Chase Real Dopamine!
Recently I came across a photography exhibition – a small collection of images by Rebecca Douglas ….
Image after image of wild places, magical places, of nature at its most savage and, also, at its most sublime.
Then, as I turned into the corridor there was this one; “liminal spaces are where the dopamine is”.
Crikey! This resonated - with a bang - after five precious weeks climbing in the Alps.
It was still clanging around my head at the motorway services as we headed north. I really tried not to feel shocked by the queues at KFC, the hordes clutching buckets of popcorn in one hand and Pepsi in the other and the youngsters’ shovelling fries into their mouths - with both hands – as if they’d been in the desert for forty days!
I told myself sternly, “don’t judge”, as I walked past the multi-buy tower block of chocolates and looked at the “architecture”, then the floor, to stop myself noticing waistlines; “please don’t judge, please, please don’t be that judgy person”, I kept imploring to myself.
Instead I’ve spent the last few days trying to understand ….
Could this boil down to craving Dopamine? I mean, who doesn’t want it? It makes us feel euphoric. Energetic. Inexorable, even! Dopamine is a motivator; it helps us get things done and boosts “can do” positivity. But our world has become full of “fake dopamine”, which has made it so much harder to find the real stuff!
BTW, when I say “FAKE” I’m talking about instant-gratification things; the “quick fixes” that do increase our Dopamine levels initially but then, as the body responds to being “flooded” with this hormone, it responds by down-regulating our Dopamine-receptors. This leads to our mood plummeting – sometimes very rapidly – and craving another hit! Processed foods, especially those with the “winning” combination of high sugar and high fat is one example of “fake” dopamine. We can also get a quick hit from alcohol, recreational drugs and risk-taking behaviours; the ones that don’t require too much effort are particularly beguiling, e.g. driving your car crazy-fast or rioting!
Thing is, if we get hooked on “instant Dopamine” it is pretty much a one-way street. The body starts to crave a mood boost but lacks the energy for anything that feels too difficult! So begins the slide towards addiction, which becomes increasingly hard to stop.
Our neuro-transmitters become more dysregulated and endogenous levels of mood-boosting hormones are further depleted, leaving us without the motivation or determination to chase down the things that could really bring us joy; the things that boost our mood, in a sustainable way, to leave a long-term glow.
This is because it takes effort – both physical and mental – and it requires courage to go against the tide; a huge swell that wants to sweep us straight into the MacDonalds drive-through!
But fake-dopamine does not satiate; it leaves us wanting more and more! Chasing it does not bring a sense of pride, instead it causes guilt, which in turn fuels self-dissatisfaction and even self-punishment! Yup! We start to deny ourselves lovely nourishing things ….
Like the chance of experiencing awe; those jaw-dropping moments when we are stopped in our tracks and rendered inarticulate, only just about able to utter “wow” – sometimes on repeat!
That was something else Rebecca said:
"We’ve lost the simple thrill of awe and enchantment, it’s almost become ‘shameful’ to be overjoyed at simple things."
REBECCA DOUGLAS
It’s because fake dopamine paints everything large before it all turns back to beige. Real dopamine is more subtle. It comes from delight at watching choughs perform a synchronised “Red-Arrows-style” display. Or marvelling at iridescent beetles, more psychedelic than any neon gel-polish. It could also come from simply standing amidst a carpet of flowers – each one so delicate you find yourself on tiptoes!
Or maybe you just get up at first light and marvel at the turning earth – grateful for another day on this vast, incredible, and mysterious planet. Surely it is impossible not to feel a little awe at sunrise or sunset? When we let ourselves feel this magic we begin to feed our soul. And, when our soul speaks our wilder, more adventurous spirit will waste no time in showing us exactly where to find real dopamine!