Dopamine

Intro

Hello Pixels, this is SnAbstract. Dopamine is very important in our lives, and in this video, you will learn how it works and what you can do to optimize your mind to the fullest. Moreover, the concepts in this video are somewhat the scientific basis for future videos that I will upload, and I thought it would be cool to leave a mini-summary of the topic.

What is it

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, that is, a chemical messenger, produced mainly in our brain.

What does it do

This small molecule plays very important roles in our daily performance. It acts when we feel pleasure, is responsible for us seeking rewards, regulates attention, and provides the necessary motivation to work towards long-term goals. All these factors influence our reward system, the behaviors we learn, memory, and especially our habits. Dopamine levels indicate to the rest of the brain how good the current situation is in relation to the possibility of obtaining a reward. This explains the enthusiasm you feel when starting a new project and the happiness you experience when you complete it.

How it works

Now we will see in detail how this system works. First, we need two things: dopamine and dopamine receptors. No matter how high dopamine levels are, without receptors, the body cannot capture its signal. When an activity that produces a certain reward is performed, the brain releases more dopamine than usual, and in this way, it learns which behaviors to repeat because they are beneficial. This relates to the experiments conducted by Skinner with pigeons and Neal E. Miller with rats. In both cases, these animals learned behaviors by being rewarded (with food) when they performed a certain activity, such as pressing a lever or pecking the wall.

At the same time, dopamine levels rise when stimuli that require our attention appear. This way, it makes us notice striking things that are important for survival, such as alerts about sex, food, or danger. On the other hand, dopamine is also closely related to the prefrontal cortex. This area is dedicated to coordinating our thoughts and actions according to internal goals. Basically, it is the captain of the ship. It determines what things are right or wrong, what activities to perform, and predicts the results of our actions as well as the social consequences they may have. In this area, we find what we call working memory or operational memory. Like in a computer, the more RAM, the faster operations are performed.

If we had to translate the messages of this neurotransmitter into words, it would tell us things like “Great job! Keep it up,” “Hey, pay attention to this. No, seriously, pay attention to this” “Wow, this feels really good.” When you’re hungry, dopamine acts like a little monkey in your head screaming “I’m so hungry,” and after you eat, you hear it say “Oh yes.” This desire-action-reward cycle is responsible for us learning certain behaviors and forming habits. I will make an exclusive video on this topic later.

Things that increase its level

Drugs like cocaine make dopamine levels skyrocket in a very short time. At first, this seems a bit counterintuitive. The first thing we understand is that people who consume these drugs must be in a constant state of happiness and pleasure. The body is no fool and knows that this state is not natural, so it tries to regulate it to return to its normal state (homeostasis). To achieve this, it reduces the number of available dopamine receptors (specifically D2 dopamine receptors). This can last several months even after stopping substance use. With fewer receptors, an addict needs increasingly larger doses to experience the same sensation.

Some studies have shown similar results for overweight individuals. In obese people, a decrease in dopamine receptors was detected in relation to their body mass index (ratio between weight and height. Weight (kg) / Height (m)). Similar to the case of drugs, as dopamine regulates motivation and reward circuits, an obese person must overeat to compensate for the low activation of these circuits. We can imagine that a dangerous mix is generated if we add to this that processed foods and junk food have high contents of sugar, glucose syrup, and other substances that drive your brain crazy.

Social networks and modern world stimuli

Believe it or not, social networks and video games also affect how our brain interacts with dopamine. Note, I’m not saying that these forms of entertainment are bad and that you should avoid them, but you do need to pay attention to how you use them. Our brain is programmed to detect patterns and learn from them. Every time we perform an activity and get a positive result, we store that information to use it in the future. The problem arises with the unconscious use of social networks and some smartphone games. One thing is to enter Instagram because we consciously want to see photos of the people we follow, and another thing is to be in the supermarket line and start scrolling with your finger without paying attention to the images you are seeing.

Games like Candy Crush or the suggestion algorithms of Facebook and Instagram exploit our search and reward system, making us spend hours and hours without really paying attention to what we are doing and then feeling a sense of wasted time or emptiness. In some cases, they can create some dependency and feelings of discomfort. It is a very complex and interesting topic, so I will make an exclusive video on this topic later.

Closing and general recommendations

I’m not interested in you leaving this video knowing absolutely everything that was said about the topic, but I do want you to remember the basics. You need to know that most activities generate greater or lesser excitement, and the best thing is to have a balanced life. If you are constantly receiving stimuli, it is more difficult to get the motivation to start that project you have been postponing, to start going to the gym, or to change the way you eat. You will have more motivation and energy if you fill your life with healthy stimuli, such as setting goals and achieving them, chatting with friends, doing sports, or meditating.

At the same time, I want you to know that an obese person or someone addicted to a particular drug leads that lifestyle because it is difficult for them to get out of it, and the best thing you can give them is your support and good vibes. That person knows all the negative consequences that substance abuse can bring but cannot resist the instant gratification it generates. If you are interested in learning more about this particular topic, you can watch this super detailed video with better animations than mine.

Sources

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