For example why does a kiss feel different than an orgasm or satisfying a food craving if they’re all feel good things?
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I think you’re asking why we receive the same kind of dopamine rush from crushin’ butt, as we do from crushin’ a king’s ransom of Taco Bell. I’d say it’s our nerves, but I’m no expert.
So your body tends to reward you for doing things it’s supposed to. Sex feels great because you’re programed that way so it feels good to populate the species and pass on your genes. Now when you go to the drive thru and your other but have to wait to get home your get a dopamine rush which is a chemical that gives you pleasure for the thing you’re about to do, which is eat. When you eat after being really hungry your body gives you a rush of serotonin which is the feel good chemical. It’s a reward for doing what your body needs. Basically the body rewards you for doing things you need to do.
The cravings are being caused by certain chemicals triggering reactions in certain parts of the brain. Something like a kiss or orgasm is going to be triggered from different chemicals then say a food craving. Food cravings are strongly regulated by insulin for example and when insulin makes its way to the brain (or the lack of it) certain cravings can be triggered by that specific balance of chemicals.
Evolutionarily speaking, and stick with me, kissing and grooming has been deep rooted in the earliest of animals and we have evolved to enjoy being groomed and smelling and licking each other because it lets us know about eahcothers health, diet and other related behaviors. Licking someones mouth can tell you a LOT about that person. So, we have evolved to “enjoy” or “crave” things that keep us alive but those cravings are caused by different chemicals in different combinations of the brain so they feel differently.
Similar to how pizza taste different than ice cream, but are both tasty, we have 4 different “happy chemicals” that are released in response to different types of good feelings. They feel different because they are different chemicals, but they all feel good.
1. Dopamine. Also known as the “feel-good” hormone, dopamine is a hormone and neurotransmitter that’s an important part of your brain’s reward system. Dopamine is associated with pleasurable sensations, along with learning, memory, motor system function, and more.
2. Serotonin. This hormone (and neurotransmitter) helps regulate your mood as well as your sleep, appetite, digestion, learning ability, and memory.
3. Oxytocin. Often called the “love hormone,” oxytocin is essential for childbirth, breastfeeding, and strong parent-child bonding. This hormone can also help promote trust, empathy, and bonding in relationships, and oxytocin levels generally increase with physical affection like kissing, cuddling, and sex.
4. Endorphins. Endorphins are your body’s natural pain reliever, which your body produces in response to stress or discomfort. Endorphin levels also tend to increase when you engage in reward-producing activities, such as eating, working out, or having sex.
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