not simply the pleasure neurotransmitter. this clicked so hard for me when i realized that my favorite part of smoking weed every single nite was setting up my desk and tray, grinding the weed, rolling the joint, packing the joint, and lighting the joint––not the high itself. realizing that helped me to build alternative habits that had a similar rhythm to them.
this is why those tiktok videos go on forever before getting to the actual point. they're sucking the dopamine from you second by second because you are anticipating the point.
also important: your dopamine cravings get reset overnight meaning the morning is a great time to build good habits and the night time is when you have to either fight the hardest against bad habits OR just give into it because a lotta nites you probly deserve it :D