What Does 'Gooning' Do To Your Brain?
On gooning, addiction, mental health, and creating healthy habits that work for you.
This morning, I rolled over in bed and stared at the beams of light streaming into my room. I clawed through my sheets and pillows to find my phone.
I only had 2 minutes to grab my Chromebook, sit at my desk, and get the lighting right before my appointment with my therapist began. I only had enough time to pee, not enough time to brush my teeth, shower, or watch a cartoon.
The appointment went well. But near the end of the session, I told her for the first time that I smoked marijuana—sometimes 2-5 times a day. I also mentioned a YouTube channel created by a psychiatrist who helps gamers and young men work through addiction and unhealthy habits in their lives.
I found his channel on YouTube over a year ago, right around the time when I started investing and trading options.
It’s a fantastic channel! I watch it to better understand my relationship with games like Pokemon Unite, Modern Warfare, and GTA Online.
Personally, I think the ability to respawn over and over, the absence of physical danger, and my interest in statistics and trends mainly explain why I enjoy gaming.
But it doesn’t fully explain why gaming feels easier than washing the dishes, writing a paragraph, or sitting down for my daily meditation.
Motivation comes and goes for many of us. If you’re navigating life or considering making big changes to your lifestyle, this channel is a great resource; I hope you’ll find it enlightening and timely.
In the age of virtually unlimited content, rapid news cycles, and digital communication, finding ways to manage overstimulation and risky avenues of physical stimulation is the next frontier for the human race.
For more, check out Dr. K’s Guide to Mental Health. The guide synthesizes his years of training as a monk, along with years of training as a psychiatrist, to cover common topics like meditation, ADHD, addiction, and trauma.
The guides include over 100 additional videos that can be navigated based on your needs or interests, or you can choose your own adventure. Be good now. 😈