Optimal Health Daily - Fitness and Nutrition 3189: Can You Overdose on Happiness? by Emma Hogan with Les Mills on Positive Living
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Nov 15, 2025 Emma Hogan explores the paradox of happiness in chasing pleasure, discussing how dopamine can lead to unhappiness while serotonin fosters stability. She highlights the risks of overstimulating dopamine, linked to addiction and depression. The episode discusses the impact of processed foods on mood and the importance of tryptophan for serotonin production. Hogan presents a four-part strategy—Connect, Contribute, Cope, and Cook—to boost happiness sustainably. Modern triggers like social media and fast food contribute to compulsive behaviors, making self-awareness crucial for emotional health.
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Dopamine Vs. Serotonin: Different Brain Jobs
- Dopamine and serotonin are distinct neurotransmitters with different brain roles and effects.
- Dopamine drives short-lived reward and motivation while serotonin supports calm, focus, and longer-term happiness.
How Dopamine Overstimulation Leads To Addiction
- Excessive localized dopamine can overstimulate neurons and lead to receptor down-regulation and tolerance.
- Continued overstimulation can cause neuronal death and lead to addiction.
Pleasure-Seeking Can Undermine Happiness
- Dopamine can downregulate serotonin, linking compulsive pleasure seeking to reduced long-term well-being.
- Lustig frames addiction and depression as related outcomes of dopamine overdrive and serotonin deficiency.