When High Dopamine Mimics Anxiety: Understanding Dopamine Imbalance

 When High Dopamine Mimics Anxiety: Understanding Dopamine Imbalance 



                       Have you ever experienced that feeling when you are excited, restless, energetic... yet, at the same time, unexpectedly anxious? As your mind is running along faster than your body can go? Most individuals believe that only stress or worry can cause anxiety when in reality, the cause may be lurking in the background: dopamine imbalance.    

Dopamine is commonly referred to as the feel-good chemical, however, in this case, the twist to the story is that excess dopamine can cause one to feel anxious, overstimulated, or even panicky. It may seem unbelievable, but it makes a lot of sense once you get the way it works. We shall discuss this in the simplest and friendliest way.     

What Exactly Is Dopamine?  

Dopamine is the motivational messenger that your brain has.   

It helps you feel: 
  1. Motivated 
  2. Excited 
  3. Rewarded 
  4. and focused. 
When you accomplish anything, even the tiniest of things, such as finishing a task, having your favourite snack, or receiving a compliment, a small dose of dopamine gets released into your brain. And that is what makes you feel good temporarily.                       
A little dopamine is helpful. However, once dopamine is shooting excessively, things will get uncomfortable.

Is it true that a high level of dopamine can trigger feelings of anxiety? 

Absolutely, and that's a common experience in many people. 
Too much dopamine can cause the feeling of being in a heightened state for your body and mind. 

Some describe this as 
  • having "100 open tabs" in their brain 
  • Restlessness for no apparent reason  
  • Excitement and fear at the same time 
  • Difficult to sit still  
  • and feeling like your heart is racing  

If this describes you, you are not alone.

A friend said it best when she said to me, "I didn't feel sad; I didn't feel stressed. I just felt like my brain was running a marathon that I never signed up for." She later discovered that she wasn't being anxious by itself but rather produced some extreme peaks of dopamine from her lifestyle choices.

Sometimes our bodies send us signals about what is going on inside us well before we ever figure out what those signals mean..                         

Why Does High Dopamine Feel Like Anxiety? 




The simplest way to explain high dopamine is:  

Dopamine stimulates the 'go-go-go' system in the brain.  

When there is too much dopamine:
  • Heart rate increases
  • Thought speeds increase
  • Muscles become tense
  •  Body becomes restless

And guess what?
These are the same symptoms we feel during anxiety.

So your body gets confused —
Since the body can not tell if the state of mind is excited or anxious, both states can combine.    

Common Causes of High Dopamine That People Don’t Notice :     

We don't have to be scientists to know that we all do a lot of things that increase our level of dopamine.

Dopamine is the main neurotransmitter in our body that tells us when we're happy, excited, or engaged in something.

And there are many daily habits that we engage in that can increase our level of dopamine much more than we may be aware of.

1. Screen time   

Scrolling through Instagram or TikTok can give you small amounts of dopamine over and over.

Your brain is overstimulated, and your body feels fatigued, which causes anxiety to build after prolonged periods of stimulating your dopamine receptors.  

2. Multitasking

The act of being productive causes our bodies to produce too much dopamine, making us feel awake and alert even when our bodies are exhausted.

3. Caffeine, sugar, and energy drinks

These substances give you a boost of dopamine for a short time, but the drop-off is so quick that it creates a feeling of nervous energy.                                        

4. Lack of proper sleep

 Lack of sleep makes the brain more responsive to the changes of dopamine. 

5.Expectations and goal pressure are high:

This is due to the fact that the dopamine is firing at a high rate because of the obsession to do more or achieve fast. 

6.Certain medications:

Certain drugs, notably psychiatric, may elevate the level of dopamine. (Never change without a doctor consulting you). 

7.Emotional overstimulation

Dopamine could be increased even by positive excitement, like traveling, celebrations, falling in love, new projects.             

Sometimes the exciting moments seem to be a form of anxiety since the body is too excited.    

Symptoms of Your Dopamine level may be excessively high:    

The following are just some of the easy tips that your dopamine system could be over-stimulated:

  • Feeling restless or fidgety
  •  Racing thoughts Difficulty relaxing 
  • Excited and uncomfortable. 
  • Hypersensitivity in sound or illumination. 
  • Heart beating faster 
  • Trouble sleeping 
  • Overthinking small things 
  • Feeling exhausted after scrolling through the social media. 

Naturally, there is a myriad of other causes of anxiety, yet dopamine imbalance is one of the causes that many people are unaware of.             

The Way to Soothe the Body When the High Dopamine Feels like Anxiety:  


You will never need anything complex. Minimal lifestyle changes will bring back order. 

1.Slow down your pace 

Take slow breaths. Walk slowly. Do tasks one by one. Your brain works at the speed of your body.
 
2.Reduce screen time

Especially before bed. Your brain requires a break period of being regularly stimulated. 

3.Eat balanced meals 

Diets such as bananas, nuts, whole grains, eggs, and greens control the production of dopamine.                                      
4.Stay hydrated 

Water helps body chemistry even more than most individuals have realized. 

5.Do grounding activities Like: 

Walking barefoot on grass, simple stretching, or even washing your face with cold water. These help to jolt your brain back into the present. 

6. Limit caffeine 

 Another cup of coffee can make it even worse in case you are already anxious. 

7.Prioritise sleep 

A good rest of sleep does nothing better than resetting dopamine.   

In Which Situations Do You Have To Think about Medical Advice?  



Provided your symptoms of anxiety-like:  

  • are frequent, 
  • feel uncontrollable, 
  • or interfere with daily life, 
then a doctor or a mental health professional may assist in determining whether it is a dopamine problem, then an anxiety disorder or otherwise. 
It is not a disgrace to seek help.
Even most fearless individuals require assistance. 

A Small Personal Note  

I have heard of numerous individuals who self-faulted and accused themselves of being anxious with no causes. They later found out that the way they were living their life was overstimulating their brain, and not their personality. 
You are not weak. 
You are not wasting your time overthinking. 
It may just be the brain saying that it requires balance. And that you can correct, step by step.  

Final Thoughts  

The dopamine is not an enemy, it is your useful motivator. But just as anything in the body, it requires a balance. Once it is excessive, it will deceive your body to be nervous or jumpy. It is important to comprehend this association so that you could control your mind rather than it controlling you.

In case this article helped you, make sure to share it with friends or on social media- another person may require such clarity as well. 

And in case you like straightforward, informative explanations of the mind, body, and technology-related issues, you need to subscribe to the blog to get more material. You are not the only one who is on this path to balance. And you are certainly not so weak as you imagine.









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