Dopamine is a neurotransmitter (a brain-acting substance) released in pleasurable situations, such as tasting delicious food, having sex, and winning a challenge. This substance generates nerve impulses that promote a sense of reward, so we associate these situations with pleasure.
However, like everything else in life, excess dopamine is harmful. When our bodies release more dopamine than normal or when our receptors are more responsive than average, the exacerbated effect of this neurotransmitter can make us more likely to develop disorders such as addiction, schizophrenia, and Parkinson's disease. Here are seven signs that may indicate exaggerated dopamine action:
1. You tend to have compulsive behaviors.
Exacerbated levels of dopamine are related to compulsive behaviors that generate a sense of pleasure, and this may range from alcohol abuse to excessive cell phone use and trichotillomania (the recurring and irresistible urge to pluck body hair).
This is because this neurotransmitter acts on the limbic system, the brain region responsible for the feeling of reward and learning through positive reinforcement. So when does the person give in? compulsive behavior, does she experience a period of well-being? even if it's harmful to your health.
2. You're outgoing too much
Being outgoing is neither a good nor a bad trait, just the way you are. However, if you find that you often reveal personal details to strangers and then regret or make personal ones uncomfortable asking a very intimate question, this may indicate an excess of dopamine.
Read also: 10 tips to improve your interpersonal relationship today
Social interaction is a stimulus for the release of this transmitter and generates a sense of reward. So extroversion is partly a consequence of this pleasurable effect we feel when interacting with others.
3. Do you have symptoms of mania
Mania is a mood disorder characterized by euphoria, so the individual has agitation, less need for sleep, increased self-esteem and self-confidence, increased libido, compulsive speech and irritability, among other behaviors. In hypomania, these symptoms also appear, but they are discrete and do not disturb the person's life (he just seems more communicative and willing than usual).
These two conditions are related to an increased level of dopamine in the brain and often appear in alternation with periods of depression, such as bipolar disorder.
4. You're always suspicious of something.
Does dopamine make us more alert and in excess can lead us to paranoia? something that happens to people with schizophrenia who may hallucinate and think they are being persecuted.
5. You get so excited about challenges and achievements
Everyone likes the feeling of winning a contest or achieving a goal, but people with excess dopamine get even more euphoric in these situations.
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Challenge and victory are factors that stimulate a sense of reward mediated by this neurotransmitter, so that in individuals who are already predisposed, this may increase the risk of developing a gambling and gambling addiction, for example.
6. Your gut is always stuck
Constipation can be caused by many factors and the main one is lack of fiber in the diet, but it can also be a result of increased dopamine levels. Therefore, if you are suffering from constipation and have other symptoms on this list, be sure to report them to your doctor.
7. You discount food problems
Almost everyone has sought solace in a brigadier when things have not gone well, but this is even more common in people who have too much dopamine. Again, the explanation for this is that the food? almost always fatty or sugary foods? also arouses the sense of reward.
Having any of the above does not necessarily mean that you have higher than normal dopamine levels, as they may all be due to other factors.
However, if you are experiencing problems due to these behaviors or recognize them in a loved one, be sure to seek professional help from your trusted doctor or psychiatrist.
Read also: 9 habits that seem harmless but can make your anxiety worse
LOW DOPAMINE: Top 5 Signs and Symptoms (April 2024)
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