35 | id == 35
35 | category_id == 7
35 | category_order == 5
35 | category_name == Mood
35 | category_color == #C47AC0
35 | slug == alexithymia-5ht1a
35 | title == How Emotionally Self-Aware Are You? (5HT1A)
35 | meta_description == The serotonin receptor gene can change the way you feel and understand emotions. Read on to learn how to hack 5HT1A.
35 | summary == <p><strong>The serotonin receptor gene, 5HT1A, can change the way you feel and understand your emotions. Low receptor activity makes it more difficult to regulate stress and increases risky behaviors&mdash;read on to check if you&rsquo;re at risk and see what you can do to improve!</strong></p>
35 | overall_score_text == Alexithymia Score (Based on 5HT1A Gene)
35 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/Break-up-post-How-Emotionally-Self-Aware-Are-You5HT1A_JPG.jpg
35 | author_id == 1
35 | author_name == Jasmine Foster
35 | author_title == BSc, BEd
35 | author_order == 36
35 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/Jasmine.jpg
35 | author_intro == <p><strong>Jasmine received her BS from McGill University and her BEd from Vancouver Island University.</strong></p>    <p>Jasmine loves helping people understand their brains and bodies, a passion that grew out of her dual background in biology and education. From the chem lab to the classroom, everyone has the right to learn and make informed decisions about their health.</p>
35 | reviewer_id == 2
35 | reviewer_name == Joe Cohen
35 | reviewer_title == BS
35 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
35 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
35 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
35 | publish_date == 2019
35 | publish_date == 9
35 | publish_date == 2
35 | avg_rating == 4.555555555555555
35 | tags_id == 5
35 | tags_name == 5HT1A Gene
35 | tags_id == 9
35 | tags_name == Alexithymia
35 | tags_id == 112
35 | tags_name == Anxiety
35 | tags_id == 111
35 | tags_name == Emotional Intelligence
35 | tags_id == 15
35 | tags_name == Empathy
35 | tags_id == 12
35 | tags_name == Mood
35 | tags_id == 6
35 | tags_name == PTSD
35 | tags_id == 17
35 | tags_name == Relationship Success
35 | tags_id == 50
35 | tags_name == Stress
35 | permissions_favorite == False
35 | permissions_rate == False
35 | content_article == <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Serotonin Receptors and Alexithymia</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Serotonin levels strongly influence mood, social behavior, and even morality. This hormone regulates our emotions&mdash;but also the way we perceive and understand our emotions [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3817523/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Comfort or Discomfort in Close Relationships</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Up to 10% of the population find it very difficult to identify, understand, and describe their own emotional responses. These people have an inability to elaborate beyond a few limited adjectives such as "happy" or "unhappy" when describing these feelings.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In simple terms, we would probably call this a lack of emotional self-awareness or emotional intelligence. In clinical psychological terms, these people have alexithymia, and they are more likely to have the &lsquo;CC&rsquo; variant at rs6295 [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25247748/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is not to say that everyone with &lsquo;CC&rsquo; has alexithymia&mdash;or even that they&rsquo;re automatically bad with emotions. Many genes work together to create complex traits like emotional intelligence; this one just happens to have a larger impact than most.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Researchers have suggested that the &lsquo;C&rsquo; allele may make people less comfortable with close emotional bonds; if true, this discomfort might also make people less likely to enter into a romantic relationship [</span><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/srep07049"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For more information on how the serotonin receptor affects close personal relationships, check out this <a href="../article/increase-your-chances-of-a-romantic-relationship-7">sister post on 5HT1A and dating</a>.</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">The &lsquo;C&rsquo; allele may make people less comfortable forming and maintaining close emotional bonds.</span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Impulsiveness &amp; Emotional Control</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There are many more psychiatric disorders that overlap with alexithymia. People with this condition are more likely to suffer from</span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/ptsd-causes-treatments/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">PTSD</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, eating disorders,</span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/natural-treatments-depression/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">depression</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">,</span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/natural-treatments-anxiety/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">anxiety</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and substance abuse. They are also generally more likely to experience negative emotions (to be neurotic) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6878595"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">,</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8401555"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">,</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2796028"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">,</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2386256"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">,</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14666415/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">An inability to identify and control emotions may explain why some people with alexithymia are prone to impulsive or compulsive behaviors such as binge eating, substance abuse, or inappropriate sexual behaviors [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2386256"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Alexithymic people may engage in these behaviors as a way to cope with or discharge the tension arising from unpleasant (and often confusing) emotional states [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6056680/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These are all traits which, even if they&rsquo;re mild, probably make a person less likely to form (and maintain) close relationships.</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Alexithymia, which is associated with the &lsquo;C&rsquo; allele, also makes people more prone to psychological disorders and impulsive behaviors.</span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fight or Flight</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Failure to regulate emotions activates the fight or flight system. If a person remains in a fight or flight state for a long time (as people with alexithymia are likely to), they may suffer</span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/63-factors-raising-stress-cortisol-level-backed-science/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">stress</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">-related conditions like fatigue, anxiety,</span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/23-ways-to-combat-pain-naturally-by-increasing-your-opioids/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">pain</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, IBS, and an imbalanced immune system [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4202343/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Through extended fight or flight activation, alexithymia may even result in dysautonomia, a disorder of the involuntary nervous system that controls reflexes,</span><a href="https://www.selfhacked.com/blog/resting-heart-rate/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">heart rate</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, digestion, and so on. Terrible nightmares are also common in this population [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3825446/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One study demonstrated that the C allele of rs6295 is also correlated with enhanced threat-related information processing, which causes vulnerability to psychiatric and health disorders caused by stress. According to this study, people with the C allele were more likely to have anxiety and depression from recent stressful life events [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20638825/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The minor C allele of rs6295 is also correlated with the underlying physiology of fibromyalgia [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3432037/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Alexithymia can also produce long periods of &ldquo;fight or flight,&rdquo; which in turn can cause stress-related conditions from fatigue to IBS.</span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">5HT1A: Presynaptic vs Postsynaptic Receptors</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This receptor is tricky in terms of its mechanism, because it depends where it's activated [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19725031"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">,</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3927969/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For a signal to be sent in the brain, two neurons are involved: one which sends the signal and one which receives it. The first is the presynaptic neuron; the second is the postsynaptic neuron. In serotonin signalling, both the presynaptic and postsynaptic neurons have 5HT1A receptors; the presynaptic receptors are also called autoreceptors [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3243741/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">,</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3927969/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If the postsynaptic receptors are activated, they have all of the anti-anxiety and mood boosting benefits that you would expect. However, increased autoreceptor activity causes a reduction in serotonin [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3927969/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In order to counteract this, you either need to desensitize the autoreceptors (chronic SSRIs do that), or increase serotonin by a lot [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3927969/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Broadly speaking, the presynaptic receptor (or autoreceptor) decreases overall serotonin activity in the brain, while the postsynaptic receptor increases it.</span></p> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Joe&rsquo;s Experience</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Based on my experience consulting clients with these types of psychological issues, I would find that the majority of time the issues arose after a stressful event. Often this stressful event would go along with some other event, such as a toxic exposure or infection.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">What often happens is that people get triggered and can't then calm their nervous system down.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Alexithymia is correlated with PTSD and the causal direction may go in both directions. If you have alexithymia, you are more likely to get PTSD. But also when you have a stressful event is intense enough, it causes an inability to regulate your nervous system, as people were able to before PTSD.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On a more micro scale, you may notice that if you get very stressed by something, you then have a harder time regulating your emotions, even if you logically decided that there was no reason to be stressed.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It's the same situation in PTSD, where people get into a mental rut and have difficulty regulating their emotions afterward.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When I get into these mental ruts after highly stressful events, I similarly have trouble regulating my emotions no matter what I do.&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The only things that helps me 'reset' my psychological state are</span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/top-6-unique-super-effective-ways-counteract-negative-performance-effects-cannabismarijuana/?utm_source=seo&amp;#38;utm_medium=selfhacked&amp;#38;utm_campaign=id00002"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">marijuana</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (along with</span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/cannabidiol-cbd/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">CBD</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">), psychedelics, and</span><a href="https://www.selfhacked.com/blog/neurofeedback/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">neurofeedback</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to a large extent.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Marijuana is a shorter term reset than psychedelics. This is true based on my experience and based on the pharmacology as well. For example,</span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/lsd-lysergic-acid-diethylamide/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">LSD</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> sticks in your brain's receptors for quite a long time [</span><a href="https://www.popsci.com/lsd-gets-stuck-in-brains-receptors-serotonin/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Practices like breathing,</span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/health-benefits-yoga/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">yoga</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">,</span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/top-14-proven-health-benefits-exercise-references-mechanisms/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">exercise</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and</span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/12-reasons-embrace-cold/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">cold therapy</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> each help as well, but they don't 'reset' my psychological state in the same way that psychedelics and marijuana do. However, these 'tools' are powerful and if used the wrong way, they can actually increase anxiety. It's best to get help from people who are experts in this area to guide you through it.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dosing, the proper mental preparation beforehand, set and setting are all critical factors for psychedelics to work well.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">*9731346638683054*</span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Your 5HTR1A Gene Results for Alexithymia</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The G allele is slightly more common than the C allele in the global population. Among people of European descent, however, 28% have the &lsquo;CC&rsquo; genotype, but only 20% have the &lsquo;GG&rsquo; genotype. Thus, alexithymia may be more common in Europeans than in people from other ethnicities.</span></p> <p><strong>Primary SNP: rs6295</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = Increased emotional intelligence, reduced risk of alexithymia</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = Decreased emotional intelligence, increased risk of alexithymia</span></li> </ul> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">*9102475376948134*</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Note: The 5HT1A receptor is mentioned in the <a href="https://get.selfdecode.com/mood/">mood report</a>, along with 91 other genes. If you're looking for a comprehensive report that can boost your mood, check it out.</span></p> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Special Note About SNP Orientation</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you click on a referenced study, you may see the authors discuss the C and G alleles as if they mean the complete opposite that we do. For example, we may say the "C" allele is associated with some effects, whereas if you click on the study, it'll actually say the "G" allele. This is not a mistake. We do this because of the way rs6295 is generally reported in the scientific literature.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Rs6295&rsquo;s other name is C-1019G. The name gives us some information: this SNP involves a change from C to G at a position -1019. The minus sign furthermore tells us which strand of DNA (you know the double helix? It&rsquo;s made of two </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">strands</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">) we should refer to.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On SelfDecode, we report and analyze SNPs on the positive (+) strand. That means, in order to be accurate, we have to flip the orientation of any variant given on the negative strand. If the negative strand has a G, the positive strand will have a C, and vice versa. A &lsquo;GG&rsquo; in a study on the negative strand is &lsquo;CC&rsquo; on the positive strand.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In other words, it looks like we&rsquo;re using the opposite of the studies because we are!</span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Recommendations for Emotional Self-Awareness</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you have trouble forming and staying in close relationships, and you have one or more &lsquo;C&rsquo; alleles at rs6295, take heart! You may be able to kick your dating discomfort with careful lifestyle and supplement choices. Talk to your doctor about trying these recommendations, and discover whether they're right for you.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">*4721622981848317*</span></p> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lifestyle</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">First, if you&rsquo;re looking to improve your emotional awareness, hit the gym!</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Get plenty of aerobic (cardio) exercise. Besides helping you get fit, activities like jogging, biking, hiking, and swimming may maintain or increase serotonin in the brain and desensitize the 5HT1A autoreceptor, even under stress [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4386483/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">,</span><a href="https://www.e-jer.org/journal/view.php?number=2013600204"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">,</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2536543/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Diet</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It&rsquo;s important to meet all of your nutritional requirements, but in order to support your 5HT1A receptors, keep a close eye on the following.</span></p> <p><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/21-proven-science-based-reasons-magnesium-amazing-including-drawbacks/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Magnesium</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and</span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/literally-everything-wanted-know-zinc-backed-science/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">zinc</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> can help amplify the effects of serotonin on the 5HT1A receptor [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1839984"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">,</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19429156"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">,</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5104769/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">,</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2867462"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].&nbsp;</span></p> <p><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/top-22-science-based-health-benefits-of-fish-oil/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Omega-3's</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and</span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/health-benefits-butyrate-derivatives-sodium-butyrate-phenylbutyrate-trybutyrine-butyric-acid-butyrate-prodrugs-butyrate-producing-bacteria/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">butyrate</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (which you get from dietary fiber) beneficially interact with 5HT1A receptors [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25855059"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">,</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3904789/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">,</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18817816"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Supplements</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Among the strongest available supplements to increase brain serotonin is</span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/5-htp-serotonin-depression-risks-benefits/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">5-HTP</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. This compound is a precursor to serotonin; that is, your body can transform it into serotonin. Plus, it crosses the blood-brain barrier, which means that it can actually get into your brain if you take it as an oral supplement [</span><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/mp201150"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">,</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3415362/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Other supplements can synergize with 5-HTP or can be alternative options.&nbsp;</span></p> <p><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/cannabidiol-cbd/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">CBD</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> was found to calm the nervous system down in response to stress, and reduce its 'delayed emotional consequences' by helping 5-HT1A activity (rats) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2697769/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/the-benefits-of-lithium/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lithium</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> enhances the sensitivity of postsynaptic 5HT1A receptors (rats) [</span><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/syn.890010302"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/saint-johns-wort/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">St. John&rsquo;s Wort</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> increases the number of postsynaptic 5HT1A receptors [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11277608"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].&nbsp;</span></p> <p><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/rhodiola/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Rhodiola rosea</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> root extract may help make 5HT1A receptors (postsynaptic) more sensitive as well. In a study on rats, it was able to reverse the effects of nicotine on 5HT1A receptors [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22921986"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Drugs</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A small trial found that people with the minor C allele were more likely to do well with fluoxetine (an SSRI) for depression, which indicates that increasing serotonin can help counteract the negative effects of this genotype. However, we do not recommend that you take an antidepressant drug or take any medical actions solely to solve problems with this SNP [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16302021/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p>
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35 | content_learn_more_9731346638683054_text == Based on the variants we looked at, your 5HT1A gene may make it somewhat more difficult for you to process and understand your emotions. You’ll need to increase your overall serotonin levels and activate the right receptors. Keep scrolling to find out how.
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rsIDs = rs6295
rsStatus = rs6295,HTR1A,chr5,63962738,C,A,G,,40,0,Normal
