Decoding The Brain

Welcome back to another edition of Wired Wellness Weekly. This week, we're diving into a topic that might sound straightforward but is often misunderstood: the relationship between your mood, stress, cravings and the neuroscience biomarkers responsible for regulating them. Specifically, why you can't just guess you have a neurotransmitter or hormone imbalance based on symptoms alone.

The Myth of Self-Diagnosis

Why Symptoms Aren't Enough



We all experience fluctuations in our mood, energy, sleep patterns, and stress levels. It's only natural to wonder: Is something wrong with my brain chemistry? It's tempting to connect your low zest for life to low dopamine, or your constant stress to high cortisol. After all, it feels right, doesn’t it?

But here’s the thing: Symptom-based self-diagnosis is risky. Why? Because multiple factors—hormones, neurotransmitters, genetics, lifestyle, and even gut health—can contribute to similar symptoms. That’s why pinpointing the root cause of issues like anxiety, mood swings, cravings, or sleep disturbances requires scientific testing to measure your unique biochemical balance.

The Trending Neuroscience Biomarkers You Think You Know:

Cortisol, Serotonin, and Dopamine

Let’s break it down a bit. Most people have heard of key neurotransmitters and hormones like dopamine, serotonin, and cortisol because they’ve been linked to things like stress, happiness, and motivation. But here’s where it gets tricky: they don’t act alone. There’s an intricate dance going on between these chemicals. Let’s look at some common scenarios:

• Cortisol: This hormone is often associated with stress and your body's fight-or-flight response. But did you know that chronic high cortisol can lead to adrenal fatigue and burnout? This is because, over time, the adrenal glands produce too little cortisol (based on age and gender) resulting in low cortisol. Without measuring your baseline, there's no way to determine your cortisol level.

• Serotonin: Often thought of as the "feel-good" neurotransmitter, serotonin plays a role in mood regulation, sleep, appetite, and pain perception, but it's not the only neurotransmitter responsible for those things. Too much serotonin can be equally as problematic as it is associated with anxiety, agitation, even IBS! While low serotonin has been linked to depression, serotonin is not always the culprit, and coupling low serotonin with a genetic coding error in the SLC6A4 gene can be why antidepressants aren't work for you. Simply assuming that low serotonin is to blame for low mood is like trying to solve a puzzle without all the pieces.

• Dopamine: Known for its role in motivation, reward, and pleasure, optimal dopamine (based on age and gender) is crucial for goal-setting and feeling satisfied after an accomplishment. However, its dysregulation (too high or too low) can present challenges and set the stage for risky behaviors, agitation, distrust of others, and more. Adding insult to injury, a genetic coding error can exacerbate dysregulation in dopamine levels. Fortunately, Wired BioHealth can upregulate both neuroscience and genetic biomarkers through biosynthesis precursors and lifestyle modifications.

Why Testing is Crucial



You might be wondering: How can I know what’s really going on in my brain if I can’t trust my symptoms alone?

The short answer is: Neuroscience and Genetic Testing.

Rather than playing guessing games, modern science has developed reliable ways to measure biomarkers that influence emotional regulation, cognition, sleep, cravings, and more. Saliva and urine tests can assess levels of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, and hormones like cortisol and sex hormones. This gives you a clear picture of your biochemical status and allows healthcare providers to determine where imbalances might exist.

Testing can pinpoint whether an issue is related to neurotransmitter dysfunction, hormone imbalances, or even gut health (which, by the way, is heavily linked to serotonin production). Once you have a clearer idea of your baseline, Wired BioHealth can recommend targeted interventions, whether that be lifestyle adjustments, nutritional changes, or biosynthesis precurors.

Why Guessing Is Not Enough:

The Danger of Misinterpretation



Here’s the rub: When you assume your symptoms are due to a specific neurotransmitter or hormone imbalance, there’s a risk of misidentifying the true cause. For example:

• Low mood or depression? You might think it's low serotonin, but what if it's actually low cortisol or low epinephrine?

• Cravings and energy crashes? You could suspect low dopamine, but maybe it's related to genes that regulate blood sugar or low histamine.

These assumptions can lead to ineffective self-treatment—whether through over-the-counter supplements, drastic diet changes, or other unproven methods—without addressing the root cause. Worse, some interventions might make things worse if they're not suited to your unique biochemistry.

So, What Can You Do?

If you’re struggling with mood fluctuations, cravings, sleep disturbances, or stress, don’t just rely on self-diagnosis. Here’s what you can do:

1. Consider comprehensive testing: Schedule a consultation to learn more about testing for neurotransmitters, hormones, and genetic biomarkers to get an accurate picture of your unique biology.

2. Optimize your lifestyle: Regardless of the specific cause, maintaining a healthy lifestyle (balanced diet, regular exercise, quality sleep) is crucial for keeping your neuroscience in check.

3. Be patient and holistic: Biology is complex. It takes 1-3 weeks for Wired BioHealth clients to experience symptomatic improvement after a lifetime of struggling.

Bottom Line

Your unique biology is intricate, and symptoms alone don’t tell the full story. Accurate testing is the only way to truly understand what’s going on with your neurotransmitters, hormones, and genes. When it comes to mood regulation, stress response, cravings, and sleep, there’s no substitute for understanding your unique biochemical balance.

Take the guesswork out of your wellness journey. Testing is the key to unlocking more personalized and effective support, so you can feel your best, physically and mentally.

Until next week, stay curious and keep optimizing your wellness!