Posted by Questionmark on February 16, 2004, at 0:33:29
In reply to Dopamine Myth, posted by PsychoSage on February 13, 2004, at 13:50:20
> I am currently examining the dopamine connection to well-being, and I have come to realize what my feelings are, and what dopamine represents.
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> For the scientifically inclined, here is an article: http://www.wireheading.com/pleasure.html I assume this source is credible. I was not familiar with the publication, but maybe some people can interpret the article and weigh in on how they feel.
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> I now believe the dopamine is actually heavily on the side of desire and wanting which may or may not lead to pleasure. Of course each system of neurotransmitter overlaps, but evidently pure happiness without a sense of reaching is in the opioid system.
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> I guess I could analogize it to being pumped up and motivated to win a football game versus the feelings after the victory.
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> One can be dysphoric with plenty of dopamine, and according to the article, dopamine knock out mice can be happy without the transmitter.
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> This has many implications for psych drugs, stimulants that are illicit, and our cultural practices with pleasureable goals.
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> Dopamine leaves us wanting more somehow. Does the body make us happy when it feels a kind of hopefulness from dopamine activation? It is like the pride of creating a good design without caring it out yet. Is dopamine ineffective unless we create memories and attain goals that are worthy to long-term well being and health.
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> I am hoping we can translate the generalized information we receive into a better idea of how we should regard dopamine since it excites us all!Yeah i think that is a brilliantly accurate representation of dopamine's general actions & effects in our brains. Although i do of course agree with MB in that what effect DA has depends on where in the brain it is being released, i think that a generalized increase in DA release throughout the entire brain (e.g, via exogenous stimulants) results in the effects you described. In such an example, i do think that desire is an extremely large part of that effect, in addition to raw pleasure. "Contentment" is not a word i would use to describe overall dopamine enhancement (whereas it can be with serotonin)... Pleasure and euphoria, yes, but coupled with longing; with an even greater desire for something more. Ah crap i'm generalizing too much. Nevermind. But anyway i think there's much truth to what you said. And i find it interesting-- and it makes sense-- that the opioid system is involved with raw pleasure without creating more desire, so to speak. And that makes perfect neurophysiological sense from how MB explained it.
ok i'm done.
poster:Questionmark
thread:312887
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040215/msgs/313901.html