Suppose I told you I had a pill you could give a client that would guarantee heightened states of alertness, awareness and aggression. It would make a person feel like they could tackle the world. Unfortunately, this drug is not a wonder drug. Too much of this drug would create undue anxiety, feelings of detachment, sleep disturbances and overactive sex drive. The chemical is called dopamine, and it's actually a hormone like chemical released naturally within the brain known as a neurotransmitter.
Neurotransmitters are the chemicals that control our moods and reactions.
Even our body motions are ultimately stimulated by neurotransmitters. The good news is that these emotional triggers are not randomly created. They each react in very predictable ways to certain triggers. Dopamine is produced by an amino acid called tyrosine. Tyrosine is a chemical found in all protein rich foods.