By Reema Behl
Theres a new diet that everyones been talking about in the last few days dopamine diet. Its a diet that involves giving up any activity that gives you pleasure your phone, food, sex, friends, coffee (read on to see what Bengaluru wants to give up)
But much before this became the talk of the town and a highly searched internet thing, Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma, professor of clinical psychology and coordinator of SHUT (Service for Healthy Use of Technology) clinic at NIMHANS says he has been recommending it to his patients since 2016. But he calls it digital fasting. We start by telling the patients to slowly move away from the habits they are addicted to. This we do by building a rapport with them through interviews, where we understand the triggers or stimulus of such behaviours. He has treated 300 patients so far. Most of them in the age group of 15-24 are severely addicted to online gaming, social media or even pornography. Many of them work in the IT sector in Bengaluru, says Sharma.
During the duration of that day, Chaitanya walked to a nearby temple, spent a few hours lying down on the temple floor, watched a spontaneous hen fight, checked into a seedy hotel under a pseudonym and made conscious efforts to only focus on mundane everyday activities that happened before him. I did not have any pressure to smile at strangers or even make eye contact with them. I was alone but not lonely and that was a welcome break from the 200+ notifications I get on my phone on a daily basis where people expect me to be present virtually for them. I consciously abstained from a rather dangerous addiction to social media during these 24 hours and that helped me reset my mind, body and even soul, he says.
What is dopamine fasting?
According to Dr Shyam Bhat, lead psychiatrist, mind.fit, Dopamine fasting refers to the practise where people abstain from activities that are potentially addictive and pleasurable, such as using technology, media, drugs, sex, sweets and so on. Dopamine is a neurochemical that is released in the brain in response to a pleasurable experience which creates a feeling of reward and pleasure. With repeated stimulation, the dopamine receptors become fatigued and a person would then seek even more novelty and stimulation to achieve the same amount of dopamine stimulation. Therefore, the theory is, dopamine fasting resets your brain, prevents addiction, and allows you to feel more pleasure and happiness from everyday life.
Habits Bengaluru is trying to lose: Online shopping, Gaming, Exercise (working out) and Office work
Chaitanya admits to being severely impacted by the online bipolarization of the country during the 2014 general elections which escalated to a love-hate relationship with technology. I was in my early 20s then and would seek pleasure in not only judging someone for their political ideologies, I also felt it was my moral obligation to correct their thinking. If my comments got more likes than others, it would give me a great sense of satisfaction, which over the course of time made me delusional, he says. So when Chaitanya read about dopamine fasting on one of Bengalurus well-known entrepreneurs Facebook wall, he decided to give it a shot.
Is it fad or fab?According to Dr Bhat, dopamine fasting is now new, certainly not for Indians. In Indian yoga traditions, in Buddhism, and indeed in most spiritual traditions, controlling ones urges and desires is an essential part of the journey towards psychological and spiritual revolution. It is biologically reductionistic to term such a behaviour dopamine fasting, says Dr Bhat.
City-based nutritionist Dr Nikita Suresh has even got some queries from women regarding dopamine fasting and if it helps in weight loss. Its not possible to completely fast or eliminate dopamine from ones body with lifestyle changes. Doing so would have serious consequences and it would probably be fatal. Dopamine fasting is not like regular fasting where we avoid food. Its more about taking time off for yourself and eventually feeling better. So, it would be better to call it a detox period instead, she says.
Fasting and after
Chaitanya has successfully completed 16 dopamine fasts this year. After such a fast, he claims his focus is laser sharp and theres a huge jump in his productivity. Over the course of the year, Chaitanya has found himself to be less inclined to participate in online debates, or to tweet about trending hashtags or to even be dependent on Whatsapp messages from friends to feel needed.
Side effects
Dopamine fasting, if carried out to the extreme can potentially lead to low mood, depression and an obsession about avoiding certain activities, says Dr Bhat, especially if a person has pre-existing psychological issues such as unresolved anxiety. Pleasure is an important part of the normal human experience and we should not extinguish it. In fact, one of the cardinal symptoms of major depressive disorder is anhedonia - the inability to feel any interest or pleasure in activities.
Dr Sharma says that a relapse is very common and hence fasting should be done in a manner where the patient feels comfortable. People can choose to abstain from activities they are addicted to even for half an hour a day.
Is it here to stay in Bengaluru?
Most psychologists, psychiatrists and other wellness experts in the city admit that the practice has suddenly become popular because of sudden media interest in the West, especially in Silicon Valley, but research has shown a connection between dopamine and problematic behavior.
Dr Sharma agrees and says that he has seen a positive impact in not just the patients who follow his digital fasting, but even other family members. Though theres no long-term research on how it impacts our bodies biologically, there is an overall sense of well-being and happiness that keeps the patient feeling healthy, fit and in control. We have at least 8-10 people who visit the clinic every week and eventually we start them on the digital fast. Women seek detox from online shopping, for men, it is usually gaming. I even have some people who are addicted to exercising and their office work! Bengaluru being a startup hub has a role to play in such a behaviour and I am sure more people in the city are going to see the benefits in this.
See the original post here:
Hooked to your phone? Try dopamine fasting - Bangalore Mirror
