A Neuroscientist Debunks 5 Lies About Happiness That Can Lead to Depression

What's the secret to getting happier? Do you think that all it takes to put a brighter smile on your face is a bigger salary, an indulgent dessert, or a shoe-shopping spree? That's what our society wants you to believe. But it's not true.

Neuroscience research reveals that much of what you have been trained to believe will make you happy can actually harm your brain, mess with your mind, and make you more vulnerable to depression. As a neuroscientist psychiatrist, here are five of the most common lies of happiness that I've found ultimately drive depression.  

Neuroscience research shows that due to something called "hedonic adaptation1," the more pleasure you get, the more you need to sustain feelings of happiness. Basically, your brain habituates to high-pleasure experiences, meaning you need even more pleasure to feel the same effect, similar to the way people need more cocaine to get the same high. This wears out the pleasure centers in the brain, which can lead to depression. I have witnessed this in several professional athletes, actors, and musical artists.

There is some truth to this; however, in the U.S. the relationship between money and happiness dissipates once a person earns over about $75,000. For a 2018 study, wealthy people were asked what they needed to be a perfect 10 in happiness. Their response? Most said two to 10 times more than what they had. A desire for more money zaps happiness because whatever you have is never enough. 

People who smoke pot often say they love how it gives them a case of the giggles and feelings of euphoria. But I've found those effects are coupled with a downside. Our brain-imaging work at Amen Clinics shows that marijuana causes premature aging of the brain and decreases cerebral blood flow, which is a sign of an unhealthy and unhappy brain. Using marijuana as an adolescent or teen heightens the risk of unhappiness as a 2019 review points to an increased risk of depression and suicide3 in young adulthood.

Eating sweets can provide a momentary feeling of bliss, but it steals happiness in the long run. What makes sugar such an unhappy food? In addition to being pro-inflammatory and addictive, it is associated with depression, as well as dementia, diabetes, and obesity. Where's the happiness in those? As with alcohol, it's possible to enjoy dessert in moderation. Just be sure to tune into your hunger cues and be mindful of using food as a way to regulate your emotions.

In my book, You, Happier: The 7 Neuroscience Secrets of Feeling Good Based on Your Brain Type, I reveal an additional six lies of happiness that may be keeping you down and how to stop believing the lies and find your way to your own unique happiness.