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Dopamine the good the bad and the ugly

Do you feel lost sometimes, unmotivated not being able to move or get out of bed.

Do you participate in the death scroll on social media.

You know the one where you just scroll through your feed and see nothing but negativity.

If any of this sounds familiar then you need to keep reading.

We all have been there, feeling down, out of sorts, and just plain stuck. It happens to the best of us, life gets tough and we can't always see the light at the end of the tunnel.

But that doesn't mean we have to stay there.

There are ways to get out of that funk and start living a life we love.

It starts with taking small steps, changing our perspective, and being grateful for what we have.

If you're ready to make a change, keep reading.

What happens when we are consuming a ton of content on our phones is that we start to compare our lives to what we see on social media.

We only see the highlight reel of people's lives and that can make us feel like we are not good enough.

We need to remember that everyone has their own struggles and we are only seeing one side of the story.

This consistent interaction of funny videos and seeing others really stressed our brains to release dopamine.

Dopamine is interesting it plays a vital role in our lives.

Often times Dopamine is thought of as a "feel good" neurotransmitter, and while it can create feelings of happiness, that's not all it does. It also helps regulate motor control and plays a role in motivation and reward-seeking behavior.

Dopamine is created in the brain when we experience something pleasurable. Eating delicious food, winning a game.

Now we all know to much of a good thing can be bad for you, and the same goes for dopamine. When there's too much dopamine floating around in our brains, it can lead to problems.

Dopamine is also thought to play a role in addiction. When we do something that feels good, our brain releases dopamine as a reward. But over time, the brain gets used to the dopamine and needs more and more of it to get the same feeling. This can lead to addiction.

So, while dopamine is important for our overall well-being, too much of it can be a bad thing. This overabundance in dopamine can cause and lead to depression

Depression is a serious mental health condition that can affect anyone, regardless of age, race, or gender. Depression can cause negative thoughts and feelings that make it difficult to enjoy life or engage in activities you once loved. If left untreated, depression can lead to other mental health conditions and even suicide. Group therapy is a form of treatment that has been used as a treatment for depression.

Sometimes we find that people who suffer from depression may have a chemical imbalance in their brains. This means that they may not have enough of certain chemicals, like dopamine, to function properly.

Researchers have found that people with depression often have lower levels of dopamine.

Now our bodies and brains act as a balance beam, we have to have just the right amount of neurotransmitters to stay healthy, happy, and function normally.

So what does this all mean? It means that dopamine is important, but too much or too little can be detrimental to our health. It's all about finding the right balance.

If we can understand how dopamine affects our mental and physical health, we can better manage our own well-being.

So what does that mean for us?

It means that we should be mindful of our dopamine levels and try to maintain a healthy balance. We can do this by eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep. We can also try to avoid things that may cause dopamine levels to become imbalanced, such as drug use, excessive stress, and trauma.

One last thing to keep in mind is that dopamine is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to our mental health. There are many other factors that contribute to our overall well-being. So, if you think you may be suffering from depression, it's important to talk to a mental health professional about all of your symptoms.

If you have any questions about how dopamine affects your mental health, please reach out to us and we can give you more info.

FamilyTime Centers | Ronald Kaufman, PsyD
✆ Phone (general inquiries): 818-821-6012
Address: 12501 Chandler Boulevard, 102, Los Angeles, CA 91607