#yay dopamine and serotonin!

[thefirsthogokage]

BWHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA!

This is the funniest thing I've seen thus far!

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Is the kids' saying Based Haley Voters????

BUCKLE UP KIDS, THIS IS GETTING CRAZIER BYT THE DAY!

Also, here's the HALEY VOTERS FOR HARRIS ACCOUNT BIO:

I just followed them, this is so batshit!

[brightlotusmoon]

I caught Callisto kneading* my newest squish pillow and it was adorable.

My roommate says she's never seen a cat knead the way this cat does, arching her back and pressing with all four paws like she's on a mission.

Callisto will knead my fleece blankets constantly if I'm in the room, suckling and purring loudly, and she'll do with with all four paws and back arched. In the nine years I've had her I've never questioned it. Now I'm wondering how many other cats use four paw drive when they do mashy paws.

*when I was little with my first cats my parents called it doing Mashy Paws. It wasn't until I was in my 20s that I learned about phrases like making biscuits, etc.

[yomiurinikei]

OH for holdiay asks how about yuki and/or utsuro?

YAY my boys i adore them… gingers baking gingerbread-

anyways!! gonna do this for yuki/utsuro following my system hc, so they can just. both exist, along with yuuki <333

yuki i feel… wouldn’t be very into the holiday spirit, but would do things to celebrate just because? like, his heart is not filled with warmth, he doesn’t feel the joy of the holiday spirit, but he’ll go walk around and look at christmas light displays because he thinks they look nice, and because they’ll only be around for a bit… similarly i think he’d join in on things like secret santa to be part of the group (he is suchhh a normal boy who is sooooo with the norm), but wouldn’t go sign up if it wasn’t a class event, yknow? he’s not a scrooge about the season, but i think he’s happier in the summer. that being said, i think he likes the flavors of winter best? likes warm soup and ramen, and is happiest during the season that oranges are in peak (both a genuine “he gives off a citrus enjoyer vibe” comment, and a “lol ginger” joke). likes hot chocolate, but aiko thinks all eggnog is alcoholic, so he’s never gotten around to trying it.

utsuro was probably enamored with all holidays as a kid, i can see him “learning” a ton about all the different ~30 holidays celebrated in the holiday season,,, which. uhm. he has a ton of serotonin now! totally!! he’s not miserable!! i can imagine… it’s during this time that he’ll occasionally feel smthn, but. it just ranges between temporary “oh hey look, happiness exists” and then. feeling slightly worse about everything because he’s. not doing very well. anyways though. because of this, i think he’d go along with getting dragged into events, as he’s generally p passive, but i think if he actually engaged and participated, he’d get a drop or two of dopamine. not a total fanatic, and doesn’t even really recognize the impact that the season of giving has on him (despite…. his whole thing being blessing people……) but he’s more impacted by it than yuki. 

also, not to go “hey why doesn’t anyone talk about the fact that god with a capital g is canon to the another universe and has been fairly proven to exist within the universe, meaning the characters should be aware of the existence of a higher power which can be proven, which is. A Lot.” but anyways. do you think religious holidays like christmas, ones which celebrate religious figures, should be rededicated to utsuro.

[kayleafeon]

Dopamine: very low most of the time, bounces to the highest of highs when i complete the most basic of tasks because ADHD executive dysfunction really be like that

Serotonin: permanently non-existent except for when social interactions with people (outside of family, coworkers, and random GameStop employees) goes well (then I get to have a tiny crumb of it! yay!)

Cortisol: existing as a bi woman with social anxiety, inattentive ADHD type, and severe depressive episodes -> MAX LEVELS CONSTANTLY WOOOO i cannot let my guard down ever

Adrenaline: All of the responses to stress are constantly competing in my brain— generally fight wins when it's a disagreement with my parents, flight if it's an issue with romantic or platonic relationships, freeze when it's anything similar to the trauma I went through at 14, and fawn when it's anyone else like when i forgot that not everyone is far left for a moment and then got stuck in a conversation with a majorly uninformed right leaning GameStop employee about the economy (he literally was complaining about the minimum wage here in Canada going up to $20 next year (like this will help you man wtf))

Also I think we should add a fifth humour of oxytocin.

For me, it's would generally be pretty average and soaring when around my boyfriend. But it tanks when i go online and i'm online far too much for my own good so it's also way low down.

is it just me or does the way people treat like "dopamine" and "serotonin" in modern pop psych context read exactly like balancing the humors

[venusstatlight]

YAY SEROTONIN!!!!! or was it dopamine me forgor ANYWAY CARTER YAY YIPPEE WOOHOO YA!!!

[ashthenerd]

I think I broke the toaster🙈🙈🙈

So tthe toaster in my house is known for being dodgy. Only one slot works, the heat control knob does nothing so when your toast pops you have no clue of whether it will be essentially warm bread or 85% charcoal. It's a guessing game.

I've been deep cleaning the kitchen and scrubbing the fuck out of everything getting rid of every last stain, because painkillers don't work with eds so I basically have to distract myself from the pain and try to get some dopamine and serotonin to be able to cope with the pain. Cue: How the fuck do I get this stuff out the crumbs are melded to the caging, I can't reach anything with a brush and the Internet is useless, cue 45 mins of continuous shaking.

The last slot has now stopped working and I have lost all self worth gathered from doing around 50 cleaning projects this summer. Yay!!!

[affricative-collective]

Hey, I feel like I've been sad a lot and really only telling you about when and how I'm sad so I just wanted to say something positive for once

I shared a rather large idea for a series with someone today and they really liked it and now I'm just. Completely feral, rambling mode, yknow how it is. WAUGH /positive

Also for some reason I specifically feel POWERFUL bc of this fact and ???? Okay?? I'm not complaining

may or may not have been genuinely, only half-consciously purring also. l. like a cat. idk what to think about that

But anyway yeah, someone likes my idea 4782 helped 832424 crops watered or whatever the meme is

...is it possible to get high on serotonin/dopamine /hj

yay!!!!!! :D

[clockworkspider]

So occasionally I do check the notes on this post and i've noticed a few people citing depression or ADHD makes gaming the only thing that's really "fun" so when they give up a game they're addicted to they move on to another.

So... the thing in common with depressed and ADHD brains is that they're both bad at making dopamine (reward hormone).

One thing about modern video games, especially mobile, is that it has really perfected maximizing dopamine. Every action comes with feedback telling you "yay" or "boo" (mostly yays), and your brain is gonna chase those "yays". Whereas real life doesn't do that, it's just boring. There's no achievement or jingly noises when you finish a chore. Most of your actions will not get immediate feedbacks which make them hard for brain to engage.

So, video games really profit from that.

I mean there's plenty of research on depression/adhd and addiction, so you can search that up. But the point I'm trying to make is that your brain is being trained. Once it gets used to small bursts of dopamine all the time all other tasks seems more difficult in comparison.

And the problem with dopamine from gaming is that it doesn't last. It only brings you joy while you're playing the game. The high doesn't last outside of it and you're forced to be dependent on the game to feel satisfaction.

At this point it's not about wasting time or money, frankly your free time and disposable income are yours to spend. I'm never gonna shame people for spending money/time on things that bring them joy. The problem is dependency.

If you find difficulty in enjoying activities other than gaming due to depression or adhd, then you need to set boundaries with gaming altogether, not just specific games you're spending big money/time on. You need to train your brain to work a bit harder to engage with more complex activities, so that it can produce not just dopamine, but serotonin and endorphin and oxytocin.

I am very serious if a game both negatively impact your mental health and is the source of all your joy, it means you have an addiction problem and you need to delete your account and uninstall it and cry for however many hours you need to get it out of your system.

Your lifeline CANNOT depend on a mobile game they're predatory as fuck.

[brightlotusmoon]

Okay well this made me cry a little. That's a lot of kudos.

It really is a little hit of dopamine, isn't it? Clever.

[bellakitse]

Your Arms Are My Shelter

“I was scared too,” he whispers back, reliving the day’s events, letting out a small sound when Carlos’ hold on him tightens. “But I also knew you would find me.”

+

After Owen and Gwyn leave the hospital room, TK and Carlos share a quiet moment.

Spoilers for 2.08

His parents wave at him and Carlos as they leave his hospital room for the night, finally leaving him alone with his boyfriend. He waits until he can’t hear their footsteps anymore to turn and look back at the man he loves, sitting by the window watching him silently, a concerned frown clouding his beautiful face.

“You are way too far away from me, babe,” he tells him softly, smiling when Carlos lets out a small amused huff as he stands and crosses the distance to him. As Carlos reaches him, he throws his covers to the side, patting at the empty space on the bed.

“That’s not enough space for me to get in there with you and you to be comfortable,” Carlos tells him, shaking his head as he runs a gentle finger over his hand. “You’re in enough pain.”

“I’m never in pain when I’m in your arms,” TK shoots back, giving Carlos a pout when he still hesitates. “Please, baby,” he whines softly, dragging the word out. He’s not above playing dirty if the prize is an armful of Carlos.

“Spoiled,” Carlos mutters with a reluctant smile as he leans down and rubs the tip of his nose against his before giving him the softest of kisses. “Always getting your way,” he continues teasingly. “Scoot.”

“Yay,” TK answers childishly, a happy smile playing on his lips. He shifts around, turning on his side to face Carlos, leaving him enough space to lie down on his back. When he does, TK turns more fully, throwing a leg over Carlos’ as he rests his head on his chest, mindful of his head wound.

“If one of the nurses comes in, they’re going to yell at us,” Carlos warns him even as he wraps an arm around his shoulders, holding him closer.

“No, they won’t. We’re adorable; besides, I can’t take any pain meds,” TK mumbles into Carlos’ soft sweater. “This is the next best thing. Cuddling with you is the perfect boost of endorphins.”

“Oh, really?” Carlos questions, and while TK can’t see his face, he can hear the smile in his voice.

“And dopamine and serotonin,” he continues, smiling as Carlos lets out a laugh. He lifts his head to look at him, his smile growing at the loving expression he finds on Carlos’ face. “Basically, all happy brain chemicals happen because of you.”

“Ditto,” Carlos whispers, pressing his lips softly against his bandages as he rests his head back on his chest.

TK lets out a sigh as he settles on top of Carlos. His body aches, but he wasn’t kidding; that pain seems to lessen when he gets to be in Carlos’ arms. He’s slowly drifting off as he listens to the steady beating of Carlos’ heart and his soothing touch as he trails his fingertips up and down his arm when Carlos speaks.

“I was so scared,” he whispers. “When we found out you guys were missing – “ he pauses, letting out a slow breath. “And then when I found your chip and the blood in the van, TK – I was terrified.”

TK swallows hard, his heart aching from the pain he hears in his boyfriend’s throat. “I was scared too,” he whispers back, reliving the day’s events, letting out a small sound when Carlos’ hold on him tightens. “But I also knew you would find me.”

Carlos lets out a sharp exhale in response. “You did?” he questions, his voice low and unsure.

TK shifts, moving until he can look at Carlos. He finds him looking back at him with wide eyes, shining from unshed tears. He gives him a soft nod, his own eyes stinging a bit. “I knew you wouldn’t stop until you found us, me,” he tells him. He’d never once doubted that it would be Carlos leading their search. “I know you’ll always come when I need you.”

Carlos nods quickly, a tear finally spilling down his face. “I will,” he answers, emotion choking him up. “I’m always going to do everything in my power to keep you safe, TK.”

TK smiles at the promise. “I know, baby,” he assures him. Reaching up, he tugs Carlos closer until their faces are inches away. “That’s why even when I was scared, deep down, I knew it would all be okay.”

Carlos lets out a shaky breath that dances across TK’s skin. “Thank you for believing in me,” he says to him, the sincerity behind his ‘thank you’ hitting TK square in the chest, and he remembers that there are parts of the day’s events that he hasn’t gotten out of Carlos yet. Parts that involve his father and their tense relationship from earlier comments he made about his dad being in charge of the investigation.

TK wants to ask for more; he wants more details about Carlos’ suspension, his dad, and what happened with him today that had left Carlos raw but hopeful, with a small smile playing on his lips as he told him that his father knew about them now. But as he takes in Carlos’ expression, the tiredness he finds in his beautiful brown eyes, he concludes it can wait until tomorrow.

Right now, all TK wants is to hold his boyfriend, reassure him that he’s okay, that they both are, until the slight tremor he feels from Carlos’ body finally stops.

He closes the space between their mouths, not to kiss him but to let his lips rest against Carlos’.

“I love you, Carlos,” he speaks the words into them, feeling the smile he gets in return.

Looking into Carlos’ sleepy eyes, he sees how they crinkle at the corners the way they always do when he says these words. “And I love you, TK.”

[izzy-mizzie-boo]

{Time for the biology lesson! Yay.}

As everyone may know, when we listen to music, our brain releases dopamine, endorphin, serotonin and oxytocin, the neurotransmitters associated with the pleasure and reward feelings. The brain can release more neurotransmitters than dopamine, depending of the way you react to the rhythm and the lyrics of the song.

Misolrens have the power to transfer these neurotransmitters along with hormones throughth their skins, mostly throughth their hand palms and fingerprints. Their eyes have a smooth glow when they use it, but they can't use it in their family members(Fun fact: I remember exactly how this part of biology works VISUALLY, but I dont remember the correct words for it, and I'm scared of search because I won't know how to search it well, if I ever remember or be able to search it correctly, I will edit it).

Milsorens can use their powers in every type of life form, from plants to any life form you may know. They can easily manipulate you to(feel): Sleep/sleepy/tired, calm down, dislike or like someone or something, pleasure, anger, happiness, embarassment and much more, the list is huge, just keep in mind that if they be singing and touch you without you know, prepare to feel something totally out of nowhere. A reminder: For this works, they also must feel this same feeling, but most part(99,9%) can't hide their expressions when they do this. Misolrens normally use their own memories to cause themselves a bit of the feeling, if they want to cause a bigger effect in someone, they practically overwhelm you with these bit of their own. And yes, they can cause you a panic attack, an overwhelm and more. I would not recommend get close to the Bellmont family if you don't want to be heavily manipulated.

Part 2/?

About Mi-lasol.

•The planet Mi-lasol, it's an Utopian and calming planet which seems to sing by itself anywhere you go. The residents are calm and friendly, no matter the place you walk at, the nature around the civilizations has its own harmony, but there is extremely restricted for anyone to sing in the streets, make any musical shows or any practice that is related to music in public spaces.

-"Why?" You may ask: This planet is the closest one to an Utopian civilization, whose emotions are led and described by songs, it can be classic, pop, rock, hip hop, electronic and more. Everyone has its own ways and forms of use and feel the music, but of course, if someone uses their as a way to influence others to see things the same way as them, it could lead to constant internal wars, so, for avoid any disturbance in their peace, they have 2 rules called: "Sing and fall", which unable people to sing or play in public spaces, and "Listen alone". The second Rule consists of every citizen to have their own "headphones" at the age of 12.

•Since their birth, the parents must sing mostly lullabies until they turn 4. From 5 to above(normally 'till 10), it's recommended that the parents start to sing soft and playful songs that contain more words than sounds, but of course, it goes by the parents' decisions. "So how does they create new songs?" Having buildings that are sound proof, since theaters to plays, opera, musical concerts and more to apartments and houses, where you can hear whatever songs you want and eve create your own.

•At the age of 7 or 8, is normal that parents give a musical instrument to their children of their choice, from 9 to above, their powers start to blossom.

•The powers that Misolrens beings to acquire works while they sing, their eyes light up smoothly and their fingerprints show a small light on them as well, and once they touch you, they can easily manipulate your feelings and mind(I won't give a biology lesson right now, if anyone want to really know about how it works, ask me in private message).

Part 1/?

[brightlotusmoon]

So, in a Discord chat, a friend mistook my mention of Diogenes for a misspelling of Dino Genes, so I ran with it.

"It's cool, I now made a fantastic linguistic connection between the guy who said a chicken could be a man and dinosaurs, which are chickens, which actually are dragons.

BEHOLD."

My friend: "Lotus, gorgeous. You are treasure. Please never stop bringing this awesome energy. I love the things you post.

Me: 🥺🥺🥰

And now I want to hug everything.

I should go to bed.

[theblasianwitch]

I made a new tea today and thought I would share. Yes its another tea, I'm a tea addict, get used to it.

I call todays drink "Positivi-Tea" (yay parent jokes)

Safflower (helps boost serotonin and dopamine) + jasmine (overall well balanced spiritual flower and one of my favs) + rose (helps attract positive energies) + raspberry (love protection and overall matters of the heart) ice tea

I mixed all the dry ingredients together in a bowl with some sugar before pouring hot water over it to be a communal bowl for my family (we all have depression). It passed my picky eaters and adding milk made it taste almost nutty somehow, without milk it taste like "raspberry flowers" according to my spouse.

[corndog-patrol]

Please understand that any and all art you make, whether it be comics or ask responses or doodles, gives me 150% more serotonin and dopamine than anything else in my day 🥺

YAY THANK YOU ANON!!!!!!!!!!!!! <3333 answering asks makes me really happy ahahahha

[lovesickarmin]

been on a bit of an unofficial hiatus as of late.

i've been trying to actively take better care of myself both physically and mentally, which means i haven't had a ton of free time to write or read anything unfortunately.

its been difficult trying to balance working full time, my relationships with my family/friends/partner, going to the gym most days, and sleeping enough.

it's odd how "basic" self care can feel like a chore at times. but its been so worth it. i've noticed that my mental health has been steadily improving. yay for dopamine and serotonin!!

i'm really hoping i can find the time to write/read/interact here properly again sometime soon, especially with the last season of aot being released in just a few days.

sorry for rambling, i just wanted to give a little update on how things have been from my end.

hope to talk to you all again soon <3

[quinintheclouds]

Would dopamine be appropriate if said sound/song/person whatnot gave you a rush of relaxation and the urge to curl up and happy sleep? I usually use it when a song or a person in my life makes me so happy that stress falls off and I am instantly relaxed and sleepy.

pt 2 from same anon:

a rush or instant feeling of relaxation, euphoria, or well-being wouldn’t be serotonin, but long-term feelings of relaxation and contentment might point to balanced serotonin levels. Since you mention sleepiness, though, I think that might be oxytocin? I mean, the brain is complicated so it wouldn’t ever be just one thing, but it sounds like what you’re describing. Oxytocin is particularly common when the thing making you feel good is a person, so if you have someone who makes you wanna cuddle up and nap, it could be a rush of oxytocin you’re feeling (which is a hormone, like endorphins, while dopamine and serotonin are neurotransmitters)!

But yeah 90% of the serotonin in your body is actually in charge of digestion!  The remaining 10% is mostly regulation of your sleep cycle, and lastly, regulation of mood. Keyword being regulation, not production or stimulation of positive feelings (those are dopamine). Too much or too little serotonin results in anxiety and emotional instability. 

In an average healthy brain, serotonin is practically unnoticeable to the person and maintains a balanced level, whereas dopamine’s job is for you to notice it, hence the rush or suddenness of the feeling. Noticeable changes in serotonin happen slowly over time (SSRIs typically take 4-6 weeks to start working), usually as a result of your sleep, exposure to sunlight, and eating habits. If you look back and go “Huh, I’ve been sleeping well and going outside more for a couple months now, and I feel better than I did a few weeks ago,” that’s what serotonin does.

Dopamine is activated by a LOT of things: tasty food, good music, finishing a task, talking with friends, getting a compliment, laughing at a joke, etc. Dopamine is more about pleasurable feelings, while serotonin is more like a measure of your subconscious baseline mood. Dopamine may spike but your baseline of serotonin doesn’t move much.

Then there’s us ADHDers, who have naturally low levels of both! Fun! (Fun fact: That’s why we hyperfixate and stim: we need to collect dopamine anywhere we can and squeeze every last drop because if we stop the Boredom Hell descends.)

Tbh probably no one really cares :P I just wanted to share lol so it’s not like you’ll get called out for using whichever, I just like psychology. I love questions, though, so yay! <3