Behind the scenes of "Depression and Addiction"
When nothing excites you in the real world you get depressed. But why nothing excites you?
When your body releases dopamine you get excited. The level or amount of dopamine released determines your level of excitement. You get excited less if that thing made your brain released less dopamine. If you are so excited it means that thing which makes you excite made your brain release more dopamine.
For example, there is one thing which makes you release very high amounts of dopamine. Which results in high excitement while doing that. So your body is used to that level of dopamine. Since then, any other thing which makes you release the amount of dopamine which normally excites you will no longer excite like before.
When you do such thing dopamine levels hit the peak and you will no longer get excited to normal dopamine levels. You want more and more dopamine to get excited. So you want to do more and more of that one such thing. All other things will release low levels(comparatively) of dopamine so you are no longer interested in doing them. so you don't get excited about them.
So don't make your body release unnecessarily high dopamine. Find what's causing that high dopamine levels and stop doing that for a while and see the difference.
Addiction: As we have read here high levels of dopamine causing you depression. Now, what causes one to get addicted to something? Actually, it is the same.
When you do a thing which made you release very high levels of dopamine also made you release oxytocin and vasopressin. These two hormones are responsible for long term bonding and memory.
So, now you are bonded with that thing which made you release dopamine.
The next time you are craving, you will go and try for the thing which made you release high levels of dopamine because now there is a bond between you both.
Case 1: For a normal person the range is narrow. He gets excited about normal things and feels depressed when something bad happens. He can easily overcome that depression because almost everything he does in his life gives him happiness/pleasure/excitement. Which released sufficient levels of dopamine. Most of the time he stays on the top half and be happy.
Case 2: Here the range is wide. There are somethings which are giving you high levels of excitement/happiness/pleasure which is now the new benchmark for your excitement. And, normal activities won't be able to fulfil your new benchmark standards so they no longer excites you and you are depressed most of the time even though you are in the top half for most of the time.
So, all the time you are in an unstable depressed mode. Once you reach this state, small packets of dopamine are released which makes you craving for the things which previously gave you that high levels of dopamine. Because there is a bond between you and that thing.
Examples:
Smoking, Porn, Social media and so many ....
Gambling/Betting are partial examples.
When your body releases dopamine you get excited. The level or amount of dopamine released determines your level of excitement. You get excited less if that thing made your brain released less dopamine. If you are so excited it means that thing which makes you excite made your brain release more dopamine.
For example, there is one thing which makes you release very high amounts of dopamine. Which results in high excitement while doing that. So your body is used to that level of dopamine. Since then, any other thing which makes you release the amount of dopamine which normally excites you will no longer excite like before.
When you do such thing dopamine levels hit the peak and you will no longer get excited to normal dopamine levels. You want more and more dopamine to get excited. So you want to do more and more of that one such thing. All other things will release low levels(comparatively) of dopamine so you are no longer interested in doing them. so you don't get excited about them.
So don't make your body release unnecessarily high dopamine. Find what's causing that high dopamine levels and stop doing that for a while and see the difference.
Addiction: As we have read here high levels of dopamine causing you depression. Now, what causes one to get addicted to something? Actually, it is the same.
When you do a thing which made you release very high levels of dopamine also made you release oxytocin and vasopressin. These two hormones are responsible for long term bonding and memory.
So, now you are bonded with that thing which made you release dopamine.
The next time you are craving, you will go and try for the thing which made you release high levels of dopamine because now there is a bond between you both.
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| 1. A normal person's highes and lows |
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| 2. An addicted or depressed person's highes and lows |
Case 1: For a normal person the range is narrow. He gets excited about normal things and feels depressed when something bad happens. He can easily overcome that depression because almost everything he does in his life gives him happiness/pleasure/excitement. Which released sufficient levels of dopamine. Most of the time he stays on the top half and be happy.
Case 2: Here the range is wide. There are somethings which are giving you high levels of excitement/happiness/pleasure which is now the new benchmark for your excitement. And, normal activities won't be able to fulfil your new benchmark standards so they no longer excites you and you are depressed most of the time even though you are in the top half for most of the time.
So, all the time you are in an unstable depressed mode. Once you reach this state, small packets of dopamine are released which makes you craving for the things which previously gave you that high levels of dopamine. Because there is a bond between you and that thing.
Examples:
Smoking, Porn, Social media and so many ....
Gambling/Betting are partial examples.
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