Dopamine is made by the inner part of the adrenal gland, called the adrenal medulla, and is one of the hormones responsible for the "fight or flight" reaction to a stressful or dangerous situation. During times of stress and anxiety, dopamine is released into the bloodstream and acts on the brain to produce a response to the stress.
Dopamine's Job in the Brain
Dopamine acts as a chemical messenger in the brain that helps control movement, emotional response and the ability to experience pleasure or pain. Dopamine binds to receptors in the brain to send messages from one area of the brain to another. It acts as a natural "painkiller" and also runs the body's "pleasure center." Therefore, it functions as a learning signal for behavior reinforcement, affecting motivation, incentive or attention.
Dopamine and the Amygdala
The amygdala is a portion of the brain, in the right and left temporal lobes, that seems to be responsible for emotional reactions to stressful situations. A study published in "Nature Neuroscience" documents the relationship of dopamine to the amygdala. Nerve circuits in the midbrain are responsible for providing dopamine to the amygdala, which helps the brain rate the importance of the situation and select the appropriate reaction. With a decrease in efficiency of dopamine communication between the midbrain and the amygdala, people experience more stress and anxiety.
Effect of Stress on Dopamine
Stress interferes with dopamine function in the brain, inhibiting the messages it sends to create the feeling of pleasure and the absence of pain, and can lead to a state of overstress. As a result, when under stress you may experience difficulty sleeping, lack of energy, lack of motivation and lack of interest. You may experience symptoms that accompany depression or chronic anxiety. Dopamine function is correlated to endorphin function; and in periods of continual stress, both compounds decline, leading to the weakening of the body's natural defense against pain.
Reducing Chronic Stress
Since chronic stress can reduce dopamine's effectiveness in the body, along with increasing the risk of heart attack, stroke and even cancer, it is vital to your health to manage your stress levels. Talking through the stressors in your life with a friend or relative or a professional, eating a healthy diet, including regular physical activity in your routine, and getting enough sleep are all things you can do to help you optimize your health and manage chronic stress. Recognizing and changing behaviors or situations that cause ongoing stress can help significantly.
References
- American Society of Clinical Oncology; Adrenal Gland Tumor; April 2010
- Medline Plus; Catecholamines - Blood; Linda J. Vorvick, MD, and David Zieve, MD; February 2011
- "The Journal of Neuroscience"; Dopamine Release in Response to a Psychological Stress in Humans and Its Relationship to Early Life Maternal Care: A Positron Emission Tomography Study Using [11C]Raclopride; Jens C. Pruessner et al.; March 2004
- TeachHealth.com: Brain Chemical Messengers
- "Nature Neuroscience"; Dopamine in Amygdala Gates Limbic Processing of Aversive Stimuli in Humans; Thorsten Kienast et al.; November 2008
- American Psychological Association: Stress: The Different Kinds of Stress
