What Anna Lembke has said about Addiction and recovery

Lembke says most people experience 10 to 14 days of acute withdrawal and about 80% feel significantly better by weeks three or four.

“But usually by weeks three or weeks four, about 80% of folks will report starting to feel significantly better”

Huberman Lab: Overcome Addictions & Obsessions of All Kinds | Dr. Anna Lembke (Nov 9, 2026) · Listen from 14:11

Lembke recommends a 30-day abstinence experiment because that is roughly how long it takes to begin resetting reward pathways.

“Why 30 days? Because on average, that is the amount of time it takes to begin to reset reward pathways”

Huberman Lab: Overcome Addictions & Obsessions of All Kinds | Dr. Anna Lembke (Nov 9, 2026) · Listen from 18:33

Lembke argues that pathological gamblers are addicted to the game rather than money, which explains loss chasing.

“People think that people who get addicted to gambling are addicted to money. They're not addicted to money”

Huberman Lab: Overcome Addictions & Obsessions of All Kinds | Dr. Anna Lembke (Nov 9, 2026) · Listen from 40:21

Lembke says there has been an explosion of stimulant addiction since COVID via telehealth prescribers operating like pill mills.

“especially since COVID is an explosion of people getting addicted to stimulants that they got online through a telehealth prescriber”

Huberman Lab: Overcome Addictions & Obsessions of All Kinds | Dr. Anna Lembke (Nov 9, 2026) · Listen from 2:07:57