A dopamine detox is a cognitive behavioral therapy approach that encourages self-regulation of unhelpful habits.

It’s not the practice of denying yourself pleasure as a means of increasing dopamine sensitivity or lowering the amount of naturally occurring dopamine >in your brain.

Following a dopamine detox under its original framework may help encourage beneficial behaviors while helping you break the cycle of impulses related to undesirable habits.

Source

“Dopamine detox” is a misleading name, I’ll give you that. But it’s not a “grift.” If you ignore the name, it’s basically just a CBT approach to addictive behaviors. The principle of harm reduction and rewarding your brain with positive reinforcement works.