I like this question. Ask 10 people this question and look for the variety of answers you get. I can almost guarantee that unless you are talking to a neuroscientist, none of them will use the word dopamine in their answer. That’s too bad, because that is, in fact, the answer. We might use all sorts of words to describe emotional pain and the soothing effect of distracting ourselves with simple pleasures and finding oneself etc, but in reality it might just boil down to the brain’s desperate search for dopamine to replace the dopamine that has been lost. Dopamine, one of hundreds of chemical messengers in the brain known as neurotransmitters, has many roles in the brain, with one of them being the production of physical processes that we experience as pleasure, fun, or reward. In a nutshell, anything that we do that we enjoy and feel motivated to do again causes dopamine to be released in our brain, leading to good feelings and the increased likelihood of repeating the behavior. Needless to say, our brain loves dopamine. However, it may love it just a bit too much. This means that when it gets a taste of dopamine, it […]

I want people to be able to get accurate and responsible answers to the questions that they have about mental health, mental illness, and psychology in general. I do not plan on answering questions based solely on opinion but on what science and experience has demonstrated. This does not mean that opinion does not play a role and that is where you come in. Please send me your questions and I will attempt to answer them, possibly featuring them on this page. In addition, I not only welcome feedback and discussion, I’m practically begging for it. Let your voice be heard. Having said that, please be respectful of the voices of others. Abusive, offensive, or aggressive posts will not be allowed. Question of the Day: Q: How can people direct anger constructively?  I love this question. As someone who specializes in the treatment of anger and aggression, one of the philosophical ideas that is ubiquitous and, I believe, harmful, is the notion of “positive” anger. I think I know what people area referring to when they use this term but I think a deeper exploration of the idea of anger will reveal why I don’t believe this concept is possible. When people […]

This is the first in a new feature on this site. I want people to be able to get accurate and responsible answers to the questions that they have about mental health, mental illness, and psychology in general. I do not plan on answering questions based solely on opinion but on what science and experience has demonstrated. This does not mean that opinion does not play a role and that is where you come in. Please send me your questions and I will attempt to answer them, possibly featuring them on this page. In addition, I not only welcome feedback and discussion, I’m practically begging for it. Let your voice be heard. Having said that, please be respectful of the voices of others. Abusive, offensive, or aggressive posts will not be allowed. Question of the Day: Q: I have generally understood the meaning of “disease” to be the invasion of our bodies by some form of invasive bacteria or virus. If this is correct, how does mental health fit in this paradigm when it is also referred to as a disease, or when alcoholism is regarded as a “disease”? A: This is a very common question in the realm of psychology, which […]