and today this thought hit me. Im uninstalling reddit. Go outside and talk to actual people. ADHD meds. So, if social media affects symptoms that fall under the ADHD bucket in the DSM-5, then it can be said to “increase ADHD in society. However, there IS data supporting the idea that anticipation increases the pleasure you get from a reward. Lol. So here I am doom scrolling on Reddit of all places. I am not glued to email or my phone for any reason but addiction. I think “ADHD” as a diagnosis is hiding a more serious illness – social media driven dopamine depletion. It's easy dopamine in the form of instantly gratifying, non-committal, micro-dosed bits of entertainment. It makes all or some apps grey. It also makes other things far less stimulating by comparison. The problem with ADHD is a lack of dopamine. I’m not medicated, but the dopamine hit I get is still there. Stimulant medications work to correct this deficiency. Whenever I have social media apps installed on my phone, I will doomscroll all day and get nothing else done. Do you go on social media to “lessen” the effects of ADHD? Or does ADHD change the entire experience of using social media into something else? I get so excited when I get a Reddit reply to my posts. It's harder for people with adhd to break the addiction (it's an addiction for me), but I'm willing to try! If you constantly placate your brain with this social media easy dopamine shit, it will never be so bored as to actually start turning gears and getting curious. I feel as if a lot of things mentioned in here are the normal consequences of being on social media 24/7. The problem is all of the activities like TV, games, social media cause massive spikes in dopamine. The correlation is that people with adhd don’t have enough dopamine, and that it’s most beneficial to take medication and improve coping strategies. per my phone statistics, i spend approx 16 hours on these social media apps 🙂 it's gotten to the point where i could be listening to a youtube video on my laptop while simultaneously scrolling through my tiktok feed. I could be wrong Dopamine fasting, or dopamine detox, is a technique that consists of completely abstaining from any experience that brings you pleasure, especially addictive technologies; like social media, doom scrolling, internet, youtube, reddit, listening to music, videogames, texting, etc. But I have cut down almost half of my previous consumption. This then sets your hedonic threshold, the point where you experience pleasure higher. Everytime I want to use one it gives a pop up asking me if I want to use this app for 5 minuten. Personally I find my adhd is 10x worse when on social media. But you can CHOOSE to expose yourself to them or limit your exposure. Some older (~2006-2012) studies claimed it was a factor but newer studies seem to agree that there isnt enough consistency in that theory to attribute it as a cause. It feels as if my ADHD brain cannot handle the intensity of the dopamine hit that social media gives it. The dopamine feedback loop in social media is a complex mechanism that keeps users coming back for more. Thats why people with adhd can get easily hooked to social media, video games ect. Hello, TLDR: I want to feel like I actually have choice over how I spend my time, not that I'm a slave to my dopamine addiction. It's an easy dopamine fix. Amphetamine-based ADHD meds (Adderall, Vyvanse, dexedrine) work by increasing the activity of dopamine and norepinephrine. I can’t stop wasting all my time on my devices. Try to limit your use. Besides Reddit, I'm not a social media person and I don't play video games or anything to get my dopamine hits;) you know. Aka, a slave to avoiding suffering. I have a focus mode on my phone. It’s okay to do nothing sometimes also, but throw in a book in that time instead of “doom-scrolling” social medias. Before the medication, I had to spend a lot of time figuring out what was eating up my attention. Chronic abuse of some "hard" drugs can burn out dopamine receptors, but a few weeks of abstention from social media isn't going to regrow your synapses. If I start my day giving in to distractions like social media, YouTube, Reddit etc it's like getting pulled into an ADHD river that's extremely difficult to get out of. It sounds counter intuitive to do a detox but also take dopamine producing drugs, but there is a method to the madness. Its the last social media I have and tbh probably the only thing Ive been using to ignore the fact that I dont really see or talk to people in person that often. com Dec 1, 2024 · I think I l’m doing this currently with social media without realising. Satisfaction. Understanding Dopamine: Dopamine is a chemical in your brain that plays a big role in feelings of pleasure and happiness. After the 5 minutes the app closes. And since our brains naturally want more of what makes us feel good (not just once but over and over again), we often find ourselves stuck at things that we don’t I am very undisciplined when it comes to social media and doomscrolling, sure, and I am sure my habits font help my dopamine level regulation. Go tona friends house. And most social media is designed to constantly induce these effects in… Social media, and the internet in general, is really bad for my ADHD. Does anyone have any tips or trick to get dopamine in a more productive way? Social media CANNOT give you ADHD. Twitter, IG, and TikTok. im not 100% sure I have adhd but many of the signs are there and really, I don’t need to doctors note to take action to improve my life. Hydrate, exercise, and admit that you’re a dopamine addict. you are correct that one of the genetic conditions of adhd is lack of dopamine. On Twitter I only follow news sites, not people. Just think it's funny how it makes me feel. I notice I stay in bed to scroll social media or play phone games in the morning, even when I want to stop, and I suspect I'm subconsciously hunting that dopamine kick 😜 Right now I need my main focus to be completely on finishing important tasks but I have an addiction to social media/a major dopamine seeking problem and even when im restricting my own screen time via sheer will, I’m still not getting anything done. I love solving "problems/puzzles"; it's a key part of my ADHD, gives me a huge dopamine rush. I know it's hard though and it takes time, and looks like you are already making progress with your Instagram use. I'll admit, I use social media a lot. *Our entire society, marketing, social media is geared towards instant gratification and dopamine hits. I was banned from a tech website because I was just about the only one who consistently questioned the value of ICT, which is a bit broader than what this video talks about, social media. I do need them for buying stuff I actually need from time to time, so I do not want to uninstall them. It’s a part of your brain’s reward system, meaning it helps you feel good when you do something enjoyable. bottom line is: it's officially out of Force yourself to do 30 minutes of whatever you consider to be your hardest task for the day. My ADHD exacerbates my phone addiction and I’m getting so tired of it, but I just can’t seem to stop. Shit's toxic, so happy I got Facebook out of my life years ago. My baseline is deficient, I have no reserves to run on while that greater gratification comes through more productive things. It's pretty interesting that you'd mention manipulation because that's a central issue that The Social Dilemma explores. I want to try to get an exercise routine, but getting myself out of this perpetual exhaustion seems impossible. I can relate to feeling drained by social media and also spending all day on it once I get on. As you accomplish this you will experience natural dopamine. I used to be very active on social media but now I have deleted every app except Reddit (although I lately find myself getting addicted to Reddit too lol). What would be the result of removing social media from my life? I can't begin to comment on the science of ADHD and over-stimulation from social media, so I would really love to hear what you all had to say. You won’t be missing anything. I then suddenly got sucked into using YouTube shorts for hours, then woke up wanting to scroll and then started jumping from one social media platform to another just to scroll; reels, tiktok. However - I am convinced my condition predates social media use, and I know that social media alone cannot be the cause of this neurodevelopmental condition. It is studied that social media addiction is highly linked to ADHD. usuxz azrtm atuvxb jpcviks txegpc ksb warj pwo jznquo smixe ppbuu lcn zigf aegby gckycvs