The Happy Point

Written by Dr. Joe Mondoux

Another brilliant post from Dr. Joe Mondoux. A nice finishing touch to our unofficial "Mental Health Awareness" week. Get in touch with your Happy Point!

- Dr. P

Serotonin: a hormone that contributes to feelings of well-being and happiness. 

90% of serotonin is located within the gastrointestinal tract of humans, specifically in enterochromaffin cells. These cells line the gastrointestinal tract and release serotonin when you consume food. Ever wonder why you tend to be in a better mood while eating? This is part of what is known as the “gut-brain connection”. What we eat has an enormous impact on our nervous system. Our nervous system controls everything. Every sensation we experience (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste, pain, temperature, vibration, proprioception…the list goes on), every movement we make, every breath we take, every heartbeat, everything that makes us human and alive is due to our nervous system.

Why did I go on about the nervous system and what happened to the missing 10% of serotonin in our body? If you haven’t figured it out yet, the other 10% comes directly from our nervous system. It comes from the master controller of the body - the organ that is so complex that the more we find out about it the more questions we have - the brain. The raphe nuclei located deep in the brainstem release serotonin into the brain. Antidepressants and other SSRIs (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors) are believed to target these nuclei to help lengthen the time serotonin is cycling through the body, in turn leading to increased moods and decreasing the state of depression. Now how do we increase the effects of serotonin? 

• We could eat more to release more serotonin, but that has its obvious downfalls 
• We could take SSRIs to ensure the serotonin sticks around longer, but that isn't too good for you over the long term
• We could influence the brainstem to release more serotonin, but you can’t do that…or can you?

“The Happy Point," the namesake of this post, is a scientifically proven way to release more serotonin from the brainstem. In fact, the whole time I have been writing this post I have been stimulating my Happy Point. Now I know what you’re thinking, “Dr. Mondoux, that’s gross! We don’t want to hear that!” To which I would respond “Don’t knock it until you try it…oh and get your mind out of the gutter!” The Happy Point, also known as GV-20 in acupuncture circles, is a traditional acupuncture point located on the top of the scalp midway between the points of your ears. Stimulation of this point with an acupuncture needle has been shown the increase the release of serotonin and all the good feelings that come with that.

Acupuncture may seem bizarre to some of you and to be honest, it did to me at first. It wasn't until I learned more about it, the scientific research behind it, the anatomical reasons why these points are used, and began using it in my daily practice that I realized the profound affects you can achieve with this millennia-old technique. One simple 0.3 mm thick piece of steel, inserted 1-2 mm into the scalp can have an astounding effect on the body.

Next time you feel stressed, anxious, overexcited or down, consider the Happy Point as a natural way to improve your mental and physical state (don’t knock it until you try it!).

As an aside, stimulating this point with manual pressure, or acupressure, is another way to stimulate serotonin release. It's not as effective as acupuncture, but in the absence of a trained professional and the required equipment, fingertip pressure on this area can be a huge relief! - Dr. P