Dopamine vs. Serotonin: Quick Mental-Health Breakdown #shorts
You’ve heard about dopamine and serotonin—but they’re not the same thing.
Dopamine drives motivation and reward. It pushes you toward goals and gives that sense of satisfaction when you achieve them.
Serotonin stabilizes mood. It helps regulate anxiety, contentment, and emotional balance.
Here’s the difference: dopamine is about pursuit. Serotonin is about stability.
Understanding how they work helps explain why certain symptoms show up—and why different treatments target different pathways.
#Dopamine #Serotonin #MentalHealthEducation #BrainChemistry #DrTraceyMarks
21 Comments
Your videos are amazing Dr. Tracey Marks. Thank you for sharing much beneficial info. 👌🌹
👍
"Dopamine is your motivation and reward chemical. It drives you towards goals and gives you that hit of satisfaction when you achieve something. Too little, and you feel unmotivated and flat. Serotonin is your mood stabilizer… Dopamine is about wanting and persuing. Serotonin is about feeling okay with what you have."
This hit me like a ton of bricks.
We are often motivated by the reward of dopamine. Dopamine and serotonin are chemical messengers that connect the left hemisphere with the right hemisphere. Serotonin is for overall well-being and mood regulation. Natural and healthy serotonin boosts include sunlight, healthy and good food, and finding meaning and creating value. Natural dopamine boosts include, achieving a goal, pleasure and reward for hard work and enjoying the benefits, and exercise. It's important to resist instant gratification. When these neurotransmitters become imbalanced, we become unstable. Remember, you are unique and valuable. You are worthy of a healthy mind. I value you and your mental health ❤❤❤
With ADHD we lack both. Tough Life…
This is why MDMA feels so amazing because it makes your brain rapidly release a massive amount of dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine. However you are then depleted of these chemicals for days. Use with caution 👍
Your hair looks really good, especially with that jacket 💛
I always appreciate your videos. What are your thoughts about dopamine patches? I'm thinking about trying them.
Does a gratitude practice help with serotonin levels?
Thank you, Dr. Marks
Whelp i have pretty much neither of them
I need both !! 😢
Thank you Dr Marks 💕
Dr marks you're the best❤
Thank you ❤
We all just love you. Ty
Why do most ssris make me more anxious then?
🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
I recall in my pharmacology and toxicology course that there was no evidence of serotonin in the brain.
I have bipolar and ADHD it’s such a curse sometimes
Thank you for this information.