Your Brain on Herbs: Neurotransmitters, Nootropics, & Nature's Pharmaceuticals

How to self-medicate with nature

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The subjects of brain health, neurochemistry, and how what we consume (through any sense) affects our experience of life is, as you likely know by now, dear to my heart both personally and professionally. I've written countless times about neurotransmitters' effects on our daily lives—from moods that become stories that define our days, to the dopaminergic drive, to highlights from science's understanding of mental disorders stemming from our stomachs. It’s an important conversation and one I continue to follow closely.

While “positive” emotions are something we spend a great deal of time pursuing, the lows are just as essential to who, how, and why we are as we are.

In terms of what influences how we feel, both nature and nurture are at play. Personal histories, environmental factors, diet and lifestyle, chosen or learned psychology (thought processes) all effect our brain chemistry. Even medications edit the brain chemistry that in turn creates feelings, thoughts and behaviors we’re typically looking to modify.

Antidepressant and mood altering medications do not change negative behaviors or feelings, the effect they have on our brain chemistry is what changes them. This means that changing our brain chemistry is what changes our feelings and behaviors. The assumption that we need medications to do this is faulty thinking.