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Too much pleasure can lead to addiction. How to break the cycle and find balance

Cartoon of a world with pleasurable things everywhere

Meredith Miotke for NPR

When we're repeatedly exposed to pleasure-producing stimuli — social media, sugar, alcohol or any number of readily-available substances — our bodies adjust. Then we need more on repeated use, just to feel a the marginal pleasure boost – and, eventually, just to feel "normal."