Scientists explain what happens to the brain and body when a person falls in love
[ad_1]
When we fall in love, chemicals associated with the reward system flood our brains, causing a variety of physical and emotional reactions – racing heart, sweaty palms, rosy cheeks, feelings of passion and anxiety.
Scientists from Harvard Medical School (HMS) conducted a series of experiments and investigated what changes occur in the brain.
First of all, each of the emotions is “controlled” by different parts of the brain, writes Very well mind.
“Love is a powerful feeling, and it often varies somewhat depending on what one gives or receives from the person one loves.
For example, motherly love often protects. And romantic love will also become protective over time as people grow closer to each other and learn about each other’s vulnerabilities“says Case Western Reserve University MD Heidi Moawad.
| Photo: kieferpix/Depositphotos |
What areas of the brain are activated during love
He is responsible for feelings of lust hypothalamus is a small structure about the size of an amygdala, located just above the brain stem. It is associated with basic needs and desires, such as thirst and hunger. The hypothalamus also controls automatic internal processes – body temperature, blood pressure and sleep cycle.
In addition, the hypothalamus itself helps regulate your sex drive. It also affects commitment and loyalty.
They are responsible for attractiveness and romance ventral tegmental area and adjacent nucleus. Both brain regions play an important role in the brain’s reward system. This system saturates the body with dopamine, a neurotransmitter that causes feelings of euphoria and pleasure.
This is why the early stages of love can be so exciting and sometimes even addictive. It’s normal to feel like you can’t stop thinking about the other person and want to be with them all the time.
Almond-shaped body, for example, helps us process the emotions we feel. This is important because it creates strong associations that we develop in the early stages of a romantic relationship.
When you fall in love, concentration and attention decrease due to a decrease in activity prefrontal cortex, which is related to logic and decision-making.
This may explain why we sometimes ignore red flags and make poor judgments, especially in the early days of a romance.
 |
| Photo: IgorVetushko/Depositphotos |
Neurotransmitters: chemical messengers of love
When you fall in love, it triggers the release of chemicals like oxytocin, vasopressin, and dopamine.
The hypothalamus stimulates the testicles and ovaries to release sex hormones testosterone and estrogen. Both play a role in fueling feelings of passion and lust.
Craving is linked to the brain’s reward system, which includes the brain chemicals dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. Dopamine is a “feel good” hormone because it makes us feel good.
Also stands out norepinephrine, which causes us a feeling of euphoria. Because of this neurotransmitter in the early stages of love, a feeling of giddiness and excitement can occur. At the same time, norepinephrine can also cause feelings of anxiety.
Level cortisol (stress hormone) increases during the initial phase of romantic love, forcing our body to cope with the “crisis”.
At the same time “falls” serotonin – a hormone responsible for bad mood, obsessive and anxious thoughts.
If you’ve ever found yourself obsessing over every little thing your new romantic partner said or did, you can blame it on low serotonin.
Love also deactivates neural pathways responsible for negative emotions such as fear and social condemnation. Scientists note that critical evaluation of other people “turns off” in people in love.
Hormones in long-term relationships
As relationships develop, so do the chemicals released in the brain.
For example, dopamine and norepinephrine levels begin to decline, while two other hormones take center stage: oxytocin and vasopressin.
Oxytocin is produced by the brain’s hypothalamus and is sometimes called the “cuddle hormone.” It is released during sex, childbirth and breastfeeding and helps to strengthen bonding and emotional connection.
Vasopressin plays an important role in social relationships. It is believed to promote attachment and protective behavior.
“Romantic love also often depends on prosocial mental processes, which include whether a person thinks that a romantic relationship with a particular person will be accepted or admired in their social circle“, says Moavad.
 |
| Photo: HayDmitriy/Depositphotos |
The neurological changes in the brain when we fall in love are not just a temporary effect. Experiencing love, especially romantic love, can have powerful long-term effects on the brain.
So, for example, connections are strengthened, reactions are improved, cognitive skills are improved, resistance to stress is increased, and motivation and a sense of satisfaction are also increased.
Why passion fades in long-term relationships
According to Harvard researchers Schwartz and Olds, many theories of love suggest that over time there is an inevitable shift from passionate love to what is commonly called compassionate love. It is not as euphoric as in the early stages of the novel. But this does not mean that the spark “goes out”.
A 2011 study found that it’s possible to be madly in love with someone after decades of marriage.
A group of scientists conducted MRI scans of couples who had been married for an average of 21 years. They found the same intensity of activity in dopamine-rich areas of the brain as in the brains of couples who had recently fallen in love.
So scientists are convinced that it is possible to restore passion in a long-term relationship.
“Couples lose the habit of having sex, being incredibly in love, and often for good reasons: work, children, a sick father. But such love can be restored”– notes Olds.
Sexual activity, for example, can increase oxytocin levels and activate the brain’s reward circuitry, making couples want each other more.
Read also: War is all around, and he kneels. The story of military and field love
[ad_2]
Original Source Link
