Brain Chemistry : The Five Happy Chemicals

Remember the time when you had your long-awaited first kiss, or when your team won a sports tournament, or when you got a high score in a difficult exam, or simply when you ate a delicious chocolate ice cream. There's one thing common in all these things, it's the fact that you felt happy. Yes, happiness is something we are all familiar with. But have you ever wondered why exactly do we feel happy?

According to biology, humans have evolved to have a 'reward mechanism' to make sure we feel good while doing things that are necessary for survival and 'punishment mechanism' to make sure we avoid things that are potentially dangerous. For example our body is designed to make us feel good when we smell delectable food to make sure we will have constant desire to seek for tasty meals but it triggers bad sensation when we smell something like rotten food or waste products to help us avoid eating them. Sounds simple right? But if we look closely, this simple phenomena is brought about by complex biochemical reactions in our brain to produce certain molecules to render the appropriate sensation. Though our brain produces thousands of different neurochemicals, today we will discuss the 5 major "feel-good" molecules.

1. Dopamine: “The Reward Molecule”

Dopamine is the molecule that will make you seek gratifying events such as passing exams, winning a game, watching movies, posting photos in social media, drinking coffee, and having intimate acts with your loved one. This is evidenced by a pronounced increase in dopamine levels in the brain for people doing these activities.

Unfortunately, this is also the reason why drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine (shabu) are detrimentally addictive as they flood the brain with dopamine upon consumption. These drugs prevent the reuptake of dopamine which allows it to stay much longer resulting in unreasonable levels of excitement. Once the brain gets used to this dopamine levels, common sources of happiness will never satisfy the addicted person leading to stronger desire to take more of this drug.

2. Oxytocin: “The Love Molecule”

Whenever you cuddle your family, kiss your partner, or spend time with your friends or even with your pet, this molecule is found to be released by the brain. Studies show that oxytocin is correlated to trust, affection, loyalty, and romantic attachment. In one study, in a long-distance relationship, oxytocin level is quite lower due to lack of physical contact. Hence, when you are missing someone, you have reduced oxytocin levels which fuels desire to be with that person again. If you want to increase your love hormones, here are some activities you should do.

However, some preliminary studies indicate that vasopressin (which is chemically similar to oxytocin) is predominant in men while oxytocin is for women. Nevertheless, from an evolutionary perspective, these molecules enabled humans to bond with each other to form a family and community which is necessary for survival.

3. Endorphin: “The Work-out Molecule”

After you spend several hours in the gym or play basketball with your friends, endorphins are produced by the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus which mitigates muscular pains and also triggers happiness. Some studies also found endorphins in couples right after sexual activities which is partly responsible for reducing stress levels.

Hence, exercising not only improves your physical health but your mental health as well.

4. Serotonin: “The Self-esteem Molecule”

Serotonin has multiple roles but study shows a link between higher serotonin and self-esteem, feelings of worthiness, and a sense of accomplishment. Similarly, it was found that people who are depressed and have constant fear of rejection has lower levels of serotonin. Surprisingly, studies show that certain foods can increase your serotonin levels. Here they are.

Note however that depression is a complex disorder which cannot be attributed to lack of serotonin alone since drugs which are proven to boost serotonin levels are unable to cure most cases of clinical depression.

5. Adrenaline: “The Power-up Molecule”

Adrenaline, otherwise known as epinephrine, is released in cases requiring intensive energy and fearful situations leading to increased heart rates, blood pressure, and blood flow to the muscles of arms and limbs. When you are chased by a dog, caught in a burning building, or nearly-die in a video game, this hormone is released giving sudden feeling of alertness and extra boost of speed and power.

CONCLUSION

Our brain is far more complex than we can ever imagine. Although scientists have made tremendous discoveries in elucidating the structure and function of brain chemicals, our understanding on this field is far from being complete. It is important to note however that our ancestors have evolved the ability to naturally synthesize these chemicals to help humans keep doing activities that are essential for survival.

Even if you’re not a chemistry specialist or a neuroscientist, knowing these five major “feel-good” chemicals will help you realize that happiness is not magic; it is caused by complex biochemical reactions in your brain. Indeed, happiness is a choice regardless of the situation you’re in. If you choose to be happy, you will be.

Acknowledgment

I'd like to acknowledge @surpassinggoogle and @justtryme90 for inspiring me to continue my steemit journey.

References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4449495/
http://technologyadvice.com/blog/information-technology/activate-chemicals-gamify-happiness-nicole-lazzaro/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201211/the-neurochemicals-happiness
https://experiencelife.com/article/emotional-biochemistry/
http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/30800/title/Face-to-Face-with-the-Emotional-Brain/

Image Sources

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