Anyone who has ever faced addiction knows the euphoria of getting their fix. Such examples are alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine. Once addicted, consumption of these drugs can create a very positive effect. The nature of this endorphin rush stems from the alleviation of withdrawal. A person may become ecstatic for the first cup of coffee in the morning but receive diminishing returns on the second and third cup. The first cup creates a sense of reward inside the body; Positivity, a sense of everything is right in the world, confidence - while the later cups are more aligned with the literal effects of the caffeine drug: Nervousness, anxiety, and jitters. Within 24 hours, the withdrawal has begun and the first cup of coffee can then be used to alleviate the withdrawal resulting in the euphoria.
It is worth noting that many refer to nostalgia as a saddening experience. I write this as someone who greatly enjoys the feeling, as fleeting as it may be.
AnticipationIt is vital to acknowledge the sense of giddiness a person can feel when procuring their drug of choice. Anyone with an affinity of alcohol has likely experienced the feeling of excitement that manifests in the moments leading up to consumption of alcohol. I have experienced this excitement many times while in the grocery store picking out my beer, wine, or spirits for the evening. The knowledge that I would soon be indulging heavily into my vices filled me with an undeniable sense of pleasure, even if I did not yet consume the drug. A smoker who has run out of cigarettes may feel this sense of relief as he opens a fresh pack of cigarettes in anticipation of the nicotine fix. This situation resembles the salivating Pavlovian dogs.
In anticipation for their impending meal, it may be fair to guess that the dogs were also filled with a deep sense of pleasure in their anticipation. I know I would be very excited for a good meal and likely put into a good mood as I prepare to alleviate my hunger. We can refer to this a classical conditioning. More specifically, we are examining the rush of endorphins that comes from the anticipation of reward and not the reward itself.
Nostalgic TriggerNostalgia can best be explained in two parts: The Nostalgic Trigger and the Sense of Nostalgia itself. These days, in any big box store, it’s very common to find merchandise sporting various nostalgic images and symbols. A grown man may walk into the clothing department of a major retailer and see a set of neatly-merchandised shirts sporting characters from antiquated comic books from his youth. Immediately, without any conscious effort to analyze what he sees, his subconscious mind responds with a powerful sense of positive emotion. The nostalgic merchandize acts as a trigger quickly connecting the man’s conscious brain to the ambiguous but positive feelings of a simpler time. Or more specifically; a different frame of mind pressumably linked to a simpler place in time.
Nostalgic TriggerWithout much rational thought, and with the displayed merchandise having created a very powerful emotional response, it would be easy for the man to justify the purchase. “This item makes me feel happy in ways of which I cannot fully explain and I would like to buy it.” Assuming the item is affordable, and budget is not a hindrance. This obscured but noteworthy sensation has lead to the purchase of the nostalgic item. But what exactly is this feeling of nostalgia? I’ve heard people state that nostalgia can be a bad thing and others have often been warned by others not to live in the past.
However, I’ve always found nostalgia to be a very powerful and inspiring sensation and have spent much time pondering and trying to understand it. Much like the grown adults spending money on merchandise that reminds them of their childhood, I’ve also found the feeling to be powerfully addicting. But as strong of a feeling as it can be, it is also fast to fade away. So, it leads to many questions: How do I create more nostalgia? How do I capture it? And, if possible, how can I distill it into a concentrated form and snort it?
One part of the EquationMuch like the alcoholic feels a very real and delightful rush of endorphins while procuring his fleet of drinks for the evening, much like the smokers feels a great sense of relief while opening a fresh pack after having been out all day, and much like a druggie feels an amazing sense of joy right before getting his fix: The sense of nostalgia is a self-induced euphoria created in the mind after being exposed to the proper trigger. A person is hit with a broad and obscured sense of positivity that they link to a different point in space and time. But what exactly is that 'frame of mind' or 'point in time' that can be vaguely felt but not exactly pin-pointed? This will be discussed in the next sections.
Unfortunately, unlike the alcoholic, smoker, or drug addict, the euphoric buildup of anticipation created by the nostalgic trigger never gets physically rewarded. There is no drug or food to take that will put the feeling of nostalgia to rest. There is simply no choice but to let that sensation of impending reward slowly fade away.
On Work and RewardI find the best way to live life is to surround yourself with wins. We must do our best to stay productive and work towards the good things life has to offer. If you just worked hard to complete a task, take a moment to view the completed task as a victory. Pat yourself on the back and count it as a win. There must always be a good balance of work and reward to keep a person motivated and fulfilled. Without enough reward for one’s work, a person can eventually fall into an existential depression. We refer to this as spinning your wheels. Likewise, on the other extreme end of the spectrum, a person may be born into wealth and have everything handed to them.
The curse of never learning the value of hard and meaningful work can also lead to depression. I've met young people born into extreme wealth explaining "Money is not the key to happiness." I gladly refuted: "If you were born poor and worked hard for your money, you'd be very happy." Without work, there is no reward. And without reward, there is no work to be done.
The Dopamine Flood of ChildhoodIn our childhood, we are often submerged by massive wins. Our parents may bring home a brand-new movie or video game cartridge. The sort of excitement is almost unrivaled by anything else when you’re a kid. You can play that video game for several months and build most of your identity around those heroes and characters. The flood of pleasure is immeasurable. Combine that with the comfort of living at home with loving parents and mom’s delicious home-cooked meals. Childhood can be an absolute dopamine paradise.
To this day, I still encounter grown men who claim they wish they could go back to childhood.
Late Adolescent and Early AdulthoodThere is perhaps no other time in a person’s life when they are surrounded by so much reward for their efforts. There is a huge flood of wins and firsts for the young person finishing high school and entering college. It is generally in this time frame they are:
Finishing High School Entering College Establishing an Identity Entering first Relationships Earning Money for First Time First Experiences with Drugs and Alcohol Meeting new People Working first Jobs Indulging in music, film, and other media Making parents Proud Excited for unimaginable Future Energy Drinks and Coffee Online Video Game
Back to Addiction
With considerations of childhood and late adolescence, where else in life will people experience so much rewarded effort in so little time? As we progress through life, many will take on full-time employment. Generally during this time, the rewards and progression of life will begin to slow down. Wins may be big but they will come at a much slower pace. Dangerously, some people may lose sight of their purpose and the rewards life can bring. They may fall into unfulfilling positions of unenjoyable work and unenjoyable reward.
It is very common to turn to drugs and alcohol to rekindle the need of a quick win. Nicotine addiction is perhaps one of the best examples I can think of that brings the addicted user a sense of reward. A non-smoker will receive no pleasure from a cigarette. But a person addicted to nicotine will receive a spiritually-fulfilling sensation of relief when he hits that first cigarette after a long stint without. This is why you will often see long-term employees outside of a grocery store puffing away on their cigarettes. The job is not very rewarding but the nicotine is a pleasant treat that keeps them motivated.
Nostalgia Creeping InSo where does nostalgia relate to addiction? If you are a nostalgic person like me, certain triggers can take you right back into a powerfully good mood such as memories of playing Sonic the Hedgehog, a nice displays of ice-cold energy drinks at the store which helped power you through your early adult years, or the comic book themed merchandise at the department store. Our mind is instantly linked to a time when we were met with huge floods of dopamine and reward. This is perfectly reasonable for survival: We find something delicious and nurturing like a piece of food and our minds are wired to tell us “This is good. You like this.” Either consciously, subconsciously, or both. This is a survival mechanism deep in our brains and nostalgia manages to tingle that wiring. It is sufficient to say that the sense of nostalgia is the anticipation of a reward. It is classical conditioning. It is the flood of endorphins leading right up to the consumption of reward.
Where is the Reward?As I’ve mentioned, after being hit with a nostalgic trigger, we react as if about to receive a delicious food or addictive substance. Well, ok, then where is the fix? Where is the food? How do we alleviate the ‘anticipation high’? Surely, there must be a way to get our fix instead of allowing that good sensation to fade away. Well, it is important to know this feeling cannot be resolved directly. We often feel like nostalgia may be leading us back to a specific point in time, a place we used to know, or to an exact reward we used to love. This is not the case. The siren lures us with a mesmerizing song but you’ll find none of these places or things exist.
Can we Return?You can try to get your nostalgic fix by endless purchasing those nostalgic toys and stockpiling them on your shelves, but it will never resolve the longing. (The act of purchasing an item is a rewarding feeling by itself) You can return to your childhood home but soon realize you’ve grown up and times have changed. You can wish to go back in time, but you would never have the naiveté of a child without first giving yourself brain damage. However, I do implore all of you dealing with thoughts of nostalgia to go back if possibln so that you may come to this realization yourself. As you stand alone in thought in your childhood bedroom, you’ll soon learn that all these feelings and sensations exist solely within your own mind. They follow only you and your consciousness.
What else can be done?The good news is we can understand nostalgia is simply a callback to a previous frame of mind where something powerfully positive happened and we were being well-rewarded for our efforts. That said, it then becomes a real option to work towards returning to that mindset: Rather than feel like we are spinning our wheels, depressed, or feeling like there is no future and “This is it. This is all there is in life and I have seen everything.” We can begin to embrace that nostalgia is simply a reminder to the time when we were greatly winning. We can begin each day and ask ourselves: "What am I grateful for today?" We can count our blessings and then proceed to go out and continue winning. We work hard to keep getting our rewards and remember to share them. Remember, all those feelings and memories of childhood are portable as they follow you wherever you go - stored within your own mind.
Social AspectThis entire concept has always been built into us socially. When we accomplish something, we want to share it with our friends and family. We seek praise from our parents and elders. Often times, we need to warn each other not to compare ourselves to other people. This is the curse of social media. However, in previous eras, it would be vital to compare yourselves to other members of your large family or village so that you can aspire to emulate them. By comparing yourself to your immediate peers, you'll better work to serve and help them. The nature of our success is to share it with others. I grew up in a time before social media became commonplace.
It is no wonder I aspired to create my own website so that I could share my silly projects with the world. It is no wonder websites like Deviant Art have been hosting endless content for over a decade. It feels good to show the world what we are capable of and to prove ourselves and contribute. From a point of practically advice: Surround yourself with people you love and find a support group. Up until only recent times, to be alone meant death. No man can survive by himself, and he will never experience the riches of life alone as money is a social construct. No man should be content to exist alone in a tiny apartment when all of his ancestors were constantly surrounded by and working for their tribe. Loneliness is literal death of the spirit. Never be alone.
RejuvenationWhen you finally can pull yourself out of the depression of unfulfilling work with lackluster rewards, and stop spinning you wheels, you can begin to embrace the mindset of growth and progress. Remember that this mindset is portable and that it follows you around inside your brain. Maybe surround yourself with nostalgic triggers or take the time to revisit familiar places to trigger this sensation. Use nostalgia to remember your passions and rekindle things you once loved. Find joy and pleasure in your work and indulge yourself in the efforts and rewards you can achieve. Then take the dopamine hit from a job well-done and use it to propel yourself forward like a feedback loop. If most people can tailspin into a hopeless pit of despair, then we can also work to strategically procure wins and then use the dividends of those wins to propel us onward and upward into more wins.
Remember to share those wins with others. Suddenly, it no longer feels like we are living in some sort of distant future, and we’re stuck, and we’ve seen everything there is to see. Instead, we begin to feel just like we did in late adolescence/adulthood: We don’t know what the future will bring but we are excited, and we walk toward it with full force.