Natural dopamin source

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Lisa Bennert
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Natural dopamin source

Post by Lisa Bennert »

I'm currently visiting my hometown for a bit over a week, and I couldn't have picked a better time for it. My best friend's dog got puppies 8 weeks ago and I got to see them for the first time yesterday. And to make it even better, a close friend of my brother has a cat and she got kittens a few weeks ago, and I get to see those too in a couple days! :D I've had some very rough months and it's not going to get better for at least 3 more, and let me tell you, spending a few hours surrounded by these little creatures was probably the best thing to happen to me this year, lol. I originally wanted to wait making this post until I've also been to the kittens, but the pictures were too cute not to share, and I thought you might enjoy them :D

This is me holding my favorite of the group, nicknamed 'Schreihals' (which roughly translates into 'yeller', lol)
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My only mistake was wearing shoes with laces and not having a hair tie, lol, they are in the "chew on everything you see" phase and I actually had to flee a few times :lol:
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Tammy Stawicki
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Re: Natural dopamin source

Post by Tammy Stawicki »

So much CUTENESS!!!!!
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The Steward
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Re: Natural dopamin source

Post by The Steward »

GASP!!!!!
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Darcy McBride
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Re: Natural dopamin source

Post by Darcy McBride »

Such a pretty litter!
DM: AMERICATION MISCHIEF & JAMBOREE
TM: NIGHTWATCH
DS: SINISTER MISTER/THE HELLHOUND/DARKANDSTORMYNIGHT
AWR: TUSCANY GOLD
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Stormy Peak
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Re: Natural dopamin source

Post by Stormy Peak »

OMGosh! They are so flipping cute! And by flipping, I mean it...want to flip them belly up, just to see their cute little puppy bellies and have them looking up at your face....lol...probably while they are doing as you said, trying to eat your hoodie ties, or hair, or a finger. : )

It is rather amazing how puppies can affect one's mental outlook....the stress level just seems to drop, also the 'blues' are not near as strong - laughter really is one of the best medicines for depression, and puppies can can sure make a person laugh. : )

Thanks for sharing the photos
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Lisa Bennert
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Re: Natural dopamin source

Post by Lisa Bennert »

Stormy Peak wrote: 3 years ago It is rather amazing how puppies can affect one's mental outlook....the stress level just seems to drop, also the 'blues' are not near as strong - laughter really is one of the best medicines for depression, and puppies can can sure make a person laugh. : )

Thanks for sharing the photos
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Stormy
It is, that's why I selected the title, animals can be such an amazing help to forget your troubles for a while :) Made me realise how much I miss having horses around me at least 2-3 times a week. I really need to figure out a way to do that again once my health gets better, hopefully in a few months!
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Nick Gilmore
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Re: Natural dopamin source

Post by Nick Gilmore »

Absolutely adorable babies! Thanks for sharing Lisa! Kitties too, please!
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Carolyn Eaton
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Re: Natural dopamin source

Post by Carolyn Eaton »

Sooo Cute!!!
I'm just here for the fun of it
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Stormy Peak
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Re: Natural dopamin source

Post by Stormy Peak »

Lisa Bennert wrote: 3 years ago
Stormy Peak wrote: 3 years ago It is rather amazing how puppies can affect one's mental outlook....the stress level just seems to drop, also the 'blues' are not near as strong - laughter really is one of the best medicines for depression, and puppies can can sure make a person laugh. : )

Thanks for sharing the photos
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Stormy
It is, that's why I selected the title, animals can be such an amazing help to forget your troubles for a while :) Made me realise how much I miss having horses around me at least 2-3 times a week. I really need to figure out a way to do that again once my health gets better, hopefully in a few months!
I've dealt with depression since my mid-teens. Back then (mid 1970's) in itty bitty town, Idaho...it wasn't something one talked about...and if you did, people usually scoffed at ya, and absolutely you did not talk about being suicidal...because (1)...'what would a teen have in life so bad, that it could make them suicidal, and (2) if you commit suicide you are going to go to hell.

I got tired of having in my thoughts every day, Many times during a day that "I should just kill myself" So, I went to the library and checked out books (or found give away magazines) that dealt with dealing with dark thoughts, depression, and techniques one could use to help battle it....and learned too, eventually, that it depression was a lack of certain chemicals in one's brain.
And repeatedly, over the decades, I found information about laughter, being able to produce those needed chemicals, and I loved comedy and laughing, but never really felt any real boost as far as my depression getting better - it was just more of a short temporary 'feel good' thing that would come and go in a matter of an hour or so.

Then...some 6 years ago... I adopted a mentally handicapped golden retriever. I named him HaHa. And after I had him for about 6 months... I realized that for some reason... my outlook on life was less... stressful. I kid you not...colors looked brighter, I felt 'more aware' - more energetic - less stressed when things went wrong.

It finally dawned on me, that it had to be because of HaHa. Every Single Day...that dog had me laughing, so hard...and often it was 5 to 6 times a day he made me laugh out loud, and more often than that he made me smile. His mental handicap had him behave in a much different way than a normal dog. I've had dogs my whole life, worked at a shelter, have friends who own dogs, and I've never encountered anything like HaHa. He brought me to a point, that mentally, I hadn't seen since the time I turned 15 and depression affected my life.

I enjoyed every single minute I had that dog, he gave me almost two years of living what I suspect 'normal' people get to experience. Unfortunately, he got cancer and I had to put him to sleep. I tried so hard to hang on to that level of feeling good that I achieved with him around...but unfortunately, with the grief of losing him and not having laughter producing what my brain needed... I slipped back to my state of mind that I had before I got HaHa.

My 'state of mind' is something I can live with...I fall sometimes into a deeper well, but from experience, know I can crawl back out of it, but I doubt I'll ever get back to that state of 'non depression' I had with HaHa in the house. I also understand that depression isn't really about being 'happy' I am happy quite often in life, content in knowing I lead a fairly good life.

I have another golden, AU, and he's a great dog, I love him just like I've loved all my pets. He has his moments where he makes me laugh, but none of the antics of HaHa...and I knew that would be the case when I got him.

Seeing 'good' things... like those photos you put up of the puppies, or watching funny things on YouTube that can make me laugh...I think it really does help...but not at the same level as what I experienced with HaHa.

I hope your time with the puppies and kitties lasted long enough to give you several days worth of 'feel good' :)
And, I will forever be a believer in 'Laughter is the best medicine' for depression. : )

BTW... this is HaHa... I threw a ball, and it it bounced out of sight into the into the kitchen, he rushed to fetch it.
This is what he fetched back to me, wagging his tail with pride...lol.
I wasn't expecting it... made me laugh for some time. : )
Years later when I watch Guardians of the Galaxy 2, and Baby Groot kept bringing back the wrong items to the imprisoned Yondue and Rocket... all I could do was think of HaHa and him bringing back that sack, rather than the ball.

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Lisa Bennert
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Re: Natural dopamin source

Post by Lisa Bennert »

Unfortunately, it was much harder to get decent pictures of the kittens as they were younger and much more shy than the puppies (and the lightning wasn't great), but I tried! :) Still soo very cute, especially in person. They loved climbing my brother's big feet, lol!

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And here's two more of the puppies I took today (last day with them :()
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Glenn Larson
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Re: Natural dopamin source

Post by Glenn Larson »

This thread hits close to home for me, too. I have Parkinson's Disease, a result of insufficient dopamine production. I'm lucky because my case is progressing very slowly and the only symptom you would probably notice is a tremor in my left hand. Some days my hand is busier than others and I know that it is exacerbated by caffeine, stress and lack of sleep. Now I need to take note how often I laugh at our goofy pets. I also wonder how "aww, cute" experiences compare with "lol"experiences in dopamine release
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