Falling in love actually changes what happens in your body for the better. When in love, neurochemicals like dopamine and oxytocin flood our brains in areas associated with pleasure and rewards, producing physical and psychological responses like less perceived pain and addictive dependence.
Being swept up in the initial stages of a loving relationship can make you feel euphoric, and there’s good reason for it. Research has shown a link between strong feelings of love and increased levels of neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain, which tells us rewards are ahead. The same chemical gets released in response to other sources of pleasure too, which explains the high feeling new lovers often experience.
Here are six things too much love does in your brain
1.Being in love can lower your blood pressure.
Elevated blood pressure, or hypertension, is a dangerous condition that puts your body at increases risk for heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure. Medication and lifestyle changes like getting exercise and eating healthier can control or reduce hypertension , but research has also suggested that being in love can serve as a a natural way to reduce blood pressure level.
2.You can feel more or less stressed than usual,depending on the stage of your relationship.
Falling for someone may be stressful in the beginning there’s uncertainty about whether they feel the same way, the possibility of rejection, and anxiety about when to say those three big words.
The initial stages of falling in love increase levels of cortisol, a hormone associated with stress, in new couples, according to research done.
3.You feel more attached and safe.
One reason why you feel less stressed may be because being in love makes you feel safe and develop trust towards your loved one.
Oxytocin plays a role in social bonding ,maternal and reproduction and sexual pressure instinct. The love hormone substantially increases social attachment and trust among partners, according to a study published in nature.
4.You become happier.
Being in love releases dopamine, a eurotransmitter that controls the brain’s reward and pleasure center, which makes couples feel happy around each other. Researchers found that participants who looked at a photo of a person they romantically loved showed brain activity in two areas highly associated with dopamine: the caudate nucleus and ventral tegmental area.
5.You feel less pain
Being in love has been shown to have pain reducing qualities, although most doctors wouldn’t recommend relying solely on love after, say, a serious surgery or injury.
The researchers found that people who viewed images of romantic partners had increased activity in several reward processing regions in the brain, suggesting that love and distraction may reduce the experience of pain.
6.You can feel addicted.
Like addictive drugs that light up our pleasure centers and keep people coming back for more, love can be addictive in its own way.
Scientists have observed overlapping neurochemical response in the same areas of the brain among people experiencing drug addiction and love.Research about the relationship between addiction and love.Can be addictive because it’s a need that can be temporarily satisfied but can become very distracting if it’s not fulfilled for a long period of time.
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