Cat videos and dopa-memes (yes, I made a dad joke) are today’s generation’s instant mood boosters. You may have liked and shared these videos and memes, had a laugh or even just related to them. But why? Why does seeing a baby panda sneeze or the dark humour of internet memes make us smile, or feel better?
What if I told you that the reason behind this phenomenon, were tiny chemicals in your brain. These chemicals can alter your mood, affect your; sleep, appetite, sex drive, movement, heart rate, fear and a whole host of other aspects of being human.
You may have heard of Dopamine and Serotonin and added them into your lexicon, but do you really know what they do, or even what they are? The simple answer to that is: Dopamine and Serotonin are neurotransmitters.
But before we dive into what neurotransmitters are, we first need to know a little bit more about how our brains work. The human brain is made up of billions of brain cells called neurons. In order to communicate with each other, the neurons need a reliable way to pass on information. This is done via neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are tiny chemicals whose changing levels impact both our physiology and our behaviour.
These neurotransmitters carry out the momentous task of communicating between the billions of neurons in our brains, from maintaining brain functioning to managing conscious and unconscious tasks such as breathing, learning and concentrating.
Scientists have only been able to identify 60 of these neurotransmitters so it goes without saying that they include way more than just serotonin and dopamine.
When it comes to our mental health, groups of neurotransmitters play a part in how we feel. We at The Empathy Centre have decided to explore what these neurotransmitters are responsible for, how they affect our mental and physical well being. As well as how, by altering our behaviours, we can influence their production and thereby improve our quality of life.
Some of the neurotransmitters worth exploring are:
References
- Cherry, K. (2020, November 24). How Neurotransmitters Work and What They Do.
- Nolen-Hoeksema, S., Fredrickson, B., Loftus, G. R., & Lutz, C. (2014). Atkinson & Hilgard’s: introduction to psychology. Cengage Learning.
- Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-neurotransmitter-2795394#types.
Written by Peehu Jain, Art work and Editing by Rahat Lookmanji
