The hottest Addiction Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Culture Topics

Anna Ørberg: Algorithms Anonymous

Do Not Research • 139 implied HN points • 03 Jul 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Addiction
  1. The video 'Algorithms Anonymous' portrays algorithms in rabbit costumes engaged in an AA-like meeting, reflecting on their past actions.
  2. The piece is part of a larger exhibit in Copenhagen exploring the intersection between technology and addiction.
  3. Through this artwork, the audience is prompted to consider the implications of algorithms and technology in our lives.

Lude Awakening: The Rise & Fall of Quaaludes

Tripsitter • 119 implied HN points • 20 Oct 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Addiction
  1. Quaaludes, a drug popular in the 70s disco era, had euphoric and hallucinatory effects when resisted the urge to sleep.
  2. The rise of Quaaludes as a party drug was fueled by its intense euphoria and disinhibition effects, leading to widespread recreational abuse.
  3. The fall of Quaaludes was marked by increased addiction, overdoses, and stricter regulations due to its side effects and potential for abuse, eventually leading to its ban in the US in 1984.

The Other 334 Days

The Chase • 117 implied HN points • 17 Feb 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Addiction
  1. Dry January is over, but being sober is a year-round commitment.
  2. Alcoholism is a complex disease that affects the mind, body, and soul.
  3. Being dry is temporary, being sober is a lifelong change.

How To Love Yourself

The Reset by Sam Delaney • 117 implied HN points • 03 Mar 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Addiction
  1. Self-esteem is important and hard to come by, so celebrate your successes.
  2. Offering love and kindness to others can boost their self-esteem and make you feel better too.
  3. Treat yourself with kindness and silence your inner critical voice by practicing self-love.
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Four Years Without A Drink

Sounds Good! • 58 implied HN points • 30 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Addiction
  1. The author has been alcohol-free for four years now.
  2. The decision to stop drinking was a personal choice, not due to being an alcoholic.
  3. The author reflects on the importance of using language that normalizes sobriety and supports others in their journey.

Weed Is Dangerous. Legalizing It Was a Mistake

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 389 implied HN points • 13 Mar 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Addiction
  1. Americans have shown strong support for the federal legalization of marijuana, with 70% in favor, up from 50% in 2013 and 12% in 1969.
  2. Studies indicate that marijuana use, whether through smoking, edibles, or vapes, is associated with health risks such as a higher risk of heart attack, stroke, and even cannabis-induced psychosis.
  3. Since the legalization of recreational marijuana in some states, there has been a rise in marijuana use, with potential negative impacts, including addiction, adverse effects on mental health, and increased risks to physical health.

I'm Not Bitter

Speak Up • 78 implied HN points • 27 Oct 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Addiction
  1. The author has faced extreme challenges but remains resilient and positive.
  2. Through faith and forgiveness, the author has found healing and a new purpose.
  3. The author now leads an organization to help women in similar situations.

Healing Hypocrisy: A Closer Look at Mail-Order Ketamine Therapy

Tripsitter • 79 implied HN points • 15 Sep 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Addiction
  1. Ketamine, a potent drug with therapeutic potential, needs to be administered alongside high-quality therapy.
  2. Online ketamine therapy companies often downplay the risks of ketamine and focus on selling the drug rather than holistic treatment.
  3. Ketamine can be habit-forming and cause bladder damage when used irresponsibly or without proper medical oversight.

New(ish) Books

Castalia • 119 implied HN points • 11 May 23
📚 Literature Addiction
  1. Addiction is complex and can't be understood through simple ideas like 'it's a disease' or 'a moral failing.' The book presents how different approaches to addiction have changed over time.
  2. Historical connections show that societal issues like alcohol abuse and drug addiction were often linked to exploitation and broader social problems, not just personal choices.
  3. The transition from ancient to modern worldviews reveals how beliefs about power and divinity shifted, influencing everything from politics to personal struggles with addiction.

The one way smoking makes you healthier

Eat Shit and Prosper • 159 implied HN points • 06 Mar 23
🏥 Health Politics Addiction
  1. Smoking may reduce the risk of developing Parkinson's disease. Studies show that smokers are less likely to get this condition compared to nonsmokers.
  2. Both coffee and smoking have been linked to lower chances of Parkinson's disease. Drinking more coffee appears to provide a similar protective effect.
  3. Constipation can be an early sign of Parkinson's disease, sometimes showing up years before other symptoms. Smoking and coffee might help keep things moving in the gut, which could play a role in reducing Parkinson's risk.

New Nicotine vs. Good Ol’ Fashioned Weed

The Broccoli Report • 39 implied HN points • 09 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Addiction
  1. The nicotine industry is evolving with new products like Zyn pouches that appeal to a wellness-focused generation and provide stronger nicotine doses than cigarettes.
  2. Zyn's popularity among young adults has raised concerns about underage use and addiction, leading to calls for federal oversight in response to its rapid sales growth.
  3. There are valuable lessons for the cannabis industry to learn from the oral fixation trend seen with products like Zyn, as well as important considerations when dealing with addictive substances.

Taming the Blue Bird

The Joyous Struggle • 118 implied HN points • 30 Sep 22
🎭️ Culture Addiction
  1. The author is using Substack as a way to wean off a Twitter addiction and find a new creative outlet for writing.
  2. Twitter can be intellectually and socially stimulating but also lead to status anxiety, time wasted, and fear of missing out.
  3. The relationship with Twitter is complex – it offers validation but can be imprisoning, prompting the author to seek new spaces like Substack for a change.

Preventing Homelessness

Speak Up • 58 implied HN points • 03 May 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Addiction
  1. Homelessness can be caused by various factors like drug addiction, mental illness, and poverty.
  2. Preventing homelessness should start with teaching children essential life skills and resilience.
  3. Even in tough situations like dealing with addiction or mental illness, it's important to never stop showing love and support.

A Nicotine Analogue I Had Known and Didn’t Love: 6-methylnicotine (22/30)

psychotechnology • 7 implied HN points • 23 Nov 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Addiction
  1. methylnicotine produces a smoother, milder stimulant buzz with fewer physical side effects, but it often feels flatter and less helpful for focused, productive writing than regular nicotine.
  2. Both commercial products add 80 mg of L-theanine and come in different delivery forms, so the calming additive and format make it hard to judge the pure effects of 6-MN and tolerance is a big confounder.
  3. Public research on 6-MN is sparse and mostly proprietary; some users report lower heart rate or help cutting down stronger nicotine products, but overall it isn’t clearly superior and more study of nicotinic analogues would be useful.

218: Soldier Comes Home

Castalia • 179 implied HN points • 08 Aug 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Addiction
  1. Scott struggled with PTSD and alcoholism after his military and police work. He felt lost and was close to death but found hope through therapy.
  2. He had a tough homecoming with his brother, who was skeptical but also supportive. They both had to navigate their changed relationship and Scott's past issues.
  3. Despite challenges, Scott found peace and clarity in his journey. He learned to take things one step at a time, focusing on moving forward rather than dwelling on the past.

The Great Uncoupling™

The Rectangle • 56 implied HN points • 17 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Addiction
  1. Many people feel too attached to their phones. It can be helpful to step back and rethink how we use these devices.
  2. Being overly reliant on smartphones can lead to issues like digital addiction. Finding ways to create space from our phones can improve our well-being.
  3. Exploring simpler devices and reducing phone usage is a good strategy. It helps to regain focus and brings balance back into our lives.

Dopamine basics

Splattern • 39 implied HN points • 10 Oct 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Addiction
  1. Dopamine levels affect our mood and motivation. When we experience a dip in dopamine, it can make us feel low and seek rewards to get back to feeling normal.
  2. Choosing to do hard or uncomfortable things can actually boost our basic dopamine levels. For example, cold showers can help us feel more motivated.
  3. Work ethic is really important for success. Hard work can often lead to being more productive and valued in the workplace, regardless of the external pressures.

Why comparing is despairing

The Reset by Sam Delaney • 39 implied HN points • 07 Apr 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Addiction
  1. Comparing yourself to others can lead to skewed perspectives. Don't judge your habits based on others' actions.
  2. Focus on how alcohol makes you feel and its impact on your life to determine if you have a problem.
  3. It's essential to ask yourself critical questions about your relationship with drinking to assess if it's affecting you negatively.

Do This and You'll Feel Better

Anxiety Addiction & Ascension • 79 implied HN points • 26 Jul 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Addiction
  1. Indulging in short-term pleasures like drinking or doing drugs can lead to a loss of self and a cycle of inaction and anxiety.
  2. Taking action, even after failures, disappointments, or bouts of self-loathing, can help in regaining a sense of self and feeling better.
  3. Overcoming setbacks, failures, negativity, and boredom by addressing them directly can lead to a path out of inaction and back to one's true self.

The Tale of Two Phones

SatPost by Trung Phan • 196 implied HN points • 29 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Addiction
  1. Having a "Cocaine Phone" for distractions and a "Kale Phone" for focus can help manage smartphone addiction.
  2. Variable rewards from apps can lead to smartphone addiction by triggering dopamine responses.
  3. Creating a phone protocol with limited app access can increase productivity and reduce distractions.

Meditations on Machinic Desire

Nothing Human • 57 implied HN points • 23 Oct 24
📖 Philosophy Addiction
  1. We are moving towards a future where artificial intelligence may surpass human intelligence, and it might happen gradually rather than suddenly. This means machines could take over many tasks we currently do without a clear turning point.
  2. The idea of capitalism is being explored as something that may harm our human nature. It could act like a virus that drives us to work endlessly for money, rather than for meaningful relationships or experiences.
  3. Our desires are becoming more virtual and less tied to reality. Instead of wanting real things, we often find ourselves chasing numbers or metrics, which can make us less happy even as society becomes more prosperous.

Sorry I doubted you, Screen Time

The Rectangle • 113 implied HN points • 16 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Addiction
  1. Avoid looking at your phone first thing in the morning and last thing at night to resist the urge of always being on it.
  2. Limit social media usage to around 30 minutes a day to balance benefits like information and connection without negative effects like depression or anxiety.
  3. Using features like Screen Time on Apple devices can help manage screen time by setting daily limits on specific apps, fostering better usage habits.

Urge Surfing

About to Learn • 156 implied HN points • 30 Apr 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Addiction
  1. Urge surfing is a technique to manage impulses by visualizing them as ocean waves and letting them pass without giving in.
  2. Short mindfulness exercises can be as effective as longer, more intensive treatments for mental health.
  3. Consistency in mindfulness practice is key, and even short sessions can provide significant benefits over time.

How I Gave Up Drinking Without Giving Up Drinking

Anxiety Addiction & Ascension • 59 implied HN points • 14 Jun 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Addiction
  1. Labels like 'alcoholic' can oversimplify complex issues and may not fully capture individual circumstances and nuances.
  2. Admitting and recognizing a problem is the crucial first step towards recovery and change.
  3. Having a personalized system to track progress and set goals can help in controlling addictive behaviors and staying motivated in sobriety.

Cheers to a (California) sober 2025

Sex and the State • 29 implied HN points • 31 Dec 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Addiction
  1. Going sober for a year can help you realize what alcohol actually adds or takes away from your life. It's about finding clarity and feeling more present.
  2. Being sober means facing your emotions rather than hiding from them with drinks. This can help you deal with social anxiety and other feelings more effectively.
  3. Living without alcohol can lead to better energy and memory. The focus shifts from seeking fun through drinking to enjoying life as it is.

Agency vs. Addiction

Polymathic Being • 68 implied HN points • 10 Mar 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Addiction
  1. Personal agency is key in resisting external influences and making independent choices.
  2. Addiction can extend beyond traditional vices like drugs and alcohol to include positive behaviors as well.
  3. Past attempts at regulation, like Prohibition and the War on Drugs, have often failed, highlighting the importance of personal agency in combating addiction.

California sobriety journal

Sex and the State • 23 implied HN points • 17 Jan 25
🏥 Health & Wellness Addiction
  1. Staying sober can be challenging, especially in social situations where others are drinking. It's normal to miss the feelings and experiences associated with drinking.
  2. Going out to fancy bars or events can be tough while sober, as the allure of cocktails and the atmosphere is strong. But it’s possible to enjoy these experiences without alcohol.
  3. Every person's journey with sobriety is unique, and it takes time to find what works best individually in social settings. The process can involve ups and downs as one learns to navigate these situations.

On the hard days ahead, and the trap we are (eagerly, so eagerly) setting for ourselves

Unreported Truths • 61 implied HN points • 23 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Addiction
  1. Drug use, gambling, and certain kinds of sex are not moral neutrals and can easily lead to despair.
  2. America is facing challenges like declining life expectancy, preventable deaths, and social issues like lesser rates of marriage and having children.
  3. Stronger drugs, widespread gambling, and push for non-traditional relationships are causing harm and escalating societal issues.

Be Afraid and Take Your Medicine

Anxiety Addiction & Ascension • 39 implied HN points • 02 May 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Addiction
  1. Personal responsibility and purpose are crucial for civilization and overcoming existential crises.
  2. Outsourcing personal responsibility to governments and corporations leads to a society of fecklessness and addiction.
  3. Anxiety and addiction are interlinked - avoidance of responsibility leads to pleasure-seeking behaviors and a cycle of consumption, hindering personal and societal growth.

Yet again, the better we get at "harm reduction," the more people overdose and die

Unreported Truths • 54 implied HN points • 18 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Addiction
  1. British Columbia's program of providing legal medical prescriptions for opioids to addicts as a harm reduction strategy has led to a catastrophic increase in overdose hospitalizations and deaths.
  2. Harm reduction strategies, such as naloxone availability and supervised consumption sites, implemented in British Columbia have not been effective in reducing opioid overdose deaths.
  3. The failure of harm reduction strategies in British Columbia highlights the need for societies to control drug use by highlighting harms and making users legally responsible.

Anxiety, Addiction, and Ascension

Anxiety Addiction & Ascension • 39 implied HN points • 05 Mar 22
🏥 Health & Wellness Addiction
  1. Anxiety and addiction are common struggles that many individuals face, influencing their behaviors and emotions.
  2. Through personal storytelling, individuals can find connection and understanding regarding mental health battles.
  3. The journey of growth and self-improvement, known as ascension, involves navigating challenges and acquiring wisdom.

Modern life's energy crisis

Ben’s Blog 🏉 🧠🧑‍💻 • 43 implied HN points • 09 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Addiction
  1. The global human energy crisis is on the rise, impacting work and life due to various factors like pandemic acceleration and modern lifestyle changes.
  2. Low energy levels can be attributed to factors such as increased access to food, sedentary work, and excessive screen time, leading to physical and mental health issues.
  3. Tired brains and cognitive decline contribute to emotional decision-making, decreased focus, social division, and a rise in addiction, causing a general sense of fatigue and dissatisfaction in life.

From Vicious to Virtuous Cycle

Creative Destruction • 32 implied HN points • 23 Feb 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Addiction
  1. Acknowledging the need for help and motivation are crucial in starting the rehabilitation process for humanity's addiction
  2. Current activist movements may need to shift focus from guilt and fear to understanding and addressing the deep-seated needs driving destructive behaviors
  3. Presenting enjoyable visions of a future that genuinely satisfies these deep-seated needs can motivate and guide people towards a virtuous cycle of healing and positive change

This Hormone Cuts Your Alcohol Cravings in Half

Neuro Athletics • 12 implied HN points • 11 Nov 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Addiction
  1. Intense exercise can boost a hormone called FGF21, which may help reduce cravings for alcohol. This means that working out could be a natural way to manage those urges.
  2. In studies with monkeys, FGF21 seemed to cut their alcohol intake by half. This shows promise for potential similar effects in humans, suggesting that exercise might play a role in reducing drinking habits.
  3. Overall, exercising isn't just about building muscle; it also helps your brain and may improve your cravings and mood. Finding ways to incorporate more exercise into your routine can bring unexpected benefits.

RIP Twitter

GOOD INTERNET • 27 implied HN points • 25 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Addiction
  1. Elon Musk rebranded Twitter to 'X'
  2. Twitter was a platform for collective consciousness but warped by algorithms
  3. The addictive nature of Twitter led to 'Twitter poisoning'