In today’s society, the brain and dopamine are used for everything from riding a bike to playing poker. You might even take part in brain and dopamine therapy to help you get high. But why do you feel good when you take that zest pill? Is it because of the simple pleasure of doing something good? Or is there more going on here? Let’s find out.
The brain releases neurotransmitters, chemicals that relay messages from one cell to another. When the neurotransmitter Dopamine is released, it sends a signal to all parts of the brain and nervous system to perform and work properly. There are two types of neurotransmitters, namely amino acids and of amino acids.
The neurons, or nerve cells, use the amino acid L-Cysteine for transmitting signals between cells. The non-amino acid L-Arginine carries out this function. In cases where neither the L-Cysteine nor the L-Arginine is present, the neurotransmitter is enabled to work “on auto pilot” by using some other neurotransmitter to ensure that the neurons fire correctly. The result is a well-functioning brain and dopamine is the neurotransmitter that does the driving.
What happens when you take a medication that doesn’t affect your brain? Actually, it gets even worse. Taking anti-depressants will reduce the levels of dopamine in your brain, and they have serotonergic properties as well. Serotonin is another neurotransmitter and in fact is the most commonly found neurotransmitter. By increasing the serotonin level, it makes you feel good because it corrects your mood. The same effect is achieved when taking Adderall.
So what happens if you take a brain and dopamine supplement? Your dopamine level will be increased because the supplement will send the message that your brain needs more dopamine to feel good. The problem is that your body can’t handle this increase of neurotransmitter at once. It stops making new dopamine and instead produces what is called norepinephrine. This type of neurotransmitter helps you feel good, but it does not make you feel good.
Basically, your body just can’t keep up with the extra neurotransmitter and stops producing it. When this happens, you start to feel bad. In fact, if you take a non-narcotic drug, you’ll find that you can still feel good (and feel normal). This is because a non-narcotic drug is able to correct the balance between the two neurotransmitters by changing them back to their normal state.
