The Missing Dopamine

Name: The Missing Dopamine
ISBN: 9787220137457

Tanis CareySichuan People's Publishing House2024

Rating 3.5

Chapters: 19
ISBN: 9787220137457

Summary

Have you gradually lost interest in things you once loved? Do you feel that getting what you longed for is merely so-so? Has it been a long time since you laughed heartily, and does life seem bland? The British psychologist Tanith Carey points out that these feelings are not necessarily depression; they may point to an often-overlooked concept—anhedonia, the loss of the ability to feel pleasure from things one used to enjoy. The book begins with this concept and unfolds in three parts: first, it identifies the manifestations of anhedonia and how it differs from depression, and analyzes how modern society, information overload, and childhood experiences make joy increasingly remote; then it explains physiologically how imbalances in neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins affect anticipation and pleasure; finally it moves to action, offering concrete methods such as updating the brain's reward circuits, broadening one's range of ideas, creating a 'not-to-do' list, and adjusting diet and lifestyle, to help readers rebuild their sensitivity to life and recover joy in small things. The author also writes from her own experience of 'feeling numb,' in plain, accessible language interspersed with relevant research. The book suits ordinary readers troubled by fatigue, numbness, and burnout who have not yet reached clinical depression as a self-help read.

Editor's review

“不快乐”如今几乎成了都市生活的默认底色，但多数人只会归因于压力大、休息少。《消失的多巴胺》提供了一个更精确的切口：快感缺失。它区分了“抑郁”与“感受不到快乐”这两种常被混为一谈的状态，让那些并不想死、只是提不起劲的人第一次有了准确的自我描述。作者塔尼斯·凯里是英国心理学家、多产的心理科普作者，本书延续了她一贯的易读风格：概念讲清楚，机制说明白，方法可落地。书中既有对多巴胺奖励回路的通俗解释，也有“不办”清单、调整饮食、主动设计愉悦体验这类不需要专业条件的实践建议。值得一提的是，作者本人曾长期被这种“灰蒙蒙”的状态困扰，书中不少段落带着经验者的体贴，而非专家的说教。豆瓣读者给它的评价是“浅显易懂”，这既是它的定位，也提醒读者：它是入门与自助，不是学术专著。若你正处在“什么都还行，就是不开心”的阶段，这本书值得一读。

Who it's for

A good fit for

长期感到疲惫、麻木、对爱好失去兴趣的都市上班族
怀疑自己不快乐但不确定是否为抑郁、希望先做自我了解的人
对多巴胺、情绪机制感兴趣的心理学科普读者
心理咨询从业者或爱好者，想补充快感缺失相关的基础认知

Not a good fit for

已确诊抑郁症或处在急性心理危机中、需要专业治疗的人
期待系统严谨的学术专著、神经科学教材的读者
希望获得具体诊断标准和临床用药指导的人

Reading tips

先读第一部分，用书中的描述对照自己的状态，判断是快感缺失还是需要专业评估。
第三部分建议边读边做，把“创建不办清单”等方法落到一周的实际安排里，而不是只做笔记。
读到神经递质相关章节不必强记名词，抓住“期待—愉悦”这条主线即可理解全书的逻辑。
若自我调节数周仍无改善，或伴随持续低落、失眠、无价值感，应及时寻求心理科或精神科帮助。

About the publisher

Sichuan People's Publishing House China · Founded in 1952

Sichuan People's Publishing House is a comprehensive publisher whose list spans social fiction, art, foreign literature, finance and biography; the 358 titles in the database show a catalogue balancing classics with general reading. Representative books include Lu Xun's A Madman's Diary, Feng Zikai's Paintings for the Protection of Life, works associated with Li Shutong, and foreign-literature translations such as André Gide's Strait Is the Gate and Yasunari Kawabata's Snow Country and The Dancing Girl: Classic Works of Yasunari Kawabata. In finance there is Security Analysis, and in biography the New Biography of Su Dongpo. Authors represented include Lu Xun, Feng Zikai, Li Shutong, Li Yumin, Zhu Zuci and Ye Zongmin. The publishing profile emphasizes literary classics alongside art books, and uses thematic series such as the "banned books" collection to address intellectual and scientific themes. Public information is limited, so this introduction focuses on the directions reflected in the database.

Part One: Are You Anhedonic Today?
Chapter One: What Is Anhedonia
Chapter Two: Why It's So Hard for Us to Feel Joy
Chapter Three: Why Modern Society Makes Joy Ever More Remote
Chapter Four: Childhood Experiences Shape Your View of Joy
Summary
Part Two: The Impact of Anhedonia
Chapter One: The Physiological Reasons You Feel Listless
Chapter Two: Dopamine in the Brain: The Factor Tied to Anticipation
Chapter Three: Anhedonia Is Blocking Your Sense of Pleasure
Part Three: Reclaiming Vitality: How to Escape Anhedonia
Chapter One: Get on the Same Side as Your Brain
Chapter Two: Joy Is Something You Create Yourself
Chapter Three: How to Regain Pleasure
Chapter Four: Putting Pleasure-Related Chemicals to Use
Chapter Five: Create a Lifestyle That Is Your Own
Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Afterword

FAQ

这本书和“多巴胺戒断”“多巴胺穿搭”是一回事吗？

不是。网络流行的“多巴胺”多指追求刺激或穿搭风格，本书讨论的是心理学与神经科学意义上的快感缺失：大脑奖励系统对愉悦刺激反应变钝，导致对原本喜欢的事物失去兴趣。作者的重点不在“戒断刺激”，而在修复感受愉悦的能力。

书里的方法有科学依据吗？

书中引用了与多巴胺奖励回路、血清素、内啡肽等相关的研究，并结合作者的心理学实践给出行为建议，属于科普性质的自助读物。它不能替代临床诊断和治疗，具体机制表述相对简化，追求严谨证据的读者可再查阅相关学术文献。

豆瓣评分为什么和网上标注的不一致？

豆瓣评分会随评价人数变化而波动。该书上市初期评分约7.0—7.1，属于中等偏上；“浅显易懂”是常见好评，也有读者认为内容偏浅、逻辑不够严密，建议结合自身需求判断。

读完后我觉得自己确实“快感缺失”，该怎么办？

可以先按书中方法调整作息、减少信息刺激、主动安排小而确定的愉悦活动，观察两到四周。如果持续无改善，或出现情绪低落、兴趣全面丧失、睡眠食欲改变，建议尽快到正规医院心理科或精神科做专业评估。

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About the author

Tanis Carey Author

Tanis Carey is an author about whom limited public information is available, and few personal details can currently be confirmed. The representative work attributed to Carey, The Disappearing Dopamine, is classified under psychology and psychological research, suggesting that Carey's writing focuses on psychological mechanisms, emotional experience, and the scientific explanations behind everyday behavior. Judging from the existing categories, the book tends to discuss psychological topics in an accessible way, bringing concepts related to dopamine to general readers. Since only one work by this author is included in the database, and information such as dates of birth and death, nationality, and educational background is unknown, it is not yet possible to outline a complete writing trajectory. For readers interested in popular psychology, Carey's work offers an entry point for understanding psychological states through the lens of neurotransmitters and reflects the author's effort to balance specialized topics with public expression.