What is “Dopamine Fasting”?

First of let’s see what Dopamine is. When it comes to feelings and moods, the human brain is the ultimate pharmacy. The release of chemicals inside the human body controls the intensity of those emotions that a human goes through. One of those chemicals is called Dopamine.

Dopamine fasting is the practice of temporarily abstaining from addictive technologies such as social media, listening to music on technological platforms and internet gaming, and can be extended to temporary deprivation of social interaction such as talking to others. The idea is to “reset” your neurochemical system by de-stimulating it.

Symptoms of dopamine fasting:

1. Muscle cramps
2. Aches and pains 
3. Loss of balance
4. Weight loss
5. Low energy
6. An inability to focus
7. Feeling tired

Diagnosis

There is no reliable way to directly measure the level of dopamine in the human brain. There are some indirect methods to determine the imbalance of dopamine levels in the brain. Doctors can measure the density of dopamine transporters that are positively correlated with nerve cells that use dopamine. The test involves injecting radioactive material that binds to the dopamine transporter, which doctors can use a camera to measure.

Treatment

The treatment of dopamine deficiency depends on whether it is possible to identify an underlying cause.

If a person is diagnosed with a mental health condition, such as depression or schizophrenia, a doctor may prescribe medications to help with the symptoms. These drugs may include anti-depressants and mood stabilizers.

Other treatments for a dopamine deficiency may include:

1. Counseling
2. Having a healthy diet
3. Physical therapy for muscle
4. Sleep schedule

Any activities that make a person feel happy and relaxed are also said to increase dopamine levels. Dopamine fasting, being the new solution to the issues of our modern generation, is a perfect way to curtail screen time. To monitor the use of technical devices, you can practice short-term dopamine fasting and spend time on more meaningful things in life. 

As a basic solution i would suggest you’ll to use this inbuilt feature on your iphones and androids as well.

|Screen Time| or |Digital Wellbeing|
It will let you know how much time you or your kids spend on apps, websites and more. This way, you can make more informed decisions about how you use your devices, and set limits if you’d like to.
Read on to learn how to turn on Screen Time or Digital Wellbeing, view your report and set limits, and manage the device. Link has been shared in the comments section.

Make your life physically and mentally a healthy one!