This is so spot on. It’s like we’ve hacked our own wiring and then acted shocked that things short-circuit. We’ve turned survival mechanisms into party tricks—dopamine fireworks for just existing. And French fries? Yeah, they know what they’re doing. That salt-fat-sugar combo hits like a slot machine win every damn time.
As someone who’s spent years coaching people through these traps (and let’s be honest, falling into a few of them myself), I’ve seen firsthand how this plays out: we crave the hit, get the hit, then feel hollow after because the hit wasn’t the thing we were really chasing. But man, it’s hard to explain that to someone mid-binge on TikTok or buried in a bag of Doritos.
So yeah, thank you for writing this. We need more people pointing out that maybe, just maybe, the thing that feels good isn’t always good for us. And we need to start asking better questions than “Does it feel good right now?” Because the answer is usually yes. And that’s the problem.
You totally get it. I also try to strip judgment from the thing - these are just different substances/behaviors and I want people to weigh the costs/benefits of their choices (when not buried in a bag of Doritos). Thanks for reading!
"....detoxing leads to increased mental clarity, mood and self control, reduced anxiety and impulsivity, as well as a desire to explore new activities."
I personally don't have these issues even with heavy phone time. Maybe it's because a lot of my Substack/TT scrolling is educational and/or kittens and mental health support. lol but my therapist tells me I'm a bit of a rare bird.
I've always been kind of predisposed to being happy and I never stay down for long.
I listen to music a lot and have lots of great tools for mental health.
This is so spot on. It’s like we’ve hacked our own wiring and then acted shocked that things short-circuit. We’ve turned survival mechanisms into party tricks—dopamine fireworks for just existing. And French fries? Yeah, they know what they’re doing. That salt-fat-sugar combo hits like a slot machine win every damn time.
As someone who’s spent years coaching people through these traps (and let’s be honest, falling into a few of them myself), I’ve seen firsthand how this plays out: we crave the hit, get the hit, then feel hollow after because the hit wasn’t the thing we were really chasing. But man, it’s hard to explain that to someone mid-binge on TikTok or buried in a bag of Doritos.
So yeah, thank you for writing this. We need more people pointing out that maybe, just maybe, the thing that feels good isn’t always good for us. And we need to start asking better questions than “Does it feel good right now?” Because the answer is usually yes. And that’s the problem.
You totally get it. I also try to strip judgment from the thing - these are just different substances/behaviors and I want people to weigh the costs/benefits of their choices (when not buried in a bag of Doritos). Thanks for reading!
"....detoxing leads to increased mental clarity, mood and self control, reduced anxiety and impulsivity, as well as a desire to explore new activities."
I personally don't have these issues even with heavy phone time. Maybe it's because a lot of my Substack/TT scrolling is educational and/or kittens and mental health support. lol but my therapist tells me I'm a bit of a rare bird.
I've always been kind of predisposed to being happy and I never stay down for long.
I listen to music a lot and have lots of great tools for mental health.
Really enjoyed this post!