Dopamine and serotonin: what are they?

Have you ever wondered how we feel emotions, desires, sleep or even appetite? 🤔 How does our body identify happiness or sadness? How does he know it's time to rest or eat?

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Today we are going to talk about neurotransmitters! They are chemicals, produced by neurons, that are responsible for sending messages to other neurons, generating electrical impulses that allow the cerebelluminterpret different emotions and/or needs. 🧠

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What is the function of dopamine and serotonin?

In the nucleus of neurotransmitters that we possess, dopamine and serotonin are easily mentioned due to the positive role they play in the body and mind of the human being.

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Let's look at the reasons! 👇

Dopamine Function

Dopamine regulates body movements, mood states, the ability to make quick decisions and learning through processes of reward.

Dopamine levels increase when we practice activities that give us pleasure, motivation or that satisfy a need. Such as:

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🔸 Savor a favorite meal or a chocolate.

🔸 Achieve a goal.

🔸 Listen to musicfavorite of the moment.

🔸 Buy something already longed for.

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In addition, foods rich in tyrosinepromote increased production of dopamine. This amino acid is easily found in eggs, dairy, soy, among others.

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Serotonin Function

Serotonin is associated with well-being. It has the ability to regulate our appetite, mood, body temperature, sleep and everything related to energy balance.

Serotonin levels increase when we perform activities that promote states of calm, balance and well-being. Such as:

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🔹 Sunbathing (in addition to the feeling of well-being, increases energy levels).

🔹 Practice physical exercise or yoga/meditation.

🔹 Guarantee a I amof quality.

🔹 Perform rewarding activities such as reading a book, listening to calm music or small hobbies that promote relaxation.

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A diet rich in tryptophanpromotes the production of serotonin in the body. Tryptophan is also an amino acid and is present in dark chocolate, banana, milk, almonds, grains, among others.

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How do dopamine and serotonin influence mental health and overall well-being?

Dopamine and serotonin are like pillars that directly influence our emotional state, our body, our motivation and much more! Basically, we need these neurotransmitters every day.

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While serotonin guarantees the balance and security necessary to face the different moments of everyday life, dopamine gives us that extra strength and motivation to achieve everything we aspire to!

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Thus, when both are in balance and actively cooperate with each other, we achieve greater states of happiness, fulfillment and live life with more purpose!

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But is it always like that? 🤔

What really happens when there are imbalances?

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📖🔍 Studies point out that imbalances in the signaling pathways of dopamine may contribute to the development of conditions such as: Parkinson's, Huntington's Disease, Schizophrenia, Hyperactivity Disorder and Attention Deficit (PHD) and chemical dependencies.

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📖🔍 Relating to Serotonin, imbalances can lead to cases of anxiety, depression and insomnia when low values are found. On the other hand, high levels of serotonin can give rise to changes in mental state, delirium, muscle stiffness and myoclonia (involuntary muscle spasms or contractions) - or Serotonergic Syndrome when all of the above conditions are met.

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What is the hormone of happiness? How can we control?

In fact, there is no such thing as a “happiness hormone”. There is a set of neurotransmitters that contribute to the feeling of happiness.

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As we saw throughout the article, dopamine and serotonin are associated, respectively, with pleasure and well-being. However, there are other neurotransmitters to which we cannot fail to mention:

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👉 A endorphinsis essential because it acts directly on pain. Basically, it is like a natural analgesic that reduces the perception of pain and relieves feelings of stress.

It is she who helps us when we are hurt or when we are faced with moments of high nervousness. 💉

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In addition, it has an important role in the world of sport in which:

• It relieves small pains and, therefore, allows athletes to continue with the exercise of their activities.
• It generates a pleasant feeling after the practice of physical exercise, which motivates people to exercise regularly.

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👉 A Cytocinis associated with love. It is released in our body when, for example, we hug someone! It directly influences the connections we create, feelings of faith, empathy, loyalty, honesty, courage... and is associated with healthy relationships. ❤️

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Thus, endorphin, serotonin, dopamine and ocytocin are fundamental to maintain balance and feel positive emotions, and their promotion involves the practice of healthy habits and that make us feel good!

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Dopamine and Serotonin vs. PHDA and Anxiety: what is their relationship?

Throughout this article we realized that dopamine and serotonin play a fundamental role in our body.

In this way, changes in operation:

Yes dopamine→ may be associated with neurobiological disorders such as PHD.

Yes Serotonin→ may be associated with Depressione Anxiety.

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⚠️ However, it is important to understand that mental health is complex and we cannot reduce it to just neurotransmitters. In other words, despite their importance, they are not the only cause for the development of these conditions!

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When we talk about treatment, it is common for PHDA and Anxiety to be controlled through “chemical” approaches (drugs).

However, it should be noted that the medicationit is not always a viable alternativeas it may cause side effects or prove to be an inappropriate option in some cases.

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At NeuroImprove, we support children with PHDA and Anxiety through painless, non-invasive and side-effect-free interventions — such as Clinical Psychologye do Neurofeedback. 🧠

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In this aspect, Neurofeedback is important because it can influenceindirectly neurotransmitters. Through a reward system, Neurofeedback alters the action potential patterns of neurons, that is, the electrical signals that trigger the release of neurotransmitters.

Thus, this process of training and learning of the brain allows it to strengthen synapses through the alteration of dopamine and serotonin levels, reinforcing healthier circuits.

In this way, over time, the symptoms normally associated with both disorders decrease, allowing a life with greater balance, pleasure and well-being to be achieved. ☺️

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Final Considerations

Throughout this reading it is possible to understand that:

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➡️ Dopamine and serotonin are neurotransmitters and not hormones.

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➡️ Dopamine is associated with pleasure and serotonin is associated with well-being.

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➡️ These neurotransmitters have a great impact on our physical and mental health.

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➡️ Imbalances in the functioning of neurotransmitters can lead to serious disorders such as PHDA, Anxiety, Insomnia, etc. - which can occur separately or together in children and adolescents.

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➡️ Most drugs act directly on the neurotransmission of these substances, which means that their interruption can result in the return of symptoms.

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➡️ As they are multifactorial conditions, it is recommended that the treatment/intervention is also multifactorial, as is the case with Psychology and Neurofeedback, which provide lasting results.

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And most importantly: consult a health professionalwhenever you feel that something is out of order. These are able to assess and intervene so that you can regain your well-being! 💙

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References

Dsouza, J., M., Chakraborty, A., Veigas, J. (2020). Biological Connection to the Feeling of Happiness. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research. https://jcdr.net/article_fulltext.asp?issn=0973-709x&year=2020&month=October&volume=14&issue=10&page=VE01&id=14092

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Ernst, M., Zametkin, A. J., Matochik, J. A., Pascualvaca, D., Jones, P. H., & Cohen, R. MR. (1999). High midbrain [18F] DOPA accumulation in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The American journal of psychiatry, 156 (8), 1209—1215. https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.156.8.1209

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Junior, D., T., S., Green, T. F. C. L., Landim, L., A., S., R. (2021). Foods rich in tryptophan and its effect on serotonin release and possible benefits in anxiety disorder. Research, Society and Development, 10 (14), e471101422190. https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v10i14.22190 

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Káňová, M., & Kohout, P. (2021). Serotonin — Its Synthesis and Roles in the Healthy and the Critically Ill. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22094837.

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Klein, M., Battagello, D., Cardoso, A., Hauser, D., Bittencourt, J., & Correa, R. (2018). Dopamine: Functions, Signaling, and Association with Neurological Diseases. Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, 39, 31 — 59. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10571-018-0632-3.

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Speranza, L., Di Porzio, U., Viggiano, D., De Donato, A., & Volpicelli, F. (2021). Dopamine: The Neuromodulator of Long-Term Synaptic Plasticity, Reward and Movement Control. Cells, 10. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells10040735.

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