Dopamine is the main neurotransmitter of motivation and reward for the positive result of an action = a decision made. But it is responsible not only for pleasure, but also for the speed of thought processes, memory, and learning ability.

To understand the norm, let’s look at the extreme variants of its production: the maximum and minimum levels.

They say that all diseases are from nerves and only one from pleasure - Schizophrenia (a mental disorder characterized by continuous or recurrent psychosis, the main symptoms are hallucinations, delusions). Sh. is a vivid example of a person with a high level of D., he has no peace, he is always thinking about something, running somewhere, forgetting about food and sleep.

The opposite option, when the level of D. is extremely low, is Depression or a less pronounced state - Apathy. I don’t want anything, I don’t have the strength to get up, even if everything is fine, there are no reasons for joy.

Of course, the norm in medicine and biology is a relative concept, as a rule, having from and to. To imagine your extremely high version of the norm of D., remember yourself in a state of love, and the extreme version of the norm of a low level of D. is your state after a sleepless night or several such nights. The average state between them is your individual norm, and you should strive to maintain it. Extremes are always bad!

Dopamine helps us make decisions and act because… the greatest peak of its production occurs in response to the anticipation of achieving a goal or receiving something cherished, i.e. before the action itself is carried out. “The expectation of a miracle is more important than the miracle itself.” This is an evolutionary mechanism necessary to support a person’s constant desire for something.

D. is also developed for everything new, reinforcing curiosity. But there is also a negative in this. Getting hooked on the dopamine needle of social media. networks, gambling addiction, etc., we can get into a dopamine loop, when the actions we perform over and over again must lead to greater production of D. (increase in its concentration), otherwise we do not get pleasure. This leads to absent-mindedness and constant failure to complete what has been started.

Sports or constant regular physical activity help us maintain dopamine levels. It’s all about testosterone. Here is a quote from the book “Biology of Good and Evil” by R. Sapolsky: Testosterone increases the activity of the neural network in the area of ​​the ventral tegmentum, where the mesolimbic and mesocortical dopamine axons originate. Ultimately, all this emotionality, the desire to add results and not sit still is dopamine.

The dopaminergic system of the brain is negatively affected by caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, and sugar. They sharply increase the level of D., but after the end of their influence its concentration drops sharply, and a feeling like a withdrawal syndrome with an immoral connotation appears (due to the influence of D. on cognitive abilities). Therefore, it is important to avoid sudden jumps in D., especially those caused by gambling addiction or incorrect habits.

Periodic Dopamine detox is also useful. Refusal for a while from the Internet, high-calorie delicious food (replacing it with simple or even fasting days, fasting), meditation and writing practices, but always with pen and paper. This allows you to see your problems more clearly, which means it will be easier to find solutions.