Here’s All You Can Learn About Dopamine And Addiction

Hormones control almost everything in our body; they even influence our moods. Yes, you heard that right! Do you know that our body secretes a hormone when we feel happy, and this affects our mood? Do you think there is a hormone that could make you feel happy or sad?

The answer to all these questions is, yes! The way hormones control almost all the life processes in our body, similarly, these hormones also play an important role in controlling our moods. Our mood varies as per the secretion of these hormones. If the hormone is secreted in a good amount, then, we feel good, happy, or motivated. On the other hand, if the secretion is not so good, we might feel sad, anxious, or depressed.

This Story also Contains

1. The Happy Hormone – Dopamine
2. Dopamine – Hormone And Neurotransmitter
3. Dopamine and Addiction: Myth or Fact
4. Causes of Addiction

In this article, we will understand the hormone which plays a crucial role in a person's happiness or good mood, dopamine. Through this article, we will also understand the other aspects related to dopamine. So, without further delay, let’s jump on to the article.

The Happy Hormone – Dopamine

Dopamine is released by a gland called the hypothalamus gland in our brain. Dopamine is also made in the adrenal gland (a small hat-like structure located on the top of each of our kidneys).

Dopamine is also known as a ‘pleasure chemical’ or ‘happy hormone’ because it results in a feeling of well-being. Now, you must be wondering how does that happen? And, why has dopamine been given names like these?

The simple science behind this logic is that our brain consists of a reward centre. This reward centre releases dopamine in response to pleasurable activities or experiences. This part of our brain is also closely linked to motivation and memory.

Dopamine – Hormone And Neurotransmitter

Dopamine is a hormone and a neurotransmitter. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers synthesised by neurons and released in such a way that influences the activity of other neurons.

Dopamine is a multi-tasking entity as it plays a role in many body functions. Let’s understand the key areas in which this single entity is involved in.

Dopamine as Hormone

While working as a hormone, dopamine is directly released into our bloodstream. Dopamine plays a small role in the ‘fight-or-flight’ syndrome. The ‘fight-or-flight’ situation takes place when our body responds in any stressful situation. It is a situation where we either take action against the situation or we just simply escape it.

Dopamine also takes part in the following body functions:

• Reduces the activity of lymphocytes in our immune system.

• Slowdowns the gastrointestinal content movement.

• Protects our gastrointestinal lining.

• Reduces insulin production in our pancreas.

• Increases urine removal from our bodies.

• Acts as a vasodilator (relaxes blood vessels, at low doses), and vasoconstrictor (constricts blood vessels, at high doses).

Dopamine as Neurotransmitter

While working as a neurotransmitter, dopamine is involved in the following functions:

• Lactation

• Mood

• Attention

• Learning

• Movement

• Behaviour and cognition

• Memory

• Pleasurable reward and motivation

• Sleep and arousal

All these are the functions performed by dopamine as a hormone and as a neurotransmitter. This gives us an understanding that the right amount of dopamine released in our body will give us the feeling of being focused, happy, alert, and motivated.

But, if the amount of dopamine is low, we might feel sad, tired, and demotivated.

So, now we know that different moods indicate the amount of dopamine in our body.

Dopamine and Addiction: Myth or Fact

By now, we have got a basic idea about dopamine. Now, let’s jump to a crucial yet important topic of how dopamine the pleasure chemical is associated with addiction.

To begin with, there is a misconception that people who experience addiction are not addicted to drugs or certain activities, rather they are addicted to dopamine.

If we dive deep into this topic, the first thing we need to understand is that activities or experiences that give us pleasure or make us feel good, including drugs or using substances or doing any activities, always function by activating the brain’s reward centre. This brain centre responds by releasing dopamine.

Now, we know that dopamine causes our brain to focus on the experience. As a result of this, we are left with a memory of the pleasure we feel at that time.

The memory created by this is so strong that it can prompt us to make an effort and to get the same experience again by using certain substances, drugs, or specific activities.

From this, we conclude that it is dopamine that causes this behaviour, but the activity or drug is still the underlying source of it.

Also check - Do You Know Why Storms Rotate Clockwise Or Counter Clockwise?

Causes of Addiction

Addiction is a compulsive non-medical self-administration of drugs, substances, or specific activities. It is a complex brain disorder that doesn’t have an obvious single cause. Yes, dopamine plays a role in this, but, if we look at the bigger picture, then dopamine is just a small part of it.

As per experts’ concerns, a range of biological and environmental factors can significantly increase the chances of someone’s addiction risk.

Let’s understand the biological and environmental factors, one by one by one-by-one.

Biological factors -

1. Genes – As per the research of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, around 60 per cent of addiction risk comes from genetic factors.

2. Developmental Stage – Research says that commencing and using drugs since teenage increases the chances of addiction.

3. Health History – Chances of addiction automatically increase, if the person has a certain history of a medical condition.

Environmental factors –

1. Home Life – Chances of risk increase while living with people who misuse drugs.

2. Challenges or Social Influence – Any kind of challenge facing academically or socially or having friends who take drugs can make it more likely to try drugs at a prior stage, and then get addicted to them.

All these are the factors that are the possible reasons for addiction.
Dopamine is a multiplayer as it works as a hormone and a neurotransmitter, simultaneously. It is involved in various body functions and activities.

But, when we talk about dopamine, it is not a reason or source of addiction, rather it’s a small part of it. There are too many factors that contribute to addiction, dopamine is just one among of them. Dopamine is also responsible for building tolerance. This tolerance leads a person to take more of the substance or drug, or perform the activity to experience the same effects that they already did.

Also check - The Science of Light: How Optics Shapes Our World