I enjoyed most of the insights in this book and found some of the unusual addictions highlighted to be fascinating. Although the author undoubtedly means well in revealing her own addiction, to reflect solidarity in suffering, her description does not compare to addictions that threaten the lives of many addicts and their loved ones. I found some of the “moderation” approaches toward substance addiction to be disturbing, and contrary to scientific research presented in the book. I would have liked more consistency.

This book could have been 20 pages, just way too many anecdotal stories about different patients. But overall explains the addiction cycles well.

This is a great book. She is a psychiatrist: her patient stories are true and very scary. Because of dopamine one can essentially get addicted to almost anything. One correction however. She references a book entitled "Llstening to Prozac"' saying that one can become addicted to antidepressants. This is absolutely false as proven by multiple tests on Prozac, other SSRIs and SNRIs. The book was published right after Prozac came out and was on the cover of Time and Newsweek. The author reported that Prozac could make you feel "better than good." I'd doesn't. Also, like ALL antidepressants except the rarely prescribed MAOIs (the first antidepressant which have a success rate of about 90%) they work only 40% of the time. The popularity of Prozac (and the other SSRIs and SNRIs that followed) was in part because of this: what psychiatrists previously used an antidepressants, TCAs, were lethal in very small does (5 pills); fear of suicide w/depression. So GPs, internists would not prescribe them and refer them to psychiatrists (no potentially liability.) But w/SSRis and SNRIs, with which you can't kill yourself, GPs and interneests went to town. But benzodiazepines, Ambien, and meds for ADHD and ADH highly addictive-dopamine. The book is a wonderful discourse on this neurobiological chemical and a scary one and true. Easy to understand, too. The sad case of Jacob's life long sex addiction is, frankly, sick and depressing

I’ve read this three times!

well written, easy to understand. The stories of the author and her clients make the book engaging. I appreciate that the evidence is cited and referenced.

This is a nicely condensed, well-writtten book that explains some of the reasons behind and the power of addiction, viewed through the lens of our brain's' dopamine regulation system. A fast reader will probably get through it in a weekend. Took me a few extra days but definitely worth it. There are many compelling real-world examples of how people get hooked into destructive behaviors, as well as the highlights of the author's therapeutic interactions with a few of them, in each case showing a path (potentially one the reader could take if applicable) of how the person was able to free themselves from the problem. Quite a few insights into how AA and other legitimate 12 step programs can help people / why it works as well. Definitely more aimed at helping the reader understand what is happening (with typical addiction scenarios) at a physiological and practical level, than a "in the weeds" neuroscience book, or typical inch deep "self-help" book. Helps that the author is a medical doctor / psychiatrist, so you know she has a pretty good idea what she's talking about, and is even honest with some of her own shortcomings and mistakes she had to deal with as a child, parent, therapist. If all this sounds like something that might help you start to get out of a bad situation, buy the book. You won't regret it.

This book helped me understand my attachments to habits/addictions. Understanding dopamine helped with the steps needed for rehabilitation. I plan on re-reading it again. Good read/

I bought this book after seeing a Mark Rober post where he referenced it while giving an explanation on his health and lifestyle. I recently decided to change my lifestyle. I hired a personal trainer, altered my diet, planned to spend more time with family and less with work, and I started taking ADHD medicine (but had no idea why I needed it or what it was doing to me). The medicine has helped me slow down my thoughts and gave me an ability to focus that I never had before. Reading this book provided a valuable insight on what goes on in your head to make you want, crave, and reject things/thoughts/feelings in ways that you don’t typically notice. And it also gives you the sense of realization that regardless of what your vices are, you should pay more attention because it could very well be a type of addiction that may be unhealthy to you or the people around you. I shared this book and even gifted a copy to friends and family, not that they have problems with addiction, but because it has helped me in so many ways and I felt that it could help them as well.