Neurochemical Misinformation Hunt-The Science of Emotion-Dopamine ≠ Pleasure (Extended): Fasting, Withdrawal, and a Real Plan

What is dopamine?

Imagine your brain has a tiny mail carrier who brings stickers whenever you do something useful. That mail carrier is called dopamine. Dopamine does not make joy all by itself. It mostly tells your brain, “Hey, that thing was important—remember it and go after it next time!” Scientists call this a reward-prediction signal—your brain compares what it expected with what actually happened and then learns to chase good clues (Schultz, 1997; Berridge & Robinson, 1998, 2016).

So, when a phone pings, a game sparkles, or sugar tastes sweet, dopamine puts a bright sticker on that moment and says, “Chase this cue again.” Joy (the warm, peaceful “mmm”) leans more on other systems, like opioids and endocannabinoids. That’s why people can want very hard without actually liking the thing anymore.

 Why “dopamine fasting” is not the full answer

“Dopamine fasting” means we stop very stimulating things for a while: social media, junk food, bingey videos, etc. This can reset attention. But if you suddenly stop everything without a plan, your brain often pushes back. That pushback is called withdrawal. It can feel like:

• crankiness and restlessness,
• low joy (things feel flat),
• bad sleep,
• strong urges to binge again.

This is normal biology—your learning system is re-balancing (Koob & Le Moal, 2001; 2008). Modern life makes it harder: work wants you focused 9–5, family needs you 6–10. No one can be 100% “on” all day. So, fasting can help, but fasting alone is not a lifestyle. We also need root-cause work (old hurts, beliefs, identity) and a daily rhythm that honours body and soul.

“The servants of the Most Merciful are those who restrain anger and forgive.” (Qur’an 3:134)
“The strong one is the person who controls himself at the time of anger.” (Bukhārī; Muslim)
“The most beloved deeds to Allah are those done regularly, even if small.” (Bukhārī; Muslim)

A simple story: the red bell and the blue pause

Sami has a box with a red bell. Whenever he hears it, he wants a cookie. One day, his dad adds a blue pause button next to the bell. Now, when the bell rings, Sami presses the blue button first: he drinks water, takes three calm breaths, says “Bismillah,” and then chooses—cookie later or play now? After a week, Sami still likes cookies, but he no longer needs them every time the bell rings.
That blue button is what we will build for you.

 What withdrawal really looks like (so you can plan, not panic)

For highly rewarding habits (phones, sugar, gaming, outrage-scrolling), people often see:

• a 72-hour bump—cravings and irritability feel highest in the first three days;
• waves for 2–3 weeks—ups and downs that slowly shrink;
• cue-triggered spikes—certain places, times, or people make urges louder (Volkow & Morales, 2015; Brand et al., 2019).

Evening self-check (0–10): craving, mood, energy, sleep, focus. Do this for 14 days. If numbers jump, you’re not failing—your nervous system is adjusting.

The middle way: not cold-turkey chaos, not endless slow fade

Think of a bridge with three planks:

1. Punctuated Resets (short, planned fasts with guardrails)
2. Steady Rebuild (daily rhythm anchored to prayer and health)
3. Root-Cause Repair (healing old pain and sharpening identity)

1) Punctuated Resets (48–72 hours, with a safety net)

Pick only one or two high-dopamine traps (e.g., doom-scrolling + late-night sugar). Schedule Fri Maghrib → Mon Fajr off for those items.

Before the reset

• Remove cues: move apps off the home screen; keep snacks out of the house.
• Tell one trusted person.
• Schedule replacements: after ‘Ishā—a walk; after Fajr—Qur’an + sunlight; 6 pm—gym or home workout.

During the reset

• Use a blue-pause routine: wuḍūʼ → three slow breaths → name the feeling → tiny good action (one page Qur’an, 10 push-ups, send a kind message).
• Keep bedtime steady; hydrate; eat protein and fibre.
• Expect the 72-hour bump. Mark it on your calendar so it doesn’t scare you.

After the reset

• Reintroduce with boundaries, e.g., 20-minute blocks, not “whenever.”
• If you binge, don’t quit the plan. Note the cue, strengthen the blue-pause, and try the next reset.

2) Steady Rebuild (a day that serves your brain and your Deen)

Let salāh be your four islands of calm.

• Fajr: light + movement (sunlight walk), water, and a protein breakfast—this steadies dopamine for the day.
• Ẓuhr/‘Aṣr: quick wuḍūʼ, three breaths, then one 50-minute deep-work block (phone in another room).
• Maghrib/‘Ishā: dim screens, family connection, one-line journal (what I felt + my next right step), and a gentle spiritual wind-down.
• Weekly: a sweaty sport session, one hour in nature, and 90 minutes of focused learning.

Use Gross’s emotion-regulation steps: change the situation (leave the room), shift attention (dhikr), re-think the urge (“my brain expects a hit; I can wait”), then respond wisely (small action) (Gross, 2015).

3) Root-Cause Repair (where lasting calm lives)

• Therapy that fits (CBT, EMDR, or ISTDP) to unhook pain → trigger → habit loops.
• Identity & purpose: write a two-line niyyah you see at Fajr and ‘Ishā.
• Seerah modelling: small, consistent deeds, courage with gentleness, and uplifting companions.
• Spiritual regulation: “In the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.” (Qur’an 13:28) Pair urges with dhikr + action: drink water, breathe, say “Bismillah,” take the next honourable step.

Two short, real-life style stories

Hamza (all-or-nothing → strong middle way)
Hamza quit sugar, social media, and gaming in one day. On Day 3, he snapped at family, then binged and felt ashamed. We mapped his withdrawal curve, set 72-hour planned resets, and gave him a 5-minute blue-pause (wuḍūʼ + walk + dhikr). Four weeks later, evening binges fell from daily to once in twelve days; sleep and mood lifted.

Aisha (balanced rebuild while working full-time)
Aisha kept her job routine but cut back on outrage-scrolling to only weekends. She anchored breaks to prayer, lifted weights three times a week, and began EMDR therapy for childhood criticism that fueled her perfectionism. At six weeks, she said, “There’s less noise in my head,” and finished an online course she had delayed for a year.

PLAN:

Build the Blue-Pause Button (teach it like a game)

1. When a cue appears (bell/notification/snack), everyone says, “Pause, please.”
2. Wuḍūʼ or hand-wash, three slow breaths, name the feeling (“I’m bored,” “I’m excited”).
3. Do one tiny replacement: one page of Qur’an, five squats, or a glass of water.
4. Decide: now or later—and keep the promise.

Design Evenings That Calm the Brain

• After Maghrib: drink water, short walk, five minutes Qur’an aloud with a child-friendly translation.
• Put phone chargers in a different room.
• Keep desserts for special times; add fruit, nuts, and yogurt for most nights.

Track Three Numbers Nightly (0–10)
Craving, Mood, Sleep. Review on Friday. If anything dips for a week, lighten the load: earlier bedtime, simpler meals, and a smaller to-do list.

Choose One Weekend Reset Each Month

• 48–72 hours: no doom-scrolling + no late-night sugar.
• Prep on Thursday: remove cues, plan walks and simple meals, message an accountability buddy.

When to call for extra help
If withdrawal feelings are scary, harm relationships, or block work for more than two weeks, speak to a therapist and a trusted imam. Islam pairs skill with trust: “Tie your camel, then trust in Allah.” (Tirmidhī)

Gentle truths to keep nearby

• You are not “weak”; your brain is learning. We are teaching it new, kinder lessons.
• Small, steady deeds beat big, short bursts—this is both neuroscience and Sunnah.
• Energy is not infinite. A 9–5 brain needs islands of prayer, food, water, movement, and quiet. Allah does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear (Qur’an 2:286).

A compact cheat-sheet

• Not dopamine denial—dopamine discipline.
• Plan for withdrawal. Expect the 72-hour bump; ride it with anchors.
• Use the Blue-Pause: wuḍūʼ → breathe → name → tiny good action.
• Anchor to salāh. Let prayer shape time, not the other way around.
• Heal the root. Therapy + Seerah + niyyah = durable change.
• Count tiny wins. Allah loves the small deeds that continue.

References (select)

• Schultz, W. (1997). Neural substrate of prediction and reward. Science, 275(5306), 1593–1599.
• Berridge, K. C., & Robinson, T. E. (1998). What is the role of dopamine in reward: “liking” vs “wanting”? Brain Research Reviews, 28(3), 309–369.
• Berridge, K. C., & Robinson, T. E. (2016). Liking, wanting, and the incentive-sensitisation theory. Motivation Science, 2(3), 157–176.
• Koob, G. F., & Le Moal, M. (2001; 2008). Addiction, dysregulation of reward, and allostasis. Neuropsychopharmacology; Neuropharmacology.
• Volkow, N. D., & Morales, M. (2015). The brain on drugs: From reward to addiction. NEJM, 374(4), 362–371.
• Brand, M., et al. (2019). Neurobiological correlates of problematic internet use and gaming disorder. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 10, 373.
• Gross, J. J. (2015). Emotion regulation: Current status and prospects. Psychological Science.

Qur’an & Hadith

• Qur’an 3:134; 13:28; 2:286.
• Ḥadīth on true strength (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 6114; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2609).
• “Deeds most loved are those done regularly” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 6464; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 783).
• “Tie your camel and trust in Allah” (Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī 2517).

Educational guidance, not medical care. If you suspect clinical addiction or severe withdrawal, seek professional support.