Do you know why alcohol feels good?

The human body has a neurotransmitter named Dopamine in the brain which functions for reward(pleasure), motivation, memory, attention, and regulating body movements. It is like a hormone but the only difference is hormone is transmitted via blood while dopamine is through the nervous system.

So naturally, our body produces Dopamine. Enough sleep, exercising, listening to music, meditating, and spending time in the sun boost Dopamine levels. When Dopamine is released in large amounts, it creates feelings of pleasure and reward which motivates you to repeat a specific behavior which in turn tells you that if you lack motivation and enthusiasm means your dopamine levels are low.

So Alcohol triggers dopamine. Unfortunately, over time it depletes dopamine which is like a trick. First, make high then low. That is the reason why more and more alcohol needs to be taken over time to feel high. The same applies to drugs.

Anything you do that feels good can release dopamine in your brain. That’s why we should take time to do things we enjoy. There are healthy and unhealthy ways to produce dopamine in our brains. As we know ‘Too much of anything is good for nothing’, getting too much dopamine can potentially turn into an addiction.

Addicted behaviors

1. Alcohol and substance use disorder
2. Sex addiction
3. Unhealthy food consumption
4. Gambling

How to control this urge for addiction

1. If you enjoy doing something, set a boundary by allocating a period in a week or month.
2. Be mindful of what you do. Keeping a journal helps.
3. Relaxation — breathing exercises, meditation

Take away

Ways to produce dopamine naturally

1. Consume a lot of protein and less saturated fats
2. Exercise often
3. Take enough sleep — I couldn’t stress enough this because when you stay awake through the night, the next morning the dopamine receptors will be dramatically reduced
4. Listen to music
5. Meditate
6. Get enough sunlight

Thanks for reading. If you find this helpful, let me know by your claps or comments.

References

1. Youtube — what is dopamine by Dr.Berg
2. Healthline.com
3. verywellmind.com