Dopamine Regulation: When Too Much or Too Little Can Impact Your Health

Dopamine is a hormone and neurotransmitter that is produced in the brain and plays a large role in pleasure and our brain’s natural reward system. Go for a jog outside on a sunny day, open the dopamine gates! Sit at your computer in a room without natural light for too long, not a lot of dopamine. While dopamine plays a big role in our mood, too much OR too little dopamine can cause significant problems.

Let’s talk about addiction. When an addict seeks out their substance or activity of choice, they are actually seeking dopamine. When they use the substance or engage in the activity, dopamine surges in the brain. This makes them feel good, happy, and sometimes even high. The amount of dopamine released in the brain after the addict “uses” is typically much higher than the amount of dopamine we get from everyday activities such as going for a walk on a sunny day. After use, the dopamine levels drop significantly, which prompts the addict to seek out the next surge. This perpetuates a cycle where the addict continues to seek out high bursts of dopamine to feel good. Therefore, when an addict quits using, their dopamine levels dramatically drop and their brain has to re-regulate and adjust to normal levels which can feel quite low compared to the previous highs. Click HERE for a video from neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman for more information on dopamine and addiction.

An example of dopamine levels being too low, on the other hand, is depression. The lower dopamine levels in an individual who suffers from depression can contribute to common symptoms of depression including fatigue, poor motivation, lack of pleasure, and sadness. This creates a Catch-22 situation where the solution involves engaging in activities and behaviors that release more dopamine, such as exercise or meeting up with friends, but the individual does not have enough dopamine at baseline to motivate themselves to pursue such activities.

The key to dopamine regulation is to keep dopamine levels at a good baseline, not too high and not too low. Doing this regularly can help to prevent health problems that involve dopamine dysregulation. My advice? Develop realistic habits to promote normal dopamine regulation in the brain such as walking regularly, sitting out in the sun (with proper sun protection), reading a good book, and spending time with friends and family members who fill your dopamine cup ;)