Resetting Dopamine After Addiction

Resetting dopamine levels after addiction can be vital for continued successful recovery.

Call Lake Avenue Recovery today at (508)794-4400 to learn more about addiction treatment in Massachusetts.

What Is Dopamine?

To understand the importance of resetting dopamine levels after addiction, it can help to first review some fundamental facts about dopamine itself.

Dopamine is a chemical messenger that functions as both a hormone and a neurotransmitter:

• Hormones are part of the endocrine system. They travel through the bloodstream and usually work slowly on sustained functions such as growth and metabolism (converting nutrients into energy).
• Neurotransmitters are part of the nervous system. They move from one nerve cell to the next by crossing small gaps called synapses, delivering messages that can cause rapid changes in areas such as mood, heart rate, and stress response.

Dopamine is commonly referred to as the “feel-good hormone” because it triggers the brain’s reward system when people engage in enjoyable activities such as having sex, eating a good meal, or spending time with friends. 

However, its responsibilities aren’t limited to pleasure. Dopamine is also involved in a variety of other areas, including:

• Focus 
• Learning
• Memory
• Motivation
• Processing pain signals
• Movement
• Digestion
• Lactation
• Kidney function

Dopamine deficiencies have been linked with several health concerns, including low energy, Parkinson’s disease, memory problems, depression, and restless leg syndrome. 

Excess dopamine appears to contribute to manic episodes, hallucinations, impulsivity, and aggressiveness.

How Does Addiction Affect Dopamine Levels?

When you use alcohol, opioids, and many other addictive substances, the drugs can trigger a significant increase in dopamine. Three immediate effects of this increase are:

• Improved mood, potentially to the point of euphoria
• Decreased stress and tension
• Diminished sensitivity to pain

Presented without context, these all look like positive developments. And if you’re taking a prescription medication to address a specific medical concern, these effects would be evidence that the drug is working as designed.

But whether you’re using a legal medication or an illicit drug, continued use can put you at risk of many negative outcomes, including addiction. Here’s why:

• When you use a substance for an extended period, your body will begin to adapt to its near-continuous presence in your system. This adaptation can include relying on the drug to trigger the production and release of dopamine.
• Ideally, a dopamine release will increase your motivation to do things that are good for you, like eating healthy food or exercising. But dopamine can also reinforce the desire to engage in less-healthy behaviors, such as binge eating and substance abuse.
• Eventually, your body may become unable to maintain an ample supply of dopamine and other chemicals without the assistance of the substance. Sometimes, you may even need to start using larger amounts of the drug to achieve the desired effects. This is known as developing tolerance.
• At some point, instead of using the drug to experience positive effects such as improved mood and decreased pain, you may need to take the drug just to feel “normal.
• If you abruptly stop using the drug, your levels of dopamine and other chemicals are likely to plunge, throwing your body into a state of imbalance. 
• Depending on host of personal factors, it may take weeks, months, or even years for your body to regain control of all processes that had been impacted by the substance. This may include maintaining proper dopamine levels.

Tips for Resetting Dopamine Levels After Addiction

As your body works to reset your dopamine levels after addiction, your behaviors can either enhance or degrade the process. Here are four helpful steps you can take:

• Improve your diet: Dopamine is naturally produced by the human body. But some of the elements needed for this process come from food. A Harvard Health article identified chicken and other poultry, avocados, dairy products, bananas, sesame seeds, and soy as foods that can promote increased dopamine.
• Move your body: Multiple studies, including a 2021 review in the journal Brain Sciences, have found that physical exercise can have a positive effect on dopamine production. Ideally, the exercise should be vigorous enough to raise your heart rate. Many experts advise getting a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise per day, three to five days per week.
• Prioritize sleep: Sleep deprivation can have a similar effect on dopamine that drugs do. A team from Northwestern University found that lack of sleep can increase dopamine production, but prevent nerve cells from absorbing the neurotransmitter. The resultant imbalance can, over time, cause lasting changes in brain function. To counteract this and promote healthy dopamine production, experts advise adults to get eight to nine hours of sleep per night.  
• Meditate: Research suggests that the brain benefits of regular meditation may include increases in dopamine, serotonin, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Serotonin and GABA are neurotransmitters that, along with dopamine, can affect mood, motivation, relaxation, and similar functions. 

Learn More About Addiction Treatment in Massachusetts

Lake Avenue is a trusted source of personalized outpatient care for adults whose lives have been disrupted by addictions and co-occurring mental health disorders.

Treatment options at our rehab in Worcester, MA, include a high-intensity outpatient program (similar to day treatment or a partial hospitalization program), an intensive outpatient program (IOP), and an evening IOP. 

A member of our team will be happy to discuss the features and benefits of each option with you, so that you can make the most informed decision for yourself or on behalf of a family member.

To learn more about how we can help you or a loved one, or to schedule a free assessment, please visit our Admissions page or call us today.