What Is Dopamine, And How Does It Affect Physical And Mental Health?

Dopamine is a natural neurotransmitter (brain chemical) that impacts pleasure and motivation. However, when dopamine activity is low in certain brain pathways, it may be associated with conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and some symptoms seen in depression. High dopamine activity and altered signaling is associated with psychosis and schizophrenia, among other factors.

Some people use external substances that strongly stimulate dopamine-related reward pathways, which can affect the brain’s natural reward signaling over time. Understanding dopamine and how to keep your mind and body healthy can be beneficial if you haven't previously investigated this chemical's impacts.

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What is dopamine? A neurotransmitter in the brain affecting pleasure, reward, and motivation

Dopamine is an essential neurotransmitter used for communication between brain cells. This chemical helps influence motivation, learning, movement, and reward-related behavior. It can encourage individuals to move and seek resources like food and water. It can also occur when an individual is happy and motivated or when someone receives a reward like a promotion. Dopamine is also higher during consensual sexual activity.

This hormone can impact mind and body

However, dopamine may not be released properly in some cases. Because of this, dopamine has positive and negative connotations in science. There are healthy and unhealthy ways to influence dopamine levels. This neurotransmitter can affect both mind and body, so if you are experiencing any symptoms, consider investigating the causes with a professional.

How does dopamine affect the brain?

As a neurotransmitter, dopamine is produced in several areas of the brain before traveling to other brain cells' receptors to relay signals and information. Two separate, small brain areas produce dopamine, including the substantia nigra (SN) and the ventral tegmental area (VTA). The SN is involved in movement-related pathways, while the VTA plays a major role in reward and reinforcement pathways.

What is dopamine’s connection to emotion and reward-seeking?

When your brain produces healthy dopamine levels, and nothing is causing imbalance, dopamine impacts brain processes that in part control your mood and focus. When you realize that completing a particular task gives you a reward that makes you feel happy, for example, you may feel more motivated to focus on and complete that task.

Positive activities that can increase levels of dopamine

Dopamine may also affect memory because people tend to remember the behaviors that cause the "feel-good" dopamine spike. Activities that may support dopamine release or dopamine-related reward signaling include:

• Eating certain foods
• Exercising
• Meditating
• Listening to music
• Feeling pleasurable touch
• Getting enough sleep
• Taking a cold shower
• Having sex
• Receiving a promotion
• Accomplishing an exciting goal

The negative impacts of imbalanced dopamine levels on emotion, learning, and more

Taking care of yourself and living a healthy lifestyle may help you keep your dopamine levels balanced and maintain a happy, motivated mood. However, a healthy lifestyle might not be enough if your dopamine levels are out of balance. Depending on the cause of the imbalance, support from a medical or mental health professional might be necessary. Below are a few negative impacts of dopamine when out of balance.

Dependency and addiction: repeatedly pursuing pleasure or reward

In some situations, dopamine-related reward pathways can become involved in harmful patterns of substance use or compulsive behavior. In the case of dependency on a psychological or physical factor, dopamine can become part of a cycle. As rewarding experiences incite dopamine release, people may feel "programmed" to repeatedly seek pleasurable experiences, even if they're unhealthy.

According to Harvard Health, studies have shown how illicit substances stimulate a reward circuit in the brain. Taking certain substances may result in significant boosts of dopamine in the brain. The experience of this rush can be attributed to higher levels of dopamine than natural, which might lead to dependency. Despite the risks associated with taking substances, the perceived rewards may outweigh the risks for those living with this challenge.

Possible effects of low levels of dopamine: Parkinson’s disease, sleep and learning problems

Those with depression may sometimes lose interest in eating, drinking, or caring for themselves. This state may be related to differences in dopamine activity, which can have an impact on a person's reward-seeking behavior. Another name for this reduced ability to feel pleasure is anhedonia.

Low dopamine activity can be associated with problems involving receptors in the brain and may be linked to depression, forgetfulness, fatigue, trouble concentrating, and difficulty completing tasks. In some cases, this pattern occurs after dependence on an illicit substance that increases dopamine activity. After repeated substance use, the brain’s reward system can adapt in ways that alter dopamine signaling, which ultimately can further reinforce decency on the substances.

As brain functions that impact mood, sleep, memory, learning, concentration, and motor control are all influenced by dopamine, low dopamine activity can cause challenges in all areas. In addition, low dopamine levels are associated with Parkinson’s disease.

Possible effects of high levels of dopamine

Dopamine can also exist in excess. During substance use or due to specific neurological or mental health conditions, dopamine might be produced more than is necessary. Excessive or abnormal dopamine activity is associated with certain psychiatric conditions such as psychosis and schizophrenia, which can present with erratic or unusual behavior.

How does dopamine affect the body?

Dopamine-related pathways help reinforce behaviors and habit formation. When dopamine works as it is meant to, it encourages you to take action toward your health and wellness. When you complete healthy tasks, dopamine can reinforce those behaviors with a sense of reward, which further encourages the behaviors.

What increases dopamine levels?

Potential activities include:

• Exercising
• Eating healthy foods
• Getting enough sleep
• Drinking water

How dopamine affects movement and motor control

Dopamine isn't only responsible for behavior and motivation; it can also impact movement or motor control. Since dopamine is a neurotransmitter that sends messages between cells, it can be transmitted to cells that impact your body's movement. Your ability to move purposefully and with control often relies on dopamine.

Negative bodily impacts of dopamine: sleep difficulty, constipation, and more

Excess or deficient dopamine levels can negatively impact the brain, mood, and motivation. However, they can also impact the physical body. Low dopamine levels can result from a drop in the amount of dopamine produced by the body, and may be associated with symptoms like:

• Muscle stiffness
• Aches and pains
• Low energy
• Loss of balance
• Constipation
• Trouble eating and swallowing
• Sleep difficulty

Excess dopamine activity in certain pathways may be associated with increased reward-seeking or impulsive behavior in some conditions.

How to address imbalanced dopamine levels

Addressing a dopamine imbalance may depend on the reason for the imbalance. Support options might include counseling, changes in diet and lifestyle, physical therapy, and medication when clinically appropriate. However, consult a doctor before starting, changing, or stopping a medication.

Eating patterns and lifestyle

Physical and mental health can be significantly impacted by diet and lifestyle. By changing how you live, you might find it easier to cope with minor imbalances in dopamine or prevent long-term imbalances. Foods that contine tyrosine, may support dopamine production as part of a balanced diet. These foods may include:

• Dairy
• Meat
• Almonds
• Avocados
• Bananas
• Sesame seeds
• Beans
• Whole grain foods

In foods, sugar causes a significant boost in dopamine. It can have a similar effect to some substances causing dependency and might not be healthy in excess.

Other lifestyle choices that can positively affect dopamine levels include exercise and meditation. These activities may support reward-related brain pathways and healthy habit formation.

Medication

In some cases, counseling, diet, and lifestyle changes may not fully address concerns related to dopamine. If you are experiencing symptoms related to depression, Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, or psychosis, a licensed medical provider may evaluate whether medication is appropriate as part of your care plan. Medication decisions are personalized and based on a full clinical evaluation.

*Medication is prescribed only when clinically appropriate and is not guaranteed. Pricing, availability, insurance coverage, and copays vary by plan, location, and provider availability are not guaranteed.

Online therapy to improve mental health

It may seem that counseling wouldn't support the dopamine levels in your brain, but counseling focuses on all aspects of mental health, including the physical ones. How you think and experience the world mentally may impact your neural pathways and physical health. By talking to a counselor, you can learn healthy coping mechanisms for reframing your thoughts and beliefs, coping with traumatic events, or finding new ways to live, despite the symptoms or challenges you’re experiencing.

If you are experiencing trauma, support is available. Please see our Get Help Now page for more resources.

Counseling might be beneficial if you're struggling with fatigue, lack of energy, motivation loss, and absence of pleasure. You can find a counselor in-person or use an online counseling service like BetterHelp if you're looking for a source of affordable, ongoing guidance. BetterHelp now offers psychiatry services through UpLift as an additional care option alongside therapy, which may include medication management when clinically appropriate. Medication availability and coverage may vary by member location, clinical appropriateness, and individual pharmacy/insurance benefits. Prescribing decisions are made by the treating clinicians. We do not guarantee that any specific medication will be prescribed or covered by a member’s insurance plan. With online therapy, the ability to schedule appointments from a preferred space and a time convenient for your schedule can be beneficial, especially if you're experiencing fatigue or low motivation. In such cases, it may take more energy to shower, get dressed, engage with traffic, and navigate a new space. Online therapy is an option if you are dealing with those potential barriers.

Effectiveness of online therapy

Online therapy has also been found to be effective in supporting those impacted by substance use, often connected to dopamine spikes or imbalances. Several studies suggest that the internet has a disinhibiting effect on participants and reduces social desirability (the impulse to alter one's responses to appear more socially desirable). This phenomenon can encourage online therapy participants to be honest about their challenges while attending therapy. In addition, a literature review and online survey of 100 California addiction treatment centers discovered the potential for participants to be more engaged in their treatment due to the convenience of telehealth services.