Is “Chemical Imbalance” an issue?

A chemical imbalance is too much or too little of any substance in the body that helps it function normally. While it can apply to an imbalance of any of these substances in any area of the body, the term is usually used to refer to imbalances in the brain.

A chemical imbalance occurs when the substances that help the body function the way it should become out of balance. Either too much or too little of these substances can cause a chemical imbalance that affects the body’s ability to function normally.

These chemical imbalances are often linked to health conditions. For example, a hormonal imbalance occurs with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which in turn puts a person at risk for other conditions such as type 2 diabetes and infertility.

While too much or too little of these substances anywhere in the body is considered a chemical imbalance, the term “chemical imbalance” is usually associated with chemical imbalances in the brain and their potential effect on mental heath and related conditions.

Chemical Imbalances in the Brain

The chemicals in the brain that help facilitate communication between nerve cells are called neurotransmitters.

Some of the main neurotransmitters include:

• Serotonin
• Dopamine
• Norepinephrine
• Acetylcholine
• GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)
• Glutamate

These neurotransmitters help with many functions including:

• Sleep
• Appetite
• Mood
• Arousal
• Behavior
• Cognition
• Pleasure
• Early brain development
• Memory
• Learning
• Stress response (“fight or flight”)

Dysfunction of these neurotransmitters has been linked to conditions such as:

• Schizophrenia
• Anxiety disorders
• Depression
• Bipolar disorder
• Parkinson’s disease

Can Stress Cause a Chemical Imbalance?

In addition to affecting the balance of neurotransmitters, stress can affect chemical balances in multiple systems of the body including:⁷

• The nervous system
• The digestive system
• The endocrine (hormones) system
• The cardiovascular system
• The reproductive system

Causes of Chemical Imbalances in the Brain

Some things that may cause neurotransmitters to function improperly include:

• Receptors may be oversensitive or insensitive to a specific neurotransmitter, causing them to respond too much or too little to the release of the neurotransmitter.
• If the originating cell pumps out too little of a neurotransmitter, the message may be weakened.
• An overly efficient reuptake that reabsorbs too much before the molecules have the chance to bind to the receptors on other neurons can also weaken the message.

It is important to note that these factors apply to neurotransmitter disruption and do not necessarily cause a mental health condition in and of themselves.

It is also hypothesized that the mitochondria may play a part in the function of neurotransmitters and their role in depression.

Final Thoughts

A chemical imbalance can happen anywhere in the body, but usually refers to the association between neurotransmitter function and mental health. It isn’t possible to determine if you have a chemical imbalance in the brain, but there are many symptoms of mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety that are associated with what is colloquially known as a chemical imbalance.

Let food be thy medicine, thy medicine shall be thy food.

Hippocrates

Useful Links:
Understanding how chemicals can control your mood – CBHS Blog
About Us – Therika Foundation Infos