Mood
Brain & adrenal glands
Dopamine
The "motivation and reward" chemical that drives goal-seeking and movement.
What it does
- Drives motivation, reward and pleasure
- Essential for smooth, controlled movement
Too much
- Excess is linked to impulsivity and features of some psychiatric conditions
Too little
- Low dopamine is central to Parkinson\'s disease (tremor, stiffness) and low motivation
Keeping it balanced: Exercise, achievable goals and good sleep support healthy dopamine signalling.
Sources & references
Think a hormone may be out of balance?
The symptoms of hormonal excess and deficiency are non-specific — tiredness, weight change, low mood and poor sleep have many everyday causes. No hormone problem can be self-diagnosed from a symptom list.
Diagnosis needs blood tests interpreted alongside your history, sometimes repeated at set times of day because many hormones vary hour to hour. Speak to a GP if symptoms are persistent; seek urgent care for severe symptoms such as confusion, fainting, chest pain or extreme thirst with frequent urination.
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