Hormesis is the adaptive response of cells and organisms to a low-dose stressor that is harmful at higher doses. ‘What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger’ sums it up well enough for sensible minds to appreciate. Before I learned about the term hormesis in the excellent book Dopamine Nation by Anna Lembke, I was invoking its response in clients who wanted to improve confidence or conquer demons in the surf. I used the term stress inoculation to describe a series of controlled, stressful simulations that I subjected clients to, to improve psychological resilience.
Hormetic responses take place in all biological systems and are not restricted to certain cells or biological kingdoms (Calabrese, 2008). This post considers the hormetic effect with respect to hedonic tone (the ability to feel pleasure) in humans. The word pain in this article refers to the absence of pleasure, e.g. low mood, anxiety, dissatisfaction with life, and acute depression rather than physical pain.
The Hormesis Scales
Image 1. The Hormesis Balance. Source: Dom Moore / Natural Scientific.
Image 1 shows our hedonic tone as a set of scales. In our natural, unfettered universe-given state the scales are balanced and we have an equal ability to feel pleasure and pain (see figure 1).
Figure 2 shows what happens with repeated passive pleasure seeking behaviour such as alcohol and drug use, long periods of social media scrolling, online porn, junk food, excessive video gaming, TV binges and so on. With the attempt to shift the balance point towards pleasure, the scales becomes more sensitive towards pain and hedonic tone is reduced. In this state, we are less able to feel pleasure. For example, the Camilleri et al (2021) study on chronic online porn consumption shows how this behaviour precipitates reduced hedonic tone due to isolation, neglecting daily duties, self-disgust, and harming relationships. Concerning alcohol, the previous blog post shows how regular alcohol consumption depresses hedonic tone through a series of feedback loops. So no, we cannot consider alcohol consumption to have any hormetic benefit.
Figure 3 shows the scales shift toward increased hedonic tone and ability to experience pleasure as a result of discipline or discomfort-seeking behaviour. Discipline and discomfort should not equal pain or harm. Radak et al (2005) demonstrated that regular resistance exercise stimulates reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. In elevated levels, ROS cause irreversible damage to DNA. However, the acute spike in ROS post-exercise induces antioxidants, DNA repair and protein degrading enzymes which combine to reduce overall oxidative stress, and slow down the biological ageing process in humans. This is in addition to retarding the loss of bone and muscle mass. Surely no citation is needed to correlate improved health and longevity with increased hedonic tone? Resistance exercise is just one example. Active outdoor pursuits, cold-water therapy, a structured nutrition plan, abstinence from processed sugar, alcohol, and other modern junk-habits are all things we know are good for us but can take a bit of discipline to engage in. In all cases, the discomfort is short term and the benefits are long term. This is in direct contrast to pleasure-seeking junk behaviours which have a transient reward followed by long term pain.
Cost benefit analysis
If you want to prove the Hormesis balance effect on any modern junk behaviour, try the exercise below. I encourage you to in-real-life draw up your own table and fill it in. Writing things out is a very powerful way for our conscious mind to condition our sub-conscious mind.
Alcohol Consumption | |
Benefits | Costs |
Relaxing (ST) Buzz (ST) Goes well with dinner (ST) Makes music sound good (ST) Confidence (ST) Sociability (ST) | Hangover (ST)Arguments (ST) Smelly breath (ST and LT) Financial (ST and LT) Health decline (LT) Physical fitness (LT) Anxiety (ST and LT) Diet (LT) Brain volume (LT) Sleep impact (LT) Loss of self-esteem (LT) Work impact (LT) Damage to relationships (LT) |
Alcohol Free | |
Benefits | Costs |
More energy (ST and LT) Improved relationships (ST and LT) More money (LT) Improved diet (LT) Improved sleep (LT) Improved general health (LT) Brain volume (LT) Memory and cognitive abilities (LT) Performance at work (LT) Self-respect and self-image (LT) Personal hygiene (ST and LT) | Boredom (ST)FOMO (ST) Social awkwardness (ST) Have to relieve anxiety with alternative engagement (ST) |
Table 1. Cost benefit analysis of drinking vs abstinence.
Table 1 is an example of analysis of alcohol consumption vs alcohol freedom. Each item is labelled short term (ST) or long term (LT). You can see that generally, the pleasure seeking behaviour of alcohol consumption delivers a short term rewards with long term costs, and that alcohol freedom at worst has a few short term costs with numerous long term and a few short term benefits.
In the next blog posts I will cover some simple strategies for breaking the cycle of psychological addiction. As always, if you want to talk privately with me at no cost or obligation, please get in touch. Details are on the contact page.
References:
Calabrese, E. J. (2008) ‘Neuroscience and Hormesis: Overview and General Findings’, Critical reviews in toxicology, 38, pp. 249-252. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/10408440801981957
Camilleri, C., Perry, J. T. and Sammut, S (2021) ‘Compulsive Internet Pornography Use and Mental Health: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Sample of University Students in the United States’, Frontiers in Psychology, 11(613244). Available at: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.613244
Radak, Z., Chung, H. Y. and Goto, S (2005) ‘Exercise and hormesis: oxidative stress-related adaptation for successful aging’, Biogerontology, 6, pp. 71-75. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10522-004-7386-7
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