I keep reading all these recreational drugs increase dopamine – the ‘feel good’ drug in the brain. So why is just injecting dopamine itself not a thing?
In: Biology
Serotonine is over here just thinking ‘well, fuck my drag, right?’ – the truth is that dopamine is one part of the process there are a series of differing ways in which different aspects of brain chemistry are affected by recreational drugs. It really depends what you are talking about by recreational drugs as well: ketamine has a different affect to cocaine has a different affect to MDMA has a different affect to psychedelics.
As many people have already said , dopamine is not just a ‘feel good’ hormone, it can’t cross the blood brain barrier and would have to be directly injected into the brain, and it would fudge around with a whole host of other processes in the body.
One reason why many people don’t use recreational drugs frequently, i.e., only for special occasions, festivals etc., is that often the ‘euphoria’ that is felt during drug use is the result of brain chemistry being pushed out of its comfort zone – this comes with consequences – fatigue, tiredness, depression, emotional detachment, etc.. When used infrequently and recreationally, these after-effects are less severe and last for/occur a few days after use but more frequent and combined use of recreational drugs can have more severe, longer lasting effects. (it’s difficult to state clearly how so with each drug, due to the limitations with testing on humans, and even obtaining the chemicals legally and professional for clinical study)
Unfortunately it’s not so simple as messing with one variable because the brain is not just a simple input-output mechanism. It’s very tough for even the most experienced mental health professionals to prescribe the correct drugs at the correct dosage for patients because they are trying to ‘correct a brain chemistry imbalance’ and get the desired effects – but without pushing anything too far or interfering with other processes.
I mean this is even the same with something like nutrition, we are coming to understand the different ways that the body is designed to breakdown, extract and absorb different chemicals through the digestive system … many foods contain calcium for example…. but then you have to consider in what form, in what molecules – can the body break them down efficiently, how efficiently will it be able to absorb it in that form, what other chemicals are in that food – do they interfere with that breakdown and absorption process (either positively or negatively)? It’s rarely as simple as simply putting more of one thing into the body to achieve the desired reaction – you always have to consider the different mechanisms the thing you are imputing will interact with in the body and if it will actually be a net gain.
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