If you’re suffering from sleep problems, mood disorders, depression, or anxiety, you could have a deeper problem—imbalanced serotonin levels. Serotonin, a neurotransmitter, carries messages between cells in your brain and throughout the body.
The primary role of serotonin is to regulate mood in your brain. Low serotonin levels in the brain are linked with depression, anxiety, and mental health disorders. On the other hand, higher serotonin levels—a ‘feel good’ chemical— is associated with good mood and mental well-being.
Considering its impact on mental health and overall well-being, it’s essential to understand the causes of low levels and how to stabilize serotonin levels.
Here’s what you need to know.
You’ll feel emotionally stable, happier, and calmer when your body produces enough serotonin. What’s more, enough serotonin helps you become more focused.
Optimum serotonin levels have the following impact on your emotional well-being.
Four main chemicals play a role in human mood and emotion; serotonin, adrenaline, dopamine, and oxytocin. It’s also important to understand the relationship between the brain and mood.
Generally, the brain controls the release of chemicals (neurotransmitters) that communicate to other areas of the brain to stimulate or create a calming effect. Whenever there’s a chemical imbalance in the brain, the body produces too much or insufficient neurotransmitters.
If the imbalance is left untreated, you may develop a mood disorder or a mental health condition.
Serotonin regulates mood by activating nerve cells in the brain responsible for mood regulation. When there’s enough serotonin in the brain, it binds to receptors in the nerve cells, stabilizing the mood and reducing feelings of anxiety and depression.
If you’ve low serotonin levels, you’re likely to experience the following:
On the other hand, enough serotonin in your body enhances emotional stability, calmness, high energy levels, and focus.
Insufficient serotonin levels in the brain can reduce the activity levels of nerve cells responsible for mood regulation. Unfortunately, the consequences of an imbalance of serotonin include depression and anxiety.
As a result, you may develop anxiety symptoms like nervousness, increased heart rate, sweating, and weakness. Low serotonin levels may also disrupt other bodily functions like sleep and appetite, resulting in depression and anxiety.
If you’re concerned about your worsening mood and mental health, it’s important to investigate whether serotonin levels have played a role. Take steps like regular exercise, eating healthy, or managing stress levels to support the production of optimal levels of serotonin.
Better still, talk to a compassionate mental health pro like MindVibe for a complete diagnosis of your problem. Contact us online or call us at 123.456.7890 to make an appointment.
