Professor Ahn Chul-woo of Gangnam Severance Hospital publishes dopamine balance
Jan 13, 2025
Professor Ahn Cheol-woo (endocrine medicine) of Yonsei University Gangnam Severance Hospital published a new book 'Dopamine Balance'.
'Dopamine' has naturally become a word in our daily lives. With the overflow of provocative content, 'Dopamine Addiction' is emerging as a problem in society as a whole. When it comes to addiction, extreme addiction such as 'drugs' is often thought of, but in the new book 'dopamine balance', the subject of addiction is endless. Addictions include looking at mobile phones throughout business hours because they are distracted by investments such as stocks and coins, turning on delivery apps because they can't stand late-night snacks every night, and increasing the number of coffee they drank a day or two.
The author, Professor Ahn Cheol-woo, is a specialist who deals with endocrine diseases and studies hormones. Professor Ahn found that if you look closely at patients who come to the clinic with hormone-related symptoms such as metabolic syndrome and diabetes, there are many cases where addiction problems and symptoms behind superficial diseases are related. To treat patients suffering from addiction problems, attention has been paid to the hormone 'dopamine' which is most deeply linked to addiction.
In fact, from a medical point of view 'Dopamine Addiction' is a misrepresentation. Since dopamine itself is not addictive, it is impossible for humans to become addicted to dopamine. The author says that it is appropriate to view the 'dopamine addiction' we commonly know as being addicted to activities, substances, and stimuli that cause dopamine secretion, not dopamine itself. Just like smoking constantly even though you know that cigarettes are not good for you. Professor Ahn Cheol-woo says that it is essential to improve the wrong lifestyle caused by dopamine addiction with proper prescriptions to treat patients' diseases.
Some people urge patients suffering from addiction to overcome them with mental strength, but the author emphasizes that not all health problems can be solved by effort alone. Citing the severe coffee addiction and storage compulsion he has experienced in the past, even he, who clearly knows the various addiction problems and the consequences of them in the medical field, confesses that it has never been easy to break the addiction behavior.
The book introduces a research case from Stanford University in the United States and says that inhibiting or blocking dopamine in the brain loses the effort and motivation, or motivation, to enjoy the happiness of delicious food. The key is not to break dopamine, but to balance. The author says that if you correct insufficient or excessive dopamine secretion and restore balance, you can live a full life.
The author guides the journey of 'dopamine detox' that regulates dopamine and restores balance in three stages. Step 1 is recognizing addiction behavior, Step 2 is staying away from distractions, and Step 3 is getting compensated for efforts. At the same time, he emphasizes the importance of the belief that any addiction is recoverable in order to reverse the addicted brain.
In the last chapter of the book 'Habits for Finding Life Balance', tips on daily life that help with dopamine detox, such as exercise, food, sleep, and stress management, are included. The author emphasizes that if you develop habits that fit your environment and disposition rather than following the set answers, you can naturally restore the dopamine balance in your life.
'Dopamine' has naturally become a word in our daily lives. With the overflow of provocative content, 'Dopamine Addiction' is emerging as a problem in society as a whole. When it comes to addiction, extreme addiction such as 'drugs' is often thought of, but in the new book 'dopamine balance', the subject of addiction is endless. Addictions include looking at mobile phones throughout business hours because they are distracted by investments such as stocks and coins, turning on delivery apps because they can't stand late-night snacks every night, and increasing the number of coffee they drank a day or two.
The author, Professor Ahn Cheol-woo, is a specialist who deals with endocrine diseases and studies hormones. Professor Ahn found that if you look closely at patients who come to the clinic with hormone-related symptoms such as metabolic syndrome and diabetes, there are many cases where addiction problems and symptoms behind superficial diseases are related. To treat patients suffering from addiction problems, attention has been paid to the hormone 'dopamine' which is most deeply linked to addiction.
In fact, from a medical point of view 'Dopamine Addiction' is a misrepresentation. Since dopamine itself is not addictive, it is impossible for humans to become addicted to dopamine. The author says that it is appropriate to view the 'dopamine addiction' we commonly know as being addicted to activities, substances, and stimuli that cause dopamine secretion, not dopamine itself. Just like smoking constantly even though you know that cigarettes are not good for you. Professor Ahn Cheol-woo says that it is essential to improve the wrong lifestyle caused by dopamine addiction with proper prescriptions to treat patients' diseases.
Some people urge patients suffering from addiction to overcome them with mental strength, but the author emphasizes that not all health problems can be solved by effort alone. Citing the severe coffee addiction and storage compulsion he has experienced in the past, even he, who clearly knows the various addiction problems and the consequences of them in the medical field, confesses that it has never been easy to break the addiction behavior.
The book introduces a research case from Stanford University in the United States and says that inhibiting or blocking dopamine in the brain loses the effort and motivation, or motivation, to enjoy the happiness of delicious food. The key is not to break dopamine, but to balance. The author says that if you correct insufficient or excessive dopamine secretion and restore balance, you can live a full life.
The author guides the journey of 'dopamine detox' that regulates dopamine and restores balance in three stages. Step 1 is recognizing addiction behavior, Step 2 is staying away from distractions, and Step 3 is getting compensated for efforts. At the same time, he emphasizes the importance of the belief that any addiction is recoverable in order to reverse the addicted brain.
In the last chapter of the book 'Habits for Finding Life Balance', tips on daily life that help with dopamine detox, such as exercise, food, sleep, and stress management, are included. The author emphasizes that if you develop habits that fit your environment and disposition rather than following the set answers, you can naturally restore the dopamine balance in your life.
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
