Dopamine is a brain chemical that helps control our emotions, reward system, and movement. It also plays an important role in learning, memory, and motivation. Dopamine is released in small amounts to support normal life functions such as thinking, sleeping, eating, and sex.
However, when levels of dopamine become imbalanced or surplus then it can cause a variety of symptoms such as anxiety, depression, addiction, obsessive-compulsive behaviour patterns or even schizophrenia.
What are dopamines?
Dopamine is a neurochemical that plays an important role in the brain. It’s an essential neurotransmitter, which is used to communicate between neurons. This chemical is responsible for transmitting signals that regulate reward and motivation. Deficiencies in dopamine can lead to a variety of health problems including addiction and mental health disorders.
Dopamine is released in small amounts to support normal life functions such as thinking, sleeping, eating, and sex. However, when levels of dopamine become imbalanced or surplus then it can cause a variety of symptoms such as anxiety, depression, addiction, obsessive-compulsive behaviour patterns or even schizophrenia.
How do we produce dopamine?
Dopamine is made when food is broken down in our stomach by the digestive system into amino acids called byline. The byline makes its way to the intestines where microbes break it down further into simple sugars and amino acids. One of these amino acids is called L- Tyrosine.
When eaten by a human, L-Tyrosine is broken down into dopamine by our body and brain cells. This dopamine is important for supporting our health and well-being. However, if there is not enough dopamine in our body or too much dopamine, then we can experience various health problems. In fact, dopamine is also responsible for the rewarding and motivational aspects of addiction.
Dopamine and emotions
Dopamine is involved in regulating our emotions, reward system, and movement. It also plays an important role in learning, memory, and motivation. An imbalance in dopamine levels can lead to a number of health problems including addiction and mental health disorders.
An excess of dopamine in the brain can cause feelings of elation and “highs” that are largely responsible for the common expression “addicted to emotions”.
Certain everyday activities can increase dopamine levels, such as eating chocolate, watching a favourite movie, or having sex. A lack of dopamine in the brain can lead to symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive behaviour patterns.
Dopamine and motivation
Dopamine is responsible for maintaining motivation and can also be responsible for the drive to consume certain substances such as drugs and even food. When the body experiences a higher level of dopamine, the brain interfaces with the nervous system, which can cause an “urge” to engage in certain behaviours.
For example, dopamines can stimulate the brain to feel an intense desire to engage in addictive behaviours, such as consuming drugs, eating too much food, or gambling excessively.
How do dopamines cause addiction?
Dopamine is involved in the reward system, which is the part of the brain responsible for motivation and reward. When the brain receives dopamine, it causes a feeling of pleasure and joy. The reward system also plays a role in addictive behaviours because it can be stimulated by dopamine.
When we consume certain drugs of abuse, like cocaine, alcohol, and nicotine, our dopamine levels increase. This causes the brain to transmit signals for a “high,” which makes us feel happy and content. The problem is that when dopamine is increased in excess or the levels of dopamine are imbalanced, it can lead to addiction.
The brain becomes dependent on the chemical dopamine because it no longer receives signals from the brain that make us happy when we engage in the substance. Withdrawing from the substance causes a “negative feeling” in the brain, which can lead to cravings and even relapse.
Dopamines and mental health disorders
Dopamine is also responsible for the development of certain mental health disorders such as anxiety, obsessive-compulsive behaviour patterns, and schizophrenia. When dopamine levels become imbalanced, the brain can receive signals that cause the individual to feel anxious.
They may also experience obsessive-compulsive behaviour patterns and hallucinations, which are the perceptions of things that are not actually happening. Schizophrenia is also caused by an imbalance of dopamine levels and is characterized by a lack of motivation and delusions, such as hearing voices other than your own.
An excess of dopamine can also create a false sense of well-being, which can be dangerous for people who are experiencing an imbalance in their levels of dopamine. If someone consumes too much food or drinks too much alcohol, they can experience an excess dopamine rush that makes them feel “high.” However, this feeling of “high” is not real and can be dangerous for people who consume these substances.
Conclusion
Dopamine is a brain chemical that helps control our emotions, reward system, and movement. It also plays an important role in learning, memory, and motivation. An imbalance in dopamine levels can lead to a variety of health problems including addiction and mental health disorders.
Excess dopamine can be created by foods such as chocolate, foods that are high in sugar, drugs of abuse, and even some medications.
An imbalance in dopamine levels can be dangerous, even deadly. It can cause feelings of elation and “highs” that are largely responsible for the common expression “addicted to emotions”.
It can also cause a false sense of well-being, which can be dangerous for people who are experiencing an imbalance in their levels of dopamine.
