Dopamine, Our Pleasure Neurotransmitter! Friend or Foe?

Did you know that when we experience pleasure of one kind or another, our brain chemicals impact our limbic system including the hypothalamus, hippocampus, amygdala, & nucleus accumbens, in particular, and ventral striatum, which are connected to the neurotransmitter dopamine and the brain’s natural opiate, endorphin. Once the body associates a pleasure with those chemicals, it wants more! And more. And more. Let’s use chocolate as an example. Often the mere thought or seeing chocolate produces a release of dopamine in the brain. Then when we taste it, opiates (endorphins) are released further binding our behavior to chocolate eating! Once we eat the chocolate our dopamine level begins to drop. The ANTICIPATION of the pleasure drives the dopamine more so than the actual consumption! Now we have entered dopamine lack which often leaves us feeling deprived and we reach for more chocolate to drive the dopamine back up. It’s cyclic and chocolate is simply an example, as anything pleasurable can send our dopamine levels into overdrive, including other foods, alcohol, sex, shop lifting, work, exercise, dare devil activities, drugs, etc. A similar experience happens with cortisol and sugar. This can be the beginning of an addiction or a craving around a substance or activity that drives anxiousness. Anxiousness is very uncomfortable, but tapping can help. How? By often finding the source event or memories driving the pleasure and tapping on those. Many ask why would I want to rid myself of pleasure! You wouldn’t but perhaps letting go of the excess behaviors might feel like a good idea. And it is, as it often then leaves us more satisfied with less of something (like calories, alcohol, etc.). Questions? Thoughts? Comments? Sherrie Rice Smith Certified EFT Practitioner EFTforChristians.com Author of EFT for Christians 5 Book Series

EFT & Neural Connections

"The keys to your brain function are the chemical messengers of mind and mood called neurotransmitters.

Trillions of nerve cells, called neurons, are scattered throughout your body, but are most highly concentrated in the brain {Sherrie's note - some say there are more in the gut than the brain}.

The 'sending' neuron produces the neurotransmitter {of the hundreds of neurotransmitters, the best known are dopamine, serotonin, adrenaline, endorphins, & GABA} propelling it toward the 'receiving' neuron, across a small gap called a synapse.

Each neuron, on average, makes more than 1000 synaptic connections with other neurons. In total, there may be between 100 trillion and quadrillion synapses in the brain. Moreover, these synapses are not random but form patterns that give rise to what are called circuits {neural connections or neural pathways} in the brain. These form the basis of behavior and of mental life."

The Addicted Brain by Hyla Cass, M.D. pages 20-21

When we discuss the "generalization" effect in EFT it now makes sense in light of this description. When we tap and break some neural connection, it affects up to another 1000 synaptic connections with other neural circuits or neural pathways.

This is why bad habits or thoughts often disappear on their own when tapping about something else totally unrelated to the topic!

Isn't it amazing what God has done in our bodies when He created us to heal?

Remember, EFT is not a substitute for sound medical care, so please contact your own personal physician for any medical or psychological help.

Sherrie Rice Smith

Certified EFT Practitioner

EFTforChristians.com

Author of EFT for Christians Tapping in God's Peace & Joy (2016)

Author of EFT for Christians Advanced (2017)

Author of EFTforChristians 52 Tapping Devotions (Christmas, 2017)

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