Bernard O'Shea: 'I tried a dopamine fast to break my scrolling habit - and it worked'

"Overstimulation of dopamine can lead to addiction-like behaviours. You know, like checking your phone a hundred times daily or binge-watching a series until sunrise."

Bernard O'Shea. Photograph Moya Nolan

I stared blankly at yet another 'recommended for you' video on YouTube at 2am, nursing my fourth (or was it fifth?) Tunnocks teacake. That's when I realised, maybe, just maybe (shock horror), I was hooked—not on the fleeting satisfaction of yet another World War II video, but on the dopamine rush that comes with it.

Dopamine is often mislabelled as the "pleasure chemical," but it's more accurately the "more-ish chemical" because it makes you crave, seek, and want more. It plays a crucial role in how we experience pleasure and pain, driving our desires for food, Instagram likes, tweets, and treats. Essential for survival? Absolutely. Responsible for my late-night sugary YouTube binges? Unfortunately, yes.