What Makes Love So Addictive? What Brain Studies Reveal
The human mind and body can experience a wide range of emotions and physical responses. But none seem to reach the levels of intensity we experience when in love. Whether it is the obsession with another that we can’t seem to shake or even the feeling of walking on air, studies have proven that there is a scientific explanation to love’s power and why it’s so addictive.
What Love Does to Our Brain Chemistry
When we fall in love the brain releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter with connections to pleasure. This chemical is closely linked to the reward and motivation centers of the brain. As dopamine is released, we often feel an increase in energy, increased focus, and pleasure. High levels of dopamine also cause a decrease in depression and anxiety. People in love have been found to have higher levels of dopamine than those who are not.
In addition to dopamine, serotonin is also released in large amounts when people are in love. This neurotransmitter, often called the ‘happy hormone’, is connected to our emotions in a big way. So when we experience a serotonin rush from being in love, we often feel an increase in happiness and excitement.
Finally, oxytocin, also called the ‘cuddle hormone’, is also released when we fall in love. This hormone is important for developing deep connections and forming intimate bonds. When oxytocin is released we achieve a sense of fulfillment and connection with the other person, which researchers have found leads to a strong need for physical contact and often leads to more intimate activities.
The Effects of Love on Sleep
When we feel in love we seem to have so much energy that sleep isn’t always a priority. Studies have found that people in love are more prone to insomnia than everyone else. The brain chemicals, particularly dopamine, cause people in love to experience a burst of energy (a sort of hyperactivity) that can interfere with sleep.
The Feel Good Effects of Love
Our bodies are amazing, and their response to love can be even more captivating. People in love often experience a state of euphoria, a feeling of being ‘high’ off the person they’re in love with. This is because of the hormones released when in love. The dopamine released when we fall in love can cause us to feel joy and pleasure, while serotonin has been linked to feelings of happiness and security. When both of these hormones coincidentally interact, they can cause us to feel lightheaded and giddy, like a drug high.
The sensation of being in love can also cause the release of endorphins, another type of neurotransmitter with strong ties to pleasure. Endorphins can relieve pain and help us feel rewarded, causing us to feel immense pleasure when in love.
How Love is So Addictive
Love, as it appears, is one of the strongest addictive experiences we can encounter. As in drug addiction, when people fall in love they show similar behaviors to those who suffer from substance abuse.
Those addicted to drugs experience a unique high due to the release of dopamine, and once it wears off, the person experiences withdrawal symptoms. Similarly, when people in love experience the rush of chemicals associated with it, the high doesn’t last and once it wears off, they experience the same withdrawal symptoms as those affected by drug addiction.
People in love are also constantly seeking out physical contact and intimacy, just as someone addicted to drugs will seek out the substance they’re addicted to. This could be an attempt at satisfying the need to feel the rush of hormones again.
Love can have a powerful influence on our minds, as seen in the evidence found through brain studies. We know that when we fall in love, the brain releases dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin, each playing an important role in making us feel those intense feelings. We also know that an overload of these hormones can make it addictive. Love has the potential to become dangerous, like any other addiction, which is why it’s important to be aware of the effects it can have on our mind and body.
