>>140203
>How much potential do I have?
Nobody knows.
>How can I make gains
Have you done your first 12 weeks of weight training to get your noob gains?
>look less like an incel?
There is no "looking" like an incel unless you are a hideous monster that has to wear a mask to go out in public. Perhaps reflect on how likely an insecure person that posts selfies on imageboards for validation is to be incapable of healthy socialization. Insecurity can be seen as anxiety directed at the self or self-image.
Higher levels of GABA or GABA agonists in the brain assist in reducing anxiety:
Sanders, S. K., and A. Shekhar. Regulation of anxiety by GABAA receptors in the rat amygdala. Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior 52.4 (1995): 701-706.
https://doi.org/10.1016/0091-3057(95)00153-N
>Blockade of GABAergic inhibition in the region of the anterior basolateral amygdala (BLA) of rats elicits physiologic changes associated with a defense reaction. The present study was undertaken to determine whether GABA receptors in the BLA might be involved in regulating experimental anxiety using the social interaction (SI) and conflict test. […] These results suggest that endogenous GABA acts tonically at GABAA receptors in the BLA to inhibit anxiety responses.
Sanders, S. K., S. L. Morzorati, and A. Shekhar. Priming of experimental anxiety by repeated subthreshold GABA blockade in the rat amygdala. Brain research 699.2 (1995): 250-259.
https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-8993(95)00915-D
>Blockade of GABAA receptor function in the area of the anterior basolateral amygdala of rats elicits physiological (increases in heart rate and blood pressure) and behavioral changes similar to symptoms of human anxiety states. Repeated subthreshold blockade of GABAA receptors in this region appears to result in a long-term ‘priming’ of these anxiety-like responses. […] These results suggest that this ‘priming’ phenomenon may be similar to kindling and long-term potentiation. This could be one potential mechanism for developing pathological emotional response, such as chronic, high levels of anxiety.
While an inability to metabolize serotonin quickly or being acutely overwhelmed by serotonin excess induces anxiety:
Jennings, Katie A., et al. Increased expression of the 5-HT transporter confers a low-anxiety phenotype linked to decreased 5-HT transmission. Journal of Neuroscience 26.35 (2006): 8955-8964.
https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5356-05.2006
>A commonly occurring polymorphic variant of the human 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) transporter (5-HTT) gene that increases 5-HTT expression has been associated with reduced anxiety levels in human volunteer and patient populations. […] Transgenic mice overexpressing the human 5-HTT (h5-HTT) were produced from a 500 kb yeast artificial chromosome construct. These transgenic mice showed the presence of h5-HTT mRNA in the midbrain raphe nuclei, as well as a twofold to threefold increase in 5-HTT binding sites in the raphe nuclei and a range of forebrain regions. The transgenic mice had reduced regional brain whole-tissue levels of 5-HT and, in microdialysis experiments, decreased brain extracellular 5-HT, which reversed on administration of the 5-HTT inhibitor paroxetine. Compared with wild-type mice, the transgenic mice exhibited a low-anxiety phenotype in plus maze and hyponeophagia tests. Furthermore, in the plus maze test, the low-anxiety phenotype of the transgenic mice was reversed by acute administration of paroxetine, suggesting a direct link between the behavior, 5-HTT overexpression, and low extracellular 5-HT.
Serotonin transporter
>This transport of serotonin by the SERT protein terminates the action of serotonin and recycles it in a sodium-dependent manner.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serotonin_transporter
Bagdy, Gyorgy, et al. "Anxiety-like effects induced by acute fluoxetine, sertraline or m-CPP treatment are reversed by pretreatment with the 5-HT2C receptor antagonist SB-242084 but not the 5-HT1A receptor antagonist WAY-100635." International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology 4.4 (2001): 399-408.
https://doi.org/10.1017/S1461145701002632
Harada, Katsuya, Takayuki Yamaji, and Nobuya Matsuoka. Activation of the serotonin 5-HT2C receptor is involved in the enhanced anxiety in rats after single-prolonged stress. Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior 89.1 (2008): 11-16.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pbb.2007.10.016
Both the GABA and serotonin systems are influenced by diet and environment.
There is no act or state of mind capable of replacing good nutrition and plenty of sunshine.