Happiness vs Pleasure

Is there a difference between happiness and pleasure? It turns out there is and it’s a big difference. According to endocrinologist Dr. Robert Lustig, pleasure is “This feel good. I want more.” and happiness is, “This feels good. I am contented. I am complete.” (Maté. The Myth of Normal. 2022. pg. 298). According to Maté, pleasure runs on dopamine and opiates which operate in short bursts while contentment is based on the steady, slow release of serotonin.

Why is this distinction important enough for me to mention it here? Because when pleasure-seeking becomes a need, it becomes an addiction.

Yesterday I spoke about retail therapy. I think that blog hit a nerve. Usually lots of people comment on my Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and web-site blogs but yesterday there was only silence. This leads me to suspect that a lot of my readers practice retail therapy and are embarrassed to admit it. It is a source of short-term pleasure for them. Are any of my readers now worried that they may be addicted to retail therapy?

This blog is meant to educate, to share my hard-won knowledge about things in our lives that cause us grief, depression and anxiety and how to cope with them in healthy ways.

 Any addiction, whether it be drugs, alcohol, smoking, eating or shopping is our way of trying to cope with our pain. Short bursts of pleasure help us get through our misery…for a short while, like minutes or hours. To be truly free of pain and suffering, we need to find happiness. Contentment and happiness are lifelong habits and that’s what we need more than we need another shopping trip, drink, cigarette or hit.