Beyond Cheap Dopamine

“Chasing the high is turning me into a teetotaler!”

A client said this after realizing his old dopamine-mining habits don’t work anymore.

The only thing that gives him a dopamine rush now is…
🌀 Flow State.

His old strategies included:
🍪 Binge-eating cookies
🎬 Horror movie marathons
🖥️ Arguing with strangers on the internet

🚫 Then they started making him feel worse.

Now his best high is when he’s in Flow State.

He reliably enters Flow while:
🕺 Dancing/Working out
🎨 Creating art
🧠 Learning

Now, to facilitate Flow during those activities, he is:
🥦 Eating real food
💤 Honoring his sleep schedule
🏋️ Training regularly

🔬 Here’s what the neuroscience shows:
ADHD isn’t a defect in focus, it’s a difference in dopamine regulation.

When the ADHD brain runs on cheap dopamine hits, it’s basically using stress chemistry to compensate for under-stimulation.

• Adrenaline and cortisol join the dopamine spike, producing tunnel vision, urgency, and restlessness.

• Focus develops but it’s brittle. After the rush, exhaustion or shame often follows.

That’s survival mode: the body mobilized for short-term threat management, not long-term growth.

By contrast, Flow State is challenge mode. It runs on a balanced neurochemical mix:

• Moderate dopamine + norepinephrine = drive and alertness.

• Anandamide + endorphins = creativity and enjoyment.

• Serotonin = satisfaction and calm afterward.

This combo supports sustained, flexible attention—you stay lit up, but not fried.

When my client’s old vices stopped working, he:

😵💫 Didn’t spiral into apathy
🌊 Naturally turned to Flow State
🫖 And the healthy habits that support it

❓What “cheap dopamine” habit have you outgrown lately?
🌱 And what real, nourishing one is starting to take its place?

✨ The 21st Century needs ADHD Leaders.
If this is you, I want to support you.

💪 Ready to start?
Book a free exploration call.

👀 Intrigued?

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