Confused About Serotonin And Crime/behavior Associations

[MetabolicTrash]

I'm kind of confused about given associations of higher serotonin being associated with bad things, like criminal activity or etc. I was given to understand that serotonin made you more likely to be erratic/not having your head on straight with critical thinking or etc. since this is how I imagine repeat crimes/etc. work.

In that @haidut serotonin thread, it's described that higher serotonin can make you "like a zombie -- mindless." But also serotonin is claimed to make you more lawbreaking, which aligns more with rebellious/carelessness/aggressive patterns. Basically, everyone I've ever known to have committed a crime/been arrested tends to have no respect or care for rules -- and little/no consideration or proper thinking in certain circumstances (this is how some people always find themselves in certain bad situations but not always 100% piecing together why they got there/how to avoid it again). I think this mindset might explain repeat offenders who keep falling in to the same mindset or "traps" which leads them to do irrational or extreme things at times which then gets them arrested or such -- but are bound to repeat it certain circumstances/etc. It just seems contradictory with serotonin making you "brainless" but also free thinking & rebellious, which seems more crime-associated.

My understanding is that higher serotonin supposedly makes you more likely to be a criminal since there are studies showing a link between serotonin and criminal activity -- however, does this imply that serotonin makes you more "like a zombie" or more careless/ruthless? I mean it may not be everyone arrested, but most who get arrested multiple times for small offenses/theft/etc. tend to have conflict issues/rash decision making at times/etc. Is this serotonergic-driven? I understand it that too much serotonin just affects multiple potential key areas in behavior and decision making, but this doesn't seem zombie-like at all.

If serotonin made people more brainwashed/zombie like, wouldn't higher serotonin people be easy to convince to not commit crime then? It seems crime-driven people always in trouble with the law have conflict/personality issues and sometimes problems following any kind of authority, not the opposite, which would be zombie like and brainwashed. I would think that the more zombie like one is, the easier it is for them to not be a criminal since they're more easily controllable, as opposed to having more sense of free will/choices. But again, maybe I'm not getting this correlation with serotonin, crime, zombie-like mentalities, and erratic/irrational/etc. behavior.

So is my confusion justified here, or am I not understanding this well? I get that it can be a multi-faceted problem, but I'm referring strictly to the evidence on serotonin, crime & conflicting use between the idea of "zombie like" and criminal behavior, which seems more rebellious & free thinking. So I'm really just wondering how this all plays together with crime/arrests/etc. -- and also how all other factors can play together with serotonin and explain the behaviors/mentality of how serotonin is behind them.

I've also heard the argument -- to add -- that committing crimes/getting arrested is more of a conflict/self-identity issue and a problem with self control/decision making/processing than anything else (how this may cross paths with serotonin I don't know/can't really say). Two people can both come from poverty/bad lifestyles, but one may end up a criminal/jailed repeatedly and the other might never be jailed, even with all else equal (diet, upbringing, lineage).

 

[ImprovingDaily]

I'm kind of confused about given associations of higher serotonin being associated with bad things, like criminal activity or etc. I was given to understand that serotonin made you more likely to be erratic/not having your head on straight with critical thinking or etc. since this is how I imagine repeat crimes/etc. work.

In that @haidut serotonin thread, it's described that higher serotonin can make you "like a zombie -- mindless." But also serotonin is claimed to make you more lawbreaking, which aligns more with rebellious/carelessness/aggressive patterns. Basically, everyone I've ever known to have committed a crime/been arrested tends to have no respect or care for rules -- and little/no consideration or proper thinking in certain circumstances (this is how some people always find themselves in certain bad situations but not always 100% piecing together why they got there/how to avoid it again). I think this mindset might explain repeat offenders who keep falling in to the same mindset or "traps" which leads them to do irrational or extreme things at times which then gets them arrested or such -- but are bound to repeat it certain circumstances/etc. It just seems contradictory with serotonin making you "brainless" but also free thinking & rebellious, which seems more crime-associated.

My understanding is that higher serotonin supposedly makes you more likely to be a criminal since there are studies showing a link between serotonin and criminal activity -- however, does this imply that serotonin makes you more "like a zombie" or more careless/ruthless? I mean it may not be everyone arrested, but most who get arrested multiple times for small offenses/theft/etc. tend to have conflict issues/rash decision making at times/etc. Is this serotonergic-driven? I understand it that too much serotonin just affects multiple potential key areas in behavior and decision making, but this doesn't seem zombie-like at all.

If serotonin made people more brainwashed/zombie like, wouldn't higher serotonin people be easy to convince to not commit crime then? It seems crime-driven people always in trouble with the law have conflict/personality issues and sometimes problems following any kind of authority, not the opposite, which would be zombie like and brainwashed. I would think that the more zombie like one is, the easier it is for them to not be a criminal since they're more easily controllable, as opposed to having more sense of free will/choices. But again, maybe I'm not getting this correlation with serotonin, crime, zombie-like mentalities, and erratic/irrational/etc. behavior.

So is my confusion justified here, or am I not understanding this well? I get that it can be a multi-faceted problem, but I'm referring strictly to the evidence on serotonin, crime & conflicting use between the idea of "zombie like" and criminal behavior, which seems more rebellious & free thinking. So I'm really just wondering how this all plays together with crime/arrests/etc. -- and also how all other factors can play together with serotonin and explain the behaviors/mentality of how serotonin is behind them.

I've also heard the argument -- to add -- that committing crimes/getting arrested is more of a conflict/self-identity issue and a problem with self control/decision making/processing than anything else (how this may cross paths with serotonin I don't know/can't really say). Two people can both come from poverty/bad lifestyles, but one may end up a criminal/jailed repeatedly and the other might never be jailed, even with all else equal (diet, upbringing, lineage).

I think you're taking zombie as being brainless, but I think it's more akin to acting on impulse and reacting to the environment with bad decisions. Where a healthy person could reflect and react to the situation and not have an inclination towards violence or aggressiveness, a serotonin driven person would act on impulse, take things personal and be more prone to violence and aggressiveness. Everything is a test upon their ego, that's why you see maniacs react to otherwise normal circumstances with such hostility.

 

[Kingpinguin]

Zombie means your not intouch with your emotions. You dont feel anything and cant feel what other people feel. Its a survival self mechanism. But when serotonin is constantly high you get emotionally numb. Its like becoming psychopathic. You cant relate anymore to others and this may make you take actions you otherwise would not. Specially if you already have hatred inside. Also high serotonin tend to be accompanied with agitation. It makes you restless and can cause confusion. Read about serotonin syndrome. Doesnt seem to be to pleasant but theres different degrees of serotonin syndrome. But anything that kills of your emotions and connection to other humans is likely dangerous.