Serotonin vs Dopamine: Know the Real Difference

The debate concerning serotonin vs dopamine has been a recurring one for years now. Let us say you are happy or sad. Your mental state generally contributes to your happiness and sadness, but there are hormones that affect your mental state greatly, and even control how your mind feels.

These hormones are neurotransmitters, and in this debate of serotonin vs dopamine, we ought to recognize that they are chemical messengers for our body and mind. These effective chemicals manage our mood, memory, and several different physical functions.

Before we get into this debate, let us first understand what dopamine and serotonin are. Apart from that, we also need to recognize the individual functions of those hormones to better understand the differences.

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Serotonin vs dopamine: What is serotonin and what are its functions?

Serotonin vs Dopamine: Which one boosts your mental health? (Image by Jed Villejo/Unsplash)

It is the hormone that controls overall mood, behavior, sleep, bone health, and libido. It also helps us be rational by controlling our impulses. If there is a serotonin deficiency in an individual, they will always be depressed. That person might also experience suicidal tendencies and difficulty sleeping properly.

Excessive serotonin can make an individual suffer. They can get diarrhea, seizures, fever, and even death in some cases. Therefore, it is very important to understand how these hormones play a major role in our well-being. Once you successfully understand the reason behind this, you can find your key to happiness.

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Serotonin vs dopamine: Dopamine and its functions

Serotonin vs Dopamine: Dopamine controls our brain reward system(Image by Milad Fakurian/Unsplash)

It is a feel-good hormone, which controls the brain's pleasure and reward system, by transmitting signals between neurons in the brain. Imagine that you are in a cycling race and you win the race by giving a very good last-minute finish. You get that feeling of satisfaction and happiness, and there is a sudden rush in you. That is because of dopamine.

Further, when you engage in acts of physical intimacy, a lot of dopamine is released. This is because of the intense feeling of reward. Dopamine, as a part of the brain's reward system, helps us to experience this feeling of reward and happiness.

Other than regulating the reward center, dopamine plays a very important role in lactation. It also increases memory, supports movement, and increases our concentration power and attention span. It also controls our sleep, blood flow, urine flow, and output.

Lack of dopamine can cause ADHD, Parkinson's, and many other diseases. More dopamine can be the main reason for aggression and impulsive behavior.

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The real difference between serotonin vs dopamine

A dopamine rush (Image by Andrew Neel/Unsplash)

In the debate between serotonin vs dopamine, there are several differences to consider between them. For instance, upon dopamine release in our brain, we feel a sense of temporary pleasure. It controls the motivation and reward system and tells the brain that it wants more of that activity for more pleasure.

Serotonin, on the other hand, is similar to dopamine but creates a long-lasting sense of pleasure and fullness. It tells the mind and the body that it feels good and it is enough. Both these hormones, along with others, control a lot of bodily functions. Both hormones are dependent on each other, and there has to be balance in their levels, to boost overall mood and wellbeing.

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Who does not like to feel happy and confident? I am sure you do and so do I. So, the next time you feel like your mood is changing very often and you get happy or sad without a reason, go and consult your doctor, check your hormone levels, and live and eat healthy. In case you are suffering from depression, and having suicidal thoughts, please consider talking to someone. Contact a therapist and book a slot with them at the earliest.