Increasing Dopamine

[ginkeq]

I was asking b/c I don't feel like doing anything ever. I was thinking it might be due to the st johns wort or something. It's like I always need caffeine etc. to get motivated.

I just want something that makes me feel more driven (like caffeine but permanent)...

 

[Nibiru]

It's a sort of snowball effect I find. Only so much motivation comes natural. If you force yourself into doing useful things for a while, once the results finally start to show, you kind of get better at keeping motivated. Also, if you smoke herb, smoking less can usually help.

 

[p-mo]

L-Dopa and Bromocriptine raise dopamine levels but as everyone else has said high dopamine levels don't make for a happy person. Find a Parkinsons sufferer and ask if they've ever taken too much l-dopa....

I was asking b/c I don't feel like doing anything ever. I was thinking it might be due to the st johns wort or something. It's like I always need caffeine etc. to get motivated.

I just want something that makes me feel more driven (like caffeine but permanent)...

Sounds like mild depression. Speak to your doctor about an SSRI if necessary but I'd just set yourself some easily achievable goals and stick to them. Proving to yourself that you can do what you want to do will give you immense satisfaction and drive

 

[ranunky]

Natural ways to raise dopamine levels:

Eat a delicious meal,
Have sex,
Listen to some good music,
Read a good book,
Laugh,
Win something (a race, competition, whatever),
Achieve a goal (graduate your degree, catch a fish, whatever),
Watch the sun rise or set,
Video games
Board games,
Gamble,
Have a craving (craving actually increase DA in the 'pleasure centre' dopamine is not strictly a pleasure chemical, it appears to also be involved in reminding one of pleasures lost),
Start a fight.
Verbally abuse someone,
emotionally abuse someone
torture an animal..... don't do the last few lol

Raising dopamine by taking a supplement or a pill isn't going to make your life better. Fill your day with enjoyable activities, it's the only way to have a fulfilling life.... I need to follow my own advice, I did bugger all today... I think I'll invite a few friends over for a barbie tomo, the weather is scorching here!

 

[Roger&Me]

not at all (whatever your nick is)

if you're eating plenty of protein (~100g a day) then you're getting MORE than enough tyrosine.

Yeah. I've never understood supplementing with certain amino acids. Your body breaks down all protein you eat into all its amino acid constituents anyways, and later rebuilds them into proteins again.

 

[Nibiru]

Yeah. I've never understood supplementing with certain amino acids. Your body breaks down all protein you eat into all its amino acid constituents anyways, and later rebuilds them into proteins again.

Well, with essential amino acids yes, but there are some novel amino acids (like theanine which is found in tea) that aren't proteinaceous amino acids.

 

[ebola?]

not at all (whatever your nick is)

if you're eating plenty of protein (~100g a day) then you're getting MORE than enough tyrosine.

I'll note briefly that even vegans can rather easily obtain this quantity of dietary protein.

ebola

 

[Nibiru]

Vegans have no problem getting protein. In fact many of them eat too much thinking that their diet is likely to be deficient in protein. Soybeans have a higher protein density than beef, and a lot of vegans eat way too much soy. The biggest problem vegans face is b12 deficiency, which can either bde supplemented, or (preferrably IMO) consumed in fermented food with bacterial cultures in it. Unfortunately, it's hard to get traditional-style miso (made in wooden containers which hold bacteria) and tempeh. Most commercial types of these fermented foods are produced under sterile conditions with only the required fungal innoculum and therefore no bacteria.

 

[ebola?]

OT:
Oh, I know. I was one for a bit over 5 years.