Dopamine And Addiction — How Much Dopamine Were You Born With?

Reading about addiction and the significant role Dopamine plays, I wondered about my life. I am addicted to kindness, writing, and art. I do get pleasure from doing all three, but the pleasure isn’t significant enough for me to self-destruct. I have managed to establish a level of control where life gave me reasons to write, drawing inspiration and healing myself through the power of words. I want kindness, so I give it. Creating art brings peace to my soul, so I create after and sometimes before war begins. All three require balance. I give to balance.

I asked, “Am I like this because I was born with less Dopamine than my husband and others that I know with certain habits that help them to self-destruct?”

Google and Science say:

Yes, some people are born with variations in their dopamine system that result in different dopamine levels, primarily due to genetic factors that influence dopamine receptors, enzymes, and transport proteins, leading to predispositions for certain behaviors and influencing conditions like addiction or ADHD.

I thought I was this way because I am shy. I know myself and don’t like the attention my books or art can bring. I won awards for my stories. Yes, they are motivating, but I write because it pleases me. Writing is my language of communication with the world. I don’t crave attention or validation. I don’t mind being left alone.

Do some people have more dopamine than others?

Individuals from populations with a highly efficient dopamine system are biased towards behavioural approach traits (Extraversion and Emotional Stability) due to higher perceived reward values, whereas individuals from populations with a less efficient dopaminergic system are biased towards risk avoidance.29 Jan 2018

My husband and many people I know have a high level of dopamine in their system, and it manifests in their actions, choices, decisions, intentions, and the way they live their lives. Their loved ones bear the consequences of their negative actions, which can lead to high levels of dopamine; sometimes, we save them from their own destruction. Some learn and adapt. Others pay a high price for their addiction to pleasure or what they want.

What causes someone to have too much dopamine?

Alcohol and illegal drugs can cause a surge of dopamine, which encourages people to continue consuming them, leading to addiction. Addictions to certain activities, such as gambling or sex, are also tied to a craving for the dopamine that those activities trigger. Google

Writing, being kind, and creating art for me aren’t triggered by dopamine. As I have said before, I want kindness; life demands I give the good I want. I think more than I talk, so writing is my communication tool. Art complements my writing and serves as a symbol for a more straightforward explanation.

All three are tied to a WHY. My life sits on reasons. I do everything for a reason, because I am left with fewer regrets. I also allow humans to give me reasons to do what I must. Thinking with my heart, many times, your negative or positive actions became my reason.

Are some people born with less dopamine?

Dopamine deficiency syndrome is a genetic disorder, meaning a person is born with it. The main risk factor is the genetic makeup of the child’s parents. If both parents have one copy of the mutated SLC6A3 gene, their child will receive two copies of the altered gene and inherit the disease.

Dopamine Deficiency Syndrome: Symptoms, Causes, and More

Dopamine deficiency syndrome is a rare condition that affects a child's ability to move their body and muscles. Here's…

www.healthline.com

Damn, a double dose of this is like being born to live a life of pain and possibly an early death.

Low levels of dopamine have been linked to Parkinson’s disease, restless legs syndrome, and depression. Low levels of dopamine can make you feel tired, moody, unmotivated, and many other symptoms. Treatments are available for many of the medical conditions linked to low dopamine levels.

Dopamine Deficiency: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

Dopamine deficiency means you have a low level of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Low dopamine levels are linked with…

my.clevelandclinic.org

So I am Dopamine Deficient. Do any of us actually win in this life? Too much is bad. Too little is deadly. Balance demands too much sometimes. Amazingly, the only low dopamine deficiency I can identify for me is depression. I think with my heart and feel too much, so I will be depressed because I can’t change the world.

Eat a diet that’s high in magnesium and tyrosine-rich foods. These are the building blocks of dopamine production. Tyrosine is an amino acid. It’s absorbed in your body and then goes to your brain, where it’s converted into dopamine. Foods known to increase dopamine include chicken, almonds, apples, avocados, bananas, beets, chocolate, green leafy vegetables, green tea, lima beans, oatmeal, oranges, peas, sesame and pumpkin seeds, tomatoes, turmeric, watermelon, and wheat germ.

Science is funny. I have been enjoying all of the above for more than fifty years of my life. They are never always right. Seeing the destruction of high levels of dopamine as it plays out in the lives of everyone I know, I am glad I am me and am dopamine-deficient. If this is what it takes for me to live life how I want, I am sold!

What about you? Is your Dopamine level balanced? Or is it high enough to wreck your life?

I was unaware of Dopamine’s role in my body and life. I am glad I have low doses; it works out well for me.

Thank you for reading this. I hope you enjoy it.