Love is a driving factor in our lives. It keeps us going, and is the reason why we seek companionship. If you are lucky enough to have loved someone, you know that there is an intense and undeniable change in yourself while experiencing initial stages. Even if you have not directly experienced romantic relations, judging from the dramas we see on television we know that there has ought to be something serious going on there. So, what exactly is occurring in someone while they are falling in love? How does it impact our brains, and how can we be sure that we are in love? Love is a powerful emotion that can be triggered by numerous factors such as body language, scent, sexuality, evolution, genetics. It actiates certain neurotransmitters to modify our moods and behaviors. This distinct brain activity can make it obvious to both the individual and outsiders that they have the “love bug.”
Often times love is associated with our hearts, but the truth is that it is caused by our brains. The association of love and our hearts comes from the physical reaction of the feel good chemicals being released by our brains. The real action is happening in the synapses of our brain where neurotransmitters are released. In a study done by Stephanie Ortigue of Syracuse University, analysis on past brain research studies showed that love impacts twelve different areas of the brain to work together and create a response. The areas of the brain being utilized were detected when the participants simply took a glimpse at their “mr. right” or “mrs wrong.” This study also discovered evidence of the brain releasing euphoria inducing chemicals after that glimpse. Psychology today provided me with a deeper understanding of the chemicals involved. Dopamine created in the adrenal glands enhances the release of testosterone and causes happiness, excitement, sexual desire, as well as fuels aggressive behaviors such as giving him a call to go on a date. After the initial dopamine, norepinephrine release leads to focused attention. This is why people can’t take their mind off of their significant other, or remember every little detail of their movie date night. After the release of these positive neurotransmitters, the reward system is triggered and a cycle begins. Different neurotransmitters are associated with different stages of love, just as there are very different reactions for the different kinds of love. Despite all of the differences in ways that people love they are all going through the same brain processes. Ironically, these processes are similar to drug addictions!
I would be very interested in conducting a study on the impact of love on drug addicts and observing the results. All of the euphoric brain functions that occur as a response to simple actions done by a significant other are extremely similar to the effects of addictive substances. They both tap into the rewards system and often times trigger neurotransmitters such as dopamine. Given this fact I wonder whether falling in love can increase one’s capability to rehabilitate and act as a substitution. I also wonder whether or not love can predict ones drug behaviors. If one is genetically inclined to addictive behaviors, but are being kept grounded by a loved one will they never access that part of their genetics? In order to conduct this study I think that I would sample members of a rehabilitation center and generate a prospective study done monitoring their potential relapses in correlation to their relationships. I could also survey them on their experiences with drugs. Asking questions such as have you ever been in love? Did it produce a stronger impact than drugs? The other question I posed would be much harder to analyze because if someone never accesses their addiction due to love, they may not ever know it was present.
So with all of these unconscious brain functions occurring how can we be sure and recognize that we are in love. We can do this by simply observing our behaviors that are due to our brain functions. Live science provides thirteen scientifically proven tell tale signs you’re falling in love. When falling in love people have a tendency to think that the person of interest is extremely special and unique. This could come as a result of the increased norepinephrine impacting attention and focus zeroing in on one person. So when you hear your friends go on and on bragging about him/her/any other way one sexually identifies themselves it is the norepinephrine talking. When you begin to see your friends drifting away and obsessing over that one person, it is due to decreased levels of serotonin. Live science says that people in love have reported that they spend more than 85 percent of their day thinking about their loved one. To put things into perspective OCD is treated with serotonin-reuptake inhibitors. Amongst many other exciting and positive effects, I neglect to inform you that there is also often the potential to lose the spark. After these temporary brain changes, love can either evolve into an attachment or fade away. If you are experiencing any of the effects mentioned, you are falling in love!
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Love is a beautiful and intense feeling that occurs as a result of our powerful brains. Different sections of our brain cause the release of neurotransmitters associated with euphoria. Many of the brain chemicals and effects associated with love, are also associated with addiction and substance abuse. Because of this I question whether or not a study could show a correlation with love and rehabilitation. There are many tell tale signs showing falling in love that come as result to chemicals such as dopamine and serotonin. Although we often send heart emojis to show our love for others, we really should be sending brains.
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