Happy brain chemicals: Dopamine, Serotonin, Oxytocin and Endorphin

Happy Brain Chemicals

Loretta G. Breuning, PhD Inner Mammal Institute

Re-wire Yourself to Turn Them on in New Ways

dopamine endorphin oxytocinserotonin

Good feelings come from4 special brain chemicals

dopamine endorphin oxytocinserotonin

We’ve inherited these chemicals from earlier mammals

Your happy chemicals are not meant to be on all the time. They spurt when you

see a way to promote your survival.

But our brain defines survivalin a quirky way:

1. it cares about the survival of your genes

2. it relies on neural pathways built in youth

When a happy chemical flows, neurons connect

That wires you to repeat things that feel good

This is how our ancestors wired themselves to survive before there

were schools, or even words

dopamine endorphin oxytocin serotonin

Bad feelings are caused by cortisol.It’s released when a mammal sees a

threat to its survival.

Disappointment triggers cortisol,which leaves you feeling threatenedeven if youdon’tconsciouslythink that

Neurons connect when cortisol flows, which wires you toturn on the alarm when you see things relatedto past pain

We are always seeking rewards and avoiding painusing circuits built bypastexperience

The circuits built in youthbecome the superhighwaysof your brain

The electricity in your brain flows like water in a storm, finding the

paths of least resistance

Old patterns tend to repeat unless we build new circuits

That’s hard to do for 3 reasons:

1. Blazing a new trail through a jungle of neurons is much harder than flowing down a well-paved highway

2. You feel unsafe when you leave your old highways because they’re what you know about rewards and pain

3. The brain loses its highway-paving substance (myelin) after puberty

You can still build a new pathway, but it takes a lot of repetition just to build a small one

Repeat a new thought or behavior for 45 days without failand a new trail gets established

It’s not a superhighway, but it frees you from an old pattern

You can wire yourself to feel good when you do things that are

good for you

You can give your electricity a new place to flow

It helps to know what turns on each happy chemicalin the state of nature

Then you can choosenew thoughts and behaviors to

stimulate them in new ways

Loretta Graziano Breuning PhD, Inner Mammal Institute © 2015

Dopamineis the great feeling

that a reward is at hand


Dopaminereleases energy for the chase

Loretta Graziano Breuning PhD, Inner Mammal Institute

Oxytocinis often called

the “love chemical”

Loretta Graziano Breuning PhD, Inner Mammal Institute

Oxytocin is stimulated by

trust & touch, which go together in nature


Serotoninis the pleasure of social dominance


Serotoninis not

aggression but a calm sense that

“ I will get the

banana ”


Endorphin masks pain so you can do whatit takes to survive


Endorphin is “endogenous morphine”

it’s meant for emergencies,not partying

Your happy chemicals turn on in short spurts.

Then they droop , andyou have to do more to get more.

Ups and downs are natural because each happy chemical

droops

Dopaminedroops once you get the reward

untilyou set your sights on another reward

Oxytocin droops when you’reseparated from the herd

and it feels like your survival is threatened

Serotonin is reabsorbed quickly, which motivates people to seek another social advantage

to stimulate more

Endorphin is “endogenous morphine”

It droops 20 min.

after an injury because painis vital survival info

A droop isnature’s reset button

You return toneutral so you’reready for the nextopportunity tomeet your needs

But you may feel frustrated

Dopamine FrustrationDopamine stops once a need is met,

so you have to keep finding new rewards to enjoy it

Oxytocin Frustration

Following the herd is annoying but leaving

the herd for greener pasture feels unsafe

Serotonin Frustration

Your mammal brain cares about your statusas if your life depended on it, so a

status threat feels like a survival threat.

Endorphin Frustration

Inflicting pain on yourself to enjoyendorphin is a very bad survival strategy

It helps to know that monkeys had similar frustrations 50 million years ago

DopamineSerotoninOxytocinEndorphin

What new circuits will you build?

Dopamine suggestion:

Always have• a short-term goal• a long-term goal &• a medium-term goal

so you can always step toward meeting a need right now

Oxytocin suggestion: Build trust in many small steps

Trusting everyone all the time is not a goodsurvival strategy.

Our brain is designed to build trust gradually.

Serotonin suggestion:Enjoy the strengths you have instead of worrying about the strengths of others

Insisting on the one-up position is harmful,but taking the one-down position automatically hurts you too.

It’s not easy to make peace with your mammal brain.

Endorphin suggestion:Laugh

Find what makes you laugh and make time for it, often.

Don’t rush it, fake it,or expect yourself to laugh when others do.

It helps to know that yourups and downs are part of nature’s operating system

This operating system motivated our ancestors to do what it takes

to survive

It helps to know that frustrating trade-offsare part of every mammal’s life

• When you step towardgreener pasture (dopamine),you move away from the safety of social bonds (oxytocin).

• When you step towardsocial importance (serotonin) you may get disappointment (cortisol)or a strain on social bonds (oxytocin).

It helps to know that making tough choices is the job our brain is designed to do

It helps to know that you can re-wire yourself to turn on your

happy chemicals in new ways

It’s not easy.It’s the challengethat comes with the gift of life.

The Inner Mammal Institutehas free resources to help

videospodcastsblogsinfographicstraining certificationslide shows (incl this)5-day Happy-Chemical Jumpstart

www.InnerMammalInstitute.org

Habits of a Happy BrainRetrain your brain to boost your serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin and endorphin

a fun step-by-step guide by Dr. Loretta Breuning

$10.23 paper, $9.99 e-book

and remember

Don’t compare yourself to others








Dopamine

Dopamine makes you jump for joy when you reach a goal or get a toy. In nature, it helps find food when you need it. “Eureka, I got it!” A memory gets created. Dopamine causes expectations. Correct predictions bring good sensations. Dopamine feels great so you try to get more. It rewarded our ancestors trudging through gore. Cocaine triggers dopamine. Caution to all: Joy without goal-seeking leads to a fall. Dopamine flows when you feel like “I’ve done it.” When others do it for you, your dopamine will shun it.


Endorphin

Endorphin helps you mask the pain Of injuries that you sustain. Your ancestors escaped from predator attack ‘Cause endorphin felt good while they ran back. Endorphin feels great when it eases your pains. But only real pain makes it flow in your veins. Exercise triggers it, experts alert you. But first you must do it ‘til body parts hurt you. Endorphin receptors let opium in. So you feel like you’re safe without lifting a shin. Laughing and crying can trigger it too. But just for a moment– then the job’s through.


Oxytocin

Oxytocin makes you trust your mates. We love the bonds that it creates. Oxytocin flows when you stick with the herd. “Not me!” you may say, “I’m no bovine or bird.” But without social bonds, your brain feels alarm. This protected our ancestors from all kinds of harm. Though the herd will annoy you, the pack hurt you so. When you run with a pack, oxytocin will flow. “My pack is great and the other is nuts.” This thinking prevailed since the first mammal struts. You’re above all this foolishness, obviously. But it feels good when I trust you and you trust me.


Serotonin swells your chest with pride When you get respect and needn’t hide. Your brain feels good when you boost yourself higher. But when others do this, it provokes your ire. “I don’t care about status. It’s other who do.” But you spurt serotonin when the limelight’s on you. You are quite modest and don’t like to boast. But no serotonin flows when you coast. Status doesn’t depend on money. You can be clever or helpful or funny. But when others one-up you, your mind agitates. ‘Cause serotonin droops ‘til you lift your own weights.

Serotonin

Happy brain chemicals: Dopamine, Serotonin, Oxytocin and Endorphin

Self Improvement