Dopamine Deficiency – What Is It and How Does It Affect Mental Health?

Dopamine is one of over a hundred neurotransmitters in the human brain. Often called the feel-good hormone or motivational molecule because it provides the drive and focus you need to be productive, it is heavily involved with attention span, focus, follow-through, motivation, and the ability to experience pleasure.

Dopamine-dominant people are usually focused, go-getters, and a little intense. Lack of dopamine is associated with fatigue, apathy, lack of focus, forgetfulness, moodiness, difficulty concentrating, insomnia, sugar cravings, and lower motivation.

Do you feel you don't have enough energy to get through the day? Is it hard to finish things once you have started them? Are you easily distracted? Do you find it hard to concentrate? Have you lost your zest for life? If you answer yes to any of these, you may have a dopamine deficiency.

What is dopamine deficiency?

Dopamine levels can affect a person's mood, attention, motivation, and movement. It also regulates the brain's reward system, with its levels increasing in the brain when a person experiences something pleasurable, such as eating food or sex drive.

Certain regions of your brain produce this neurotransmitter. If these parts are damaged, you could have low levels of the chemical. If your body doesn't react to dopamine properly (if there's an issue with the nerve cell receptors that take in and transmit the chemical message), you can also have low levels of dopamine. Lack of dopamine is associated with some medical disorders. For instance, dopamine and nerve cells are lost in certain regions of the brain in persons with Parkinson's disease.

Dopamine deficiency is not a recognized medical diagnosis. Medical professionals rarely assess dopamine levels. Even a blood test in itself doesn't reveal much valuable information. A blood test, for instance, can determine dopamine levels but not how your brain reacts to dopamine. Instead, they will ask you about your symptoms, medical history, and lifestyle (including alcohol and drug use) and perform examinations and any tests that could be required in light of those symptoms. Your healthcare professional will decide if you have a medical condition associated with a low dopamine level using this information, along with your test results.

How does dopamine affect mental health?

Like other neurotransmitters, the effects of dopamine have been studied by various researchers. Though the results are inconclusive, they have been linked to significant mental and physical concerns.

Choosing substances to increase dopamine levels can lead to addiction. (Photo via Pexels/ Mart Production)

1) Substance use

Dopamine deficiency is associated with a variety of mental and neurological health disorders. Dopamine is momentarily released into the brain by drugs and alcohol. This can lead someone to seek out addictive substances more frequently because of the pleasurable feelings it produces. But with time, the individual needs progressively more of the addictive chemical to experience the same dopamine high. Their brains may momentarily create less dopamine after they quit using it, which raises the possibility of a relapse.

2) Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Scientists have also been studying the role of dopamine in the development of ADHD. People with ADHD may have a higher concentration of dopamine transporters in the brain. These transporters remove dopamine from brain cells. When there are more transporters in one area of the brain, they do this too quickly, which means that dopamine has less time to exert its effects

3) Depression

One of the most severe mental and behavioral diseases is major depressive disorder. It is characterized by persistent low emotions or a lack of interest in ordinarily appealing activities. The term "anhedonia" is used to describe this loss of interest.

Anhedonia is associated with a breakdown in the mind's reward mechanism, in addition to a loss of interest. The typical reward system stages of anticipation, motivation, and decision-making are significantly impacted. According to research, a malfunction in the dopamine system has been attributed to this alteration.

4) Reward deficiency syndrome

Reward Deficiency Syndrome is associated with impulsivity and self-regulation. It is when we have a tough time pursuing a task, project, etc., because we do not immediately finish it and experience the reward we seek (aka dopamine). Also, we do not get the expected amount of satisfaction (dopamine) from the rewards.

Tip: Keep a journal of your daily accomplishments/wins. This will help remind us of where we are succeeding, even when our brain isn't giving us the satisfaction we are looking for!

Dopamine deficiency can stop you from completing daily tasks. (Photo via Pexels/ Andrea Piacquadio)

Takeaway

Dopamine levels must be maintained in balance for everything to function normally. When dopamine levels are too low, we lack the motivation to act. When dopamine levels are too high, we become overly ambitious and may put ourselves in danger.

It can be a great motivator when it's in check, enabling us to see our objectives and providing the drive to pursue them. If our dopamine levels are higher, we may be able to visualize the goal, outrun it, and knock everyone in our path. However, research shows excess levels can lead to addictive behaviors and mental disorders.

---

Janvi is a counselor with a master's degree in applied psychology with a specialization in clinical psychology.