Post by Gator on Feb 15, 2019 7:12:30 GMT -5
What really happens to your brain and body when you fall in love with another person?
The process has 3 stages.
1. Lust
Once you realise that you are in love, you have been driven to that point by the sex hormones testosterone and oestrogen – in both men and women.
2. Attraction
This happens when you are so love-struck that you can think of little else. Scientists think that three main neurotransmitters are involved in this stage.
Adrenaline: The initial stages of falling for someone activates your stress response, increasing your blood levels of adrenalin and cortisol. This has the charming effect that when you unexpectedly bump into your new love, you start to sweat, your heart races and your mouth goes dry.
Dopamine: Your brain has high levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine. This chemical stimulates "desire and reward" by triggering an intense rush of pleasure. It has the same effect on the brain as taking cocaine!
Serotonin: One of love's most important chemicals that may explain why when you're falling in love, your new lover keeps popping into your thoughts.
3. Attachment
Scientists think there might be two major hormones involved in this feeling of attachment.
Oxytocin: A powerful hormone released by men and women during orgasm. It deepens the feelings of attachment and makes couples feel much closer to one another after they have had sex. The theory goes that the more sex a couple has, the deeper their bond becomes. Oxytocin also seems to help cement the strong bond between mum and baby and is released during childbirth. It is also responsible for a mum's breast automatically releasing milk at the mere sight or sound of her young baby.
Vasopressin: Another important hormone in the long-term commitment stage that is released after sex. Its potential role in long-term relationships was discovered when scientists looked at the prairie vole. These animals indulge in far more sex than is strictly necessary for the purposes of reproduction. They also – like humans - form fairly stable pair-bonds. When male prairie voles were given a drug that suppresses the effect of vasopressin, the bond with their partner deteriorated immediately as they lost their devotion and failed to protect their partner from new suitors.
The process has 3 stages.
1. Lust
Once you realise that you are in love, you have been driven to that point by the sex hormones testosterone and oestrogen – in both men and women.
2. Attraction
This happens when you are so love-struck that you can think of little else. Scientists think that three main neurotransmitters are involved in this stage.
Adrenaline: The initial stages of falling for someone activates your stress response, increasing your blood levels of adrenalin and cortisol. This has the charming effect that when you unexpectedly bump into your new love, you start to sweat, your heart races and your mouth goes dry.
Dopamine: Your brain has high levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine. This chemical stimulates "desire and reward" by triggering an intense rush of pleasure. It has the same effect on the brain as taking cocaine!
Serotonin: One of love's most important chemicals that may explain why when you're falling in love, your new lover keeps popping into your thoughts.
3. Attachment
Scientists think there might be two major hormones involved in this feeling of attachment.
Oxytocin: A powerful hormone released by men and women during orgasm. It deepens the feelings of attachment and makes couples feel much closer to one another after they have had sex. The theory goes that the more sex a couple has, the deeper their bond becomes. Oxytocin also seems to help cement the strong bond between mum and baby and is released during childbirth. It is also responsible for a mum's breast automatically releasing milk at the mere sight or sound of her young baby.
Vasopressin: Another important hormone in the long-term commitment stage that is released after sex. Its potential role in long-term relationships was discovered when scientists looked at the prairie vole. These animals indulge in far more sex than is strictly necessary for the purposes of reproduction. They also – like humans - form fairly stable pair-bonds. When male prairie voles were given a drug that suppresses the effect of vasopressin, the bond with their partner deteriorated immediately as they lost their devotion and failed to protect their partner from new suitors.