It's just that even with self-awareness, you're not going to dive into existential torment and intimate communication at every opportunity when "it takes the ed

It's just that even with self-awareness, you're not going to dive into existential torment and intimate communication at every opportunity when "it takes the edge off" is a functional equivalent, even if you wade further into a swamp of denial with every utterance of it. The dopamine rush is just the latest iteration of taking the edge off, getting comfort in something that gives you some feelings short-term but is hugely unhealthy in the long-term. Beyond that, an excuse is an excuse. "I doomscroll on FB all day because I'm insecure and I was abused as a child" (to use a personal example) can become just as much of an excuse as "I get a dopamine hit from connecting with my friends on FB." Sounds awkward when you first hear that, but then you keep hearing it, and it becomes normal.