Love always makes us feel our head in the clouds, it makes us go through an emotional carousel, oscillating between different states more or less pleasant … Often, we feel clumsy in front of our loved ones, our palms sweat, and our pulse increases. Surely these symptoms are known to you, you have experienced them, most likely. But did you know that all this is the result of a “chemistry of love”?
When we fall in love, various substances are secreted in the body, such as dopamine, adrenaline, and oxytocin, also called “love hormone”. Oxytocin is secreted by the pituitary gland, which is located in the brain below the hypothalamus. The love hormone has various roles in the body, from maintaining intimate relationships between partners to maintaining optimal health of the cardiovascular system. Oxytocin contributes to the attachment between partners. The secretion of this hormone is stimulated by hugs, sweet words, and even a few tender glances.
Another important hormone for health is serotonin, also called the “happiness hormone”. This hormone is produced in the brain and intestines. At the cerebral level, it acts as a neurotransmitter, being a chemical that allows other cells to communicate with each other. Also, the “happiness hormone” plays a key role in maintaining a good emotional state, maintaining quality sleep, and helping to heal wounds. Serotonin increases significantly when you are next to the person you are in love with, thus explaining the states of joy and slight euphoria you are going through. But when the one you love isn’t around you, serotonin can go down, and those unpleasant states of sadness can come into play. Low serotonin levels are also present in people with obsessive-compulsive disorder. In the early stages of love, when we fall in love, we feel the need to spend more time with the person we love, we want to pay more attention to him, and when he leaves, we may feel slightly depressed. The good news is that serotonin levels rise again when we see our loved ones again.
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Other substances that cause important changes in the body are endorphins, responsible for creating closeness between partners and stimulating the feeling of protection, and adrenaline, one of the stress hormones. Adrenaline is also responsible for the feeling that you can do anything and you are unstoppable when you are next to the one you love. Adrenaline is produced in the adrenal glands, located in the upper part of the kidneys. When we are in love, adrenaline stimulates the solar plexus (upper stomach), which leads to the appearance of the famous “butterflies in the stomach “.
What changes occur in the brain at the first encounter?
The first date with the person you love can be a real stressor, can’t it? You think about how to make the best impression, how you should arrange and what outfits you should choose … This is due to the fact that the stress hormone, cortisol, increases significantly, before and during the first meetings. Cortisol can lead to mental stress as well as many physiological reactions, such as agitation, sweating of the palms, and irregular heartbeat. Increased cortisol can also lower serotonin, which increases stress and agitation. However, it is important to be on the first date and try to relax. After all, the first date is a great opportunity to have interesting conversations with the person we like and at the same time,
Why do we fall in love?
Love leads to many changes in the body, some more pleasant, some less pleasant. Sometimes we experience real states of euphoria when we love, and other times we cry and suffer for days or even more after the person we love … So, why do we fall in love, exactly? On the one hand, if we were to focus on the evolutionary perspective, love between partners plays an important role in the reproduction and perpetuation of the human species. But, from a psychological point of view, people fall in love so as not to be left alone, to create lasting romantic relationships with their partners. People are social beings who need to be with people with whom they can share certain common values and goals. However, it often happens that we fall in love with people who seem completely different from us. This is because people often fall in love with the different traits of their partners because they instinctively want to be emotionally and physically complemented by them. The complementarity of partners is one of the essential elements of a lasting relationship. Women and men are by nature complementary beings, who need to complement each other in order to be in harmony and to have a long-lasting relationship.
