The pleasure/pain balance hinges on the amount of dopamine that is readily available for release in the system. Pursuing drugs or an activity that leads to huge increases in dopamine can deplete the readily releasable pool, resulting in addiction.
Addiction is defined as a progressive narrowing of the things that bring pleasure, leading to a reduction in dopamine release. Treating addiction involves expanding the things that bring a person belief and appreciation.
An anecdote on dopamine release by a coach discussing how an underdog mentality is beneficial in keeping you focused on achieving your end goal, as opposed to getting too much dopamine release from achieving intermediate goals and never making it to the end.
Dopamine acts as a conductor between the different brain networks, allowing them to stay out of phase or anti-correlated. In ADHD, the dopamine system is not conducting the networks properly, which raises questions of whether dopamine levels are not high enough or whether it is conducting them incorrectly.
Dopamine is responsible for motivation and drive, not just reward. The release of dopamine can be achieved through positive thoughts, certain drugs, and supplements, but when stimulated excessively by drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine, it can lead to addiction and a decrease in baseline happiness.
Learn about the biology and psychology of dopamine, how to leverage it for sustained energy and motivation, understanding dopamine-induced addiction, and dispelling common myths about dopamine.