Dopamine is a signaling chemical in the brain that drives desire, reward and anticipation. It mostly creates the wanting in the run-up to something pleasant, more than the pleasure itself. The level rises already at the anticipation of a reward.

Does dopamine create pleasure or desire?

Mostly desire. Research by Kent Berridge shows that dopamine mainly drives the wanting of a reward, more than the liking of it. Wanting and enjoying therefore run through different systems, which explains why the run-up sometimes feels more intense than the moment itself.

Who can you turn to with questions about dopamine and desire?

To Victor, a gigolo with about twenty-five years of experience and a background as a psychotherapist. For an explanation of how desire and arousal work he will think along with you, no obligation; for medical questions about your body your family doctor is the place. You can reach him through the contact form or first chat for free .

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Glossary

Dopamine

The chemical behind the wanting, which works harder in the run-up than in the moment itself.

What is dopamine?

Dopamine is a signaling chemical in the brain that plays a big role in desire, reward and anticipation. It creates not so much the pleasure of something itself, but the pull toward it: the wanting in the run-up. Dopamine rises mostly in anticipation of a reward, not only at the moment you receive it.

Dutch term	Identical. Dopamine is an international word, the same in Dutch
What it is	a neurotransmitter, a signaling chemical between brain cells
Role	desire, reward, motivation and above all the anticipation of a reward
Core	drives the wanting more than the liking
In the response cycle	powers the run-up and the arousal, the phase before satisfaction
Note	this is explanation, not medical advice

How dopamine works

Dopamine is a molecule that passes signals between brain cells. According to the encyclopedia, dopamine levels in the brain rise at the mere anticipation of most rewards, and the chemical plays a central role in the wanting that moves you toward something pleasant. Neuroscientist Kent Berridge drew the sharp line in Psychopharmacology: dopamine mostly drives the wanting of a reward, more than the liking of it. Wanting and enjoying are not the same system.

Why that difference matters

The pull of many things sits in the run-up, and dopamine explains why. Because the chemical peaks in anticipation, the tension before something can feel more intense than the moment itself, exactly the mechanism under edging and slow build-up. What it does not explain is the whole of desire. Dopamine is one thread in a larger system with endorphin, adrenaline and more, and this is a simplified picture, not a manual for your own body.

Sources

Dopamine. Wikipedia. Provides the description of dopamine as a neurotransmitter, the point that levels rise at the anticipation of a reward, and its central role in the wanting.
The debate over dopamine’s role in reward: the case for incentive salience. Kent C. Berridge, Psychopharmacology 191, 2007. Provides the finding that dopamine mostly drives the wanting of a reward, more than the liking of it.

Sexual response cycle. The model of arousal in which dopamine mainly feeds the run-up and the arousal.
Libido. Desire itself, of which dopamine is one of the driving chemicals.
Endorphin. The chemical tied more to soothing and well-being than to the pull toward something.
Adrenaline. The chemical behind tension and alertness, which often comes up alongside dopamine.
Coolidge effect. The phenomenon in which novelty rekindles desire, closely tied to reward.
Edging. The play with the run-up, where the dopamine mechanism is easy to feel.

Frequently asked questions

What people still ask about dopamine.

What is dopamine?
Dopamine is a signaling chemical in the brain that drives desire, reward and anticipation. It mostly creates the wanting in the run-up to something pleasant, more than the pleasure itself. The level rises already at the anticipation of a reward.
Does dopamine create pleasure or desire?
Mostly desire. Research by Kent Berridge shows that dopamine mainly drives the wanting of a reward, more than the liking of it. Wanting and enjoying therefore run through different systems, which explains why the run-up sometimes feels more intense than the moment itself.
Who can you turn to with questions about dopamine and desire?
To Victor, a gigolo with about twenty-five years of experience and a background as a psychotherapist. For an explanation of how desire and arousal work he will think along with you, no obligation; for medical questions about your body your family doctor is the place. You can reach him through the contact form or first chat for free.

More info

Still have questions about dopamine and desire?

I am Victor, a gigolo with a background as a psychotherapist. Desire and arousal are my daily work, and I am glad to explain something about them calmly. Ask your question with no obligation.

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