What Gives Your Brain Its Dopamine Hit?

Introduction

Alcohol? Food? Shopping? Social media? Risk-taking? Sex? Exercise?

Or perhaps something that society actually applauds:

Achievement.

I've worked with people for many years who will tell me they have a problem with a particular behaviour.

“I drink too much.”
“I can't stop eating sugar.”
“I spend money when I'm stressed.”
“I get bored incredibly quickly.”
“I always have to be doing something.”
“I've achieved something and within days I'm looking for the next thing.”

And one of the questions I'm interested in isn't simply: How do we stop the behaviour?

It's: What is that behaviour doing for the brain?

Dopamine isn't simply about pleasure

We often hear dopamine described as the brain's “feel-good chemical”. That's an enormous oversimplification.

Dopamine is involved in motivation, reinforcement, learning, anticipation and our drive to pursue rewards.

It's part of the system that helps the brain recognise: “That mattered. Pay attention. Do that again.”

Every brain has this reward system. Neurotypical people seek rewarding experiences. Neurodivergent people seek rewarding experiences.

But the way reward and motivation are processed can differ — particularly when we look at ADHD.

ADHD and the search for stimulation

ADHD isn't simply somebody being unable to concentrate. And it isn't simply a brain “without enough dopamine”. It's far more complex than that.

Research suggests differences in the way people with ADHD process reward, motivation and reinforcement.

Immediate rewards can be particularly powerful. Novelty can be stimulating. Something interesting can capture attention incredibly effectively.

But ask that same brain to work towards something repetitive, unstimulating or where the reward won't arrive for another six months? That's a very different proposition.

This can help us understand behaviours that, from the outside, might simply be labelled impulsive, excessive or lacking in self-control.

The dopamine hit can wear many different clothes

For one person, stimulation might come from alcohol. For another, food. Another might shop. Another might gamble. Another might constantly check their phone. Another might seek excitement, speed or risk.

But there's another version that we don't talk about enough.

Achievement.

I see this particularly in entrepreneurs, CEOs, founders and senior leaders.

Because society doesn't tend to question this form of reward-seeking. We reward it.

Build one successful company? Build another.
Hit the target? Increase it.
Get promoted? Start looking at the next role.
Close the deal? Where's the next one?

Suddenly the person isn't necessarily chasing money or status. They may be chasing the feeling that comes with the pursuit.

The anticipation. The challenge. The urgency. The win.

And because achievement is socially acceptable, we can completely miss what is happening underneath.

When does seeking reward become a problem?

Wanting pleasure, excitement, stimulation or achievement isn't inherently unhealthy.

Neither is enjoying a glass of wine, buying yourself something or loving the excitement of growing a business.

The question is what happens when the brain begins to rely on particular behaviours to regulate itself.

Can you stop? Can you tolerate boredom? Can you sit in quiet? Can you delay the reward? Do you increasingly need more stimulation?

Is the behaviour affecting your finances, health, relationships or work?

Do you find yourself reaching for it automatically when you're stressed, overwhelmed, rejected, bored or emotionally uncomfortable?

Those are much more interesting questions.

This isn't about blaming dopamine

We also have to be careful.

Not every impulsive purchase is ADHD. Not everyone who drinks has a dopamine problem. Not every entrepreneur addicted to building businesses is neurodivergent.

And neurodivergence does not automatically mean addiction or risky behaviour.

Human behaviour is influenced by biology, psychology, environment, learning, trauma, relationships, stress and countless other factors.

But understanding the reward system gives us another lens through which to look at behaviour. And sometimes that lens changes the conversation completely.

Stop asking: “What's wrong with me?”

When somebody tells me: “I know I shouldn't do it, but I keep doing it.”

I'm interested in what happens immediately before that behaviour.

Boredom? Stress? Overwhelm? Emotional discomfort? Under-stimulation? Rejection? Exhaustion?

Because simply removing a behaviour without understanding the job it has been doing can leave a huge gap.

If shopping gives you excitement, what replaces that excitement?
If alcohol marks the transition from work to relaxation, what replaces that transition?
If sugar provides an immediate reward during an unstimulating afternoon, what else could provide stimulation?
If constantly starting businesses gives you challenge and novelty, what happens when life becomes quiet?

That's where self-awareness becomes incredibly powerful.

The question moves from: “Why can't I control myself?”

to: “What is my brain trying to get from this?”

And then: “How can I meet that need in a healthier, more sustainable way?”

For me, that's the important conversation around dopamine and neurodiversity.

Not judgement. Not another label. Not telling somebody to simply develop more willpower.

Understanding the brain behind the behaviour.

Because when you understand the pattern, you have a much better chance of changing it.

Research notes

The article is intentionally nuanced: ADHD is associated with differences in reward processing, motivation and reinforcement, but it is not accurate to describe ADHD simply as a dopamine deficiency. Research also reports higher rates of some substance-use and addictive or compulsive behaviours among people with ADHD, while findings around risk-taking are more mixed.