Serotonin & Self-Soothing:

Gerhard Roth:

"A group of serotonin receptors, known as 5-HT-1A receptors, are involved in regulating food intake, sleep, and body temperature. Psychologically, they produce a dampening and calming effect and play an essential role in suppressing harmful behavioral impulses. In contrast, insufficient serotonin production, impaired serotonin function in the synaptic cleft via the so-called serotonin transporter, and activation of 5-HT-2A receptors lead to insomnia, depression, anxiety, risk aversion, reactive aggression, and impulsivity. Affected individuals typically perceive the world as more threatening and feel constantly uneasy... People differ, in addition to their ability to cope with stress, in their degree of confidence or anxiety, balance or inner restlessness, frustration tolerance, and sense of threat—all of which are largely determined by the functional state of the serotonergic system, which closely interacts with the stress system and with substances such as endogenous opioids and the ‘bonding hormone’ oxytocin."