SEROTONIN. Julia Sianto

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Video: SEROTONIN. Julia Sianto

Video: SEROTONIN. Julia Sianto
Video: girl in red - Serotonin (official video) 2024, March
SEROTONIN. Julia Sianto
SEROTONIN. Julia Sianto
Anonim

I'll start with the main thing - plunging into this research, I found out three fundamentally new things for myself.

First, serotonin, it turns out, is not at all the "happiness hormone" as it is usually called. At least, not that "happiness" that I hold for him - you know, such a bubbly, bouncing, joyous-summer-ice-cream happiness. No, that's not it.

Second, the degree of basic activation of the serotonin system in the body is of a genetic nature. Same as with dopamine from my previous article. It is logical, right?..

Well, and third, surprising - the causes of depression may have absolutely nothing to do with low serotonin levels

Now let's take a closer look, in order, and, as I like, let's start with a small sketch.

My husband has relatives in the north of Portugal. Most of them live in two or three villages near the regional center - moreover, for many generations. Portuguese villages are, of course, not at all the same as Russian or Ukrainian ones. Modern houses, nice cars, decent schools and gardens, shops around the corner. The roads there are such that, living at a distance of 30 km, their entire journey to work takes the same 30, only minutes. Nature, generous land and warm winters, a river. All in all, a great place.

But I could never live there. Why? Because of people and their ideas of the ideal life.

As an example, I will describe to you my husband's cousin, the wonderful Senora Ana Maria.

She is more successful than all her sisters - she married the first admirer, a wealthy dentist, then she herself learned to be a nurse, which is very respected in that area. They have three children, the eldest is the winner of many state Olympiads in informatics, and shows great promise. They live in a large and spacious house on the husband's family land, surrounded by seven more of the same houses of his relatives. They always have big families there, thank God.

By the way, about God. Ana Maria is very religious, albeit in a modern, very calm manner. She does not wear a skirt, does not cover her head - but every Sunday the whole family goes to Mass, in the bedrooms there are obligatory crucifixes at the head, on tables and nightstands - angels and statues of the Virgin Mary. Once a year, on their way south, they stop by to kneel at Fatima, Portugal's most famous center of Catholic pilgrimage.

Because yes, every year, around the same dates in August, they go on vacation - always to the same hotel in the south of Portugal. They once liked it on their honeymoon there, and since then a family tradition has gone.

Never in his life has anyone from the whole family (except for the older boy who flew to competitions from school) traveled outside the country. Despite the fact that, in addition to having money, they have relatives in Brazil, France, Switzerland, and Spain is just a stone's throw away. But why? They feel good at home.

Also, they never eat anything "unconventional".

- Sushi?!.. - She widened her eyes when my husband once talked about our celebration of his birthday. - Sushi? Oh no, I will never even take that into my mouth! What for? Our regular Portuguese food is still the most delicious.

Ana Maria walks sedately and smoothly, speaks beautifully. The boys obey her unquestioningly, and she already obeys her husband, who is even more calm and quiet. They never quarrel in public. On Saturday they go to her parents, on Sunday, after mass - to his. Where to celebrate Christmas is also determined by the sequence of the year. There have never been any failures.

Everything is always good and calm with them.

(That's just boring - it already brings teeth!..)

And, in fact, such a way of life is a dream and an example for the whole family. What is there - for the whole village!

(And I, in turn, even a little glad that they slowly but surely "excluded" my husband from the weekly calls and invitations to the holidays after his marriage to a foreign woman and experiments with food. tired, let's face it.)

Okay, what's all this here for? And to the fact that Ana Maria is a living example of a person who has a very active serotonin system (and not a very active dopamine system, unlike me). Moreover, in her case, it was clearly genetically transmitted to her by her father, who is just as sedate and traditional.

What is serotonin and why does it have such an effect?

First of all, as a neurotransmitter, serotonin does not so much bring positive emotions as it reduces susceptibility to negative ones. Therefore, when taking antidepressants, you should not expect more joy, but rather less pain and sensitivity. There are a lot of sensory and emotional streams going on in our brains all the time. Removing, muffling the excess and leaving only the main thing is one of the tasks of serotonin.

The joy of accomplishment, the anticipation, is the work of dopamine. Feeling of love and closeness - oxytocin. The physical high is due to endorphins and, in situations of danger, adrenaline. The feeling of your own awesomeness and drive from this can be a consequence of the work of estrogen and / or testosterone.

Serotonin, on the other hand, soothes. Relaxes. Balances circadian rhythms of sleep and wakefulness. Relieves exposed nerves. Gives calmness and a sense of the correctness of the surrounding world.

Some people - like Ana Maria - genetically inherit an active serotonin system.

There are many receptors, active release - and now, a person is very patient in life, knows how to concentrate on important things and is confident in himself.

Yes, it is scientifically proven that serotonin helps you feel your own worth and importance. In one study of monkeys, scientists found that the level of this neurotransmitter in a dominant individual becomes higher than in others. Such a monkey is distinguished by smoothness and majesty of movements ("I have nowhere to rush"), measured steps and "speech". However, if the leader loses contact with his subordinates (was put into a cage), then the level of serotonin in his blood gradually decreases and the behavior changes.

According to Helen Fisher's research (I will write another post about her system, perhaps this is very interesting) - people whose serotonin system is very active usually follow traditional values - family, close friends, religion, constancy. They can be sociable, easy to socialize, but at the same time they are conservative, they are in no hurry to explore the world around them and will choose loyal friends rather than interesting ones.

Also, "serotoniners" usually have a high pain threshold - they cannot be frightened by an injection or a cut, they hardly feel pain (for "dopaminers" - on the contrary).

Are both systems highly activated? Yes, sure. I personally have an example of my dad - he is friends with serotonin and with dopamine at the same time. He loves adventures - but is very responsible in them and does not risk in vain, loves to learn new things - but values loyal friends very much. Doesn't feel pain. Always positive and calm. Do not feed bread, let me try something new - but there is no inclination to addictions. In general - the ideal!..

By the way, I have never met a person who was healthier at his age, despite the complete absence of any efforts on his part.

I inherited from him only sensitivity to dopamine, but with serotonin I have worse - I just can't stand any pain, I can't see calmness and majesty of movements either 🙈

Returning to my favorite question about motherhood - yes, it is for "serotonin" mothers that motherhood is the most joyful. Especially if oxytocin is also working as it should.

What can help the production of serotonin? I scoured half of the Internet and I was able to draw interesting conclusions.

1. Nutrition and Supplements.

On the one hand, it is generally accepted that the formation of serotonin is promoted by foods containing tryptophan, an amino acid found in many foods. On the other hand, I found interesting studies about the human microbiome and, specifically, lactobacilli. So, it turned out that with a decrease in their amount in the intestine, the level of kynurenine in the blood increases - a product of enzymatic breakdown in the liver … of the same tryptophan. It is also called "the hormone of unhappiness", by analogy with the "happy" serotonin, because it is believed that it "leads" to depressive moods.

Since I have been deeply digging into the topic of the human microbiome, as well as the natural restoration of health, for the whole last year, I immediately see some kind of relationship here. It makes sense that we need tryptophan - but is it just that? Another interesting research I have studied suggests that the body also needs vitamin D and omega 3 fatty acids for the production of serotonin. how it works in the body. I wrote about vitamin D separately, by the way - this is our absolute family must-have, especially in the middle and northern latitudes.

More found: zinc, magnesium, vitamin C, vitamins B6 and B9. Also nothing new, they are all found on my shelf.

You ask - and what, to drink this is all? Is it possible to get these trace elements with food?

And I will ask the main thing - are you sure that all this is absorbed as it should from food, if the intestines are "leaky"? (leaky gut) Which, in fact, is typical for absolutely all people who have any autoimmune diseases or symptoms (such as allergies). And, to be honest, lately I have rarely met people who do not have them, alas …

In general, I do not want to pump up, but I got the impression that if you do not have an active serotonin system by nature, if you do not have enough calmness and composure, then, almost in the first place, you need to do your own diet and definitely add vitamin D, omega 3 and further on the list in the diet. Moreover, in a fairly large number. Well, and take care of your intestines in parallel.

Actually, this is my personal strategy for about all diseases, and I confirm - it works:) If someone is interested in my personal experience, I will gladly share it, but in the comments. You can also google "autoimmune protocol".

For now, let's get back to serotonin.

2. Exercise.

Serotonin levels have been proven to rise with regular and consistent exercise. In general, by anyone, although such smooth practices as yoga, Pilates, stretching, dancing are unambiguous favorites. But the main thing is regularity.

I know from myself - when I regularly dance and / or do yoga regularly - I become calm like a boa constrictor and much more collected.

By the way, I read very interesting and about posture. Since high serotonin is associated with leadership in society, with a straight back, imposing, smooth movements, the deliberate, purposeful practice of all this in everyday life also works in the opposite direction - it increases production by itself.

In general, we hold our backs more often;)

3. Adequate amount of sleep and daylight.

Serotonin is actively involved in the regulation of daytime rhythms, and its production is highest in the morning, as well as under the influence of bright light. Nature is not stupid, in general, that it came up with the idea that we wake up from the rays of the sun. Hello to all larks - not out of necessity, but by nature and opportunity. You are great! And also - living in the south, where there is a lot of sun and light. I envy you terribly!..

4. Meditation, prayer, contemplative practice.

I saw an interesting study of how people who practiced a two-week prayer austerity got + lvl to produce serotonin and -lvl to produce dopamine. In general, any spiritual and mindfullness practice is unambiguously referred to as "serotonin" - they calm the mind and body, cut off unnecessary signals, and balance the mind. The opposite is also true - people with high levels of serotonin activation are more likely to be religious than everyone else.

5. Psychotherapy and learning to experience emotions and accept your feelings.

This is partly related to point 4, but there is something important here that I would like to draw your attention to.

For me, acceptance of myself and my feelings is acceptance, including the fact that initially, genetically, I am not a "serotonin" person. I am a "dopamine", my life resembles a roller coaster, with ups and downs of mood and interest.

And that's okay.

Realizing my nature, I burned it out. She cried that I would not see peace in my life "just like that", by nature for nothing.

And she exhaled.

I decided that if so - well, then let's go from the other side.

She said - is it not weak for me to accept myself as I am, and to build my life in a way that suits me?..

And she stopped trying to shove herself into the framework of a "serotonin" society - one that appreciates calmness, keeping oneself within limits, following traditions.

It’s uncomfortable for me to live like that. I don't like staying at home with my child. Work at the same job. It is traditional to organize holidays at home. Maintain friendship with childhood friends, simply because they are loyal friends.

I allowed myself to appear in the world - myself, bright, not fitting into the traditional framework, changeable.

I found myself a partner who is also ready for my constant swing. Who, in general, is so changeable himself! - and we are able to understand each other without judging. Found a job with dopaminitis. Non-standard - but also not boring! - Lifestyle.

Of course, I help my body as much as I can - food, sports, sleep.

But, in general, I just love myself and take responsibility for my life. Including - for my "black" days, days of dopamine kickbacks and broken dreams … I just take them for granted. A given to my nature.

And at the end - about depression.

I decided not to take the responsibility of saying anything about her myself and instead translated for you a few extracts from Johan Hari's new book, Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression - and the Unexpected Solutions by Johann Hari), which were recently published in the Guardian.

“When we take selfies, we take 30 shots, 29 of which - with blinking eyes or a double chin - and then just delete. We select for our profile in Tinder - the only best photo. in this field - they use a similar principle when it comes to antidepressants. They give grants for many studies and then hide those that have identified possible limitations in the use of drugs and show the general public only successful ones. For example, in one such study, 245 patients received the drug. but the pharmaceutical company only published results for 27. Of the 27 that the drug appears to have helped.

(my note - and here is another quote from a Russian-language publication based on research: “As it turned out, many of the clinical trials of these drugs were not very good faith: some of the data could be hidden, and the design of some studies left much to be desired. For example, 65 percent of the trials were funded by Big Pharma, of which 30 percent had a high degree of bias, 60 percent - a moderate one. In total, out of 34 trials, only 4 were actually bona fides. )

It turned out that 65-80% of people on antidepressant treatment are diagnosed again as "depressed" within a year [of starting treatment]. I used to think that my case was an exception - that I continued to be depressed, even taking medication - but Professor Kirsch explained to me that this is absolutely typical. Antidepressants work for some people - but they certainly aren't the solution for everyone.

This [finding out the truth about the research] presented Professor Kirsch with a question that surprised him. Why do we even think depression is caused by low serotonin? When he went to clarify this issue, he found that the evidence for this postulate is staggeringly shaky. Professor Andrew Skull of Princeton University, writing in the Lancet, explains that the rationale for depression by a sudden drop in serotonin levels is "unscientific and misleading." Dr. David Healy told me, "There was never any reason for that. It's just marketing."

I didn't want to hear that. When you live a long time explaining the reasons for your depression with a story about serotonin, then you really don't want to give up this idea again. For me, at one time it was like a leash that I threw over my pain in order to keep it under at least some control. I was afraid that if I disturbed this notion of my pain - a notion that I have lived with for so long! - she will break free, like a wild animal. But real scientific evidence showed me something that I could no longer turn a blind eye to.

…..

What actually happened? With every interview I took with scientists around the world - from São Paulo to Sydney, from Los Angeles to London - the pieces of the puzzle fit more and more into a single picture.

We all know that humans have basic physical needs: food, water, safety, clean air. But it turns out that, in a similar way, people also have basic psychological needs. We need to feel like we are part of something larger. You need to feel that we are valuable. That they are good at something. It is critical for us to have confidence in our future.

And more and more research shows that our culture is not designed to meet these needs - for many, but rather for most people. I realized that, in one way or another, we are increasingly divided as a community - and more and more distant from these basic things that we so need. And that it is precisely these unmet psychological needs that are the main reason for the increasing number of people with depression and bouts of unreasonable anxiety.

……

When I realized all this, I really wanted to go back in time and talk to the teenager I was when I first heard the story of "low serotonin" - a story that I will deceive myself with for many years to come. I would like to tell him, "The pain you feel is not pathology. It is not insanity. It is a sign that your basic psychological needs are not being met. It is a form of grieving - grieving about yourself and about the mistakes made by society. I know how deeply it cuts you. How it cuts alive everything inside. But you need to listen to this sign. We all need to start listening to the people who give this sign … He tells you exactly what is wrong. He says that you need a deep interaction with yourself and other people, which you do not know yet - but one day you will definitely feel."

If you are depressed or have anxiety attacks, you are not a car with a broken wheel. You are a person whose vital needs have not been met. The only real way to get out of this epidemic of despair that has gripped us is to start rebuilding this deep connection with ourselves and others and finding things in life that really make sense.

All together."

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