Have you ever thought about what stands behind love and attraction? Science has made an attempt to explain how love influences our brain and body through various hormones and neurotransmitters. Experts from a popular San Antonio dating site gathered these insights to share them with you. So, in this article, we shed light on love from a scientific angle. Read on and you will discover many great things!
What happens in your brain when you fall in love?
When we fall in love, our brains go through a range of changes. Studies show that in the early stages of romantic attraction, the brain releases more dopamine, which makes us feel euphoric and energized.
- Dopamine is the hormone responsible for pleasure and reward. Every time you feel pleasure, say, you get a bouquet of flowers, hug your loved one, or receive a compliment, dopamine is released in your brain. Spending time with our partners causes a raise in dopamine levels, which makes us feel good when we are in love.
- Oxytocin, another “love hormone,” is associated with feelings of attachment and bonding. Physical touch, hugging, and kissing cause the release of oxytocin and make us feel closer to our partner. Naturally, the levels of oxytocin go higher when a person is in a relationship.
- And one more neurotransmitter involved in the process of romance and love is serotonin. Serotonin is often associated with mood and anxiety. At the same time, when you feel attracted to someone, your body releases adrenaline which you often feel as “butterflies in your stomach”. The role of serotonin is very strong at the beginning of the relationship. In fact, this is the very secret agent that makes us suffer from obsessive thinking and a decreased appetite.
- You will be surprised, but one more hormone involved in the love process is testosterone. Testosterone is often associated with aggression and moving forward. However, testosterone is also responsible for sexual desire and naturally goes higher in both men and women when they feel romantic attraction.
- And one more not obvious hormone that contributes to our feeling of love is cortisol. Cortisol is usually associated with stress, however, it also goes higher at the beginning of our relationship. On the one hand, this fact proves that we experience stress at the beginning of relationships, and on the other hand, cortisol lets us focus on our partner.
How do medical conditions impact love?
The overall health of the body also influences how we fall in love. As we discovered above, romance and love depend a lot on body chemistry. Mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, can have a significant effect on our love feelings.
- Depression causes a drop in dopamine and serotonin levels, the hormones necessary for feeling pleasure and connection to other people. Depression can make it difficult to experience pleasure in romantic relationships. For depressed people, it is harder to feel love inside, show it and accept the love of another person. All this makes it difficult for people with depression to start a relationship. However, having a supportive partner and a strong relationship before depression can become a powerful way of fighting this medical condition. Partners who offer emotional support, help with daily tasks and encourage seeking professional help usually play a significant role in healing their loved ones from depression.
- Anxiety also brings down the level of oxytocin, which can make it harder to form attachments and feel connected to others. This also means that anxiety makes it harder to maintain romantic relationships. Such people are so afraid of rejection that they can break up after a slight quarrel just because they are too scared of being rejected. Usually, they have difficulties trusting others and find it hard to support social interactions. Still, a good and healthy relationship can help mitigate the symptoms of anxiety. Feeling loved and supported increases the feelings of safety and security and, in the end, puts down the level of anxiety as well.
How does love rejection affect our brains?
Just like falling in love, being rejected also influences our emotional and physical state. Rejection leads to the release of cortisol and norepinephrine, the substances usually associated with stress and anxiety. Sometimes, the brain may also start to release less dopamine and serotonin, which will make a person feel sad or even depressed.