The science of falling in love

The emotions of love can range from heartwarming to heartbreaking. So, what does it have to do with the brain? Everything! A symphony of neurochemicals and brain systems guides the journey from the initial spark to the final tear. You may find yourself obsessing over them and wanting to spend more and more time together as you begin to fall in love. This first phase of adoration is what clinicians call fascination, or energetic love. When it comes to the brain, your new relationship can almost feel like a high, and that's not far from the truth. The ventral tegmental area is more active in infatuated individuals. The VTA is the brain's reward-processing and motivation hub. It fires when you eat a sweet treat, drink water, or, in more extreme cases, use drugs. Dopamine, a neurotransmitter that makes you feel good, is released during activation, teaching your brain to repeat actions in anticipation of receiving the same initial reward. Love is not only euphoric but also draws you toward your new partner due to this increased VTA activity. It might be hard to see any flaws in your new perfect partner at first. Love's influence on higher cortical brain regions is the cause of this haze. The prefrontal cortex, the brain's cognitive center, shows decreased activity in some newly infatuated people. It shouldn't come as a surprise that we tend to see new relationships through rose-colored glasses because activating this region enables us to engage in critical thought and make judgments. While this first phase of affection can be a serious rollercoaster of feelings and mind action, it commonly just endures a couple of months, clearing a path for the more dependable phase of affection, known as connection, or merciful love. Two hormones, in large part, may make you feel more relaxed and committed to your partner as your relationship develops: vasopressin and oxytocin. Known as pair-holding chemicals, they signal trust, sensations of social help and connection. In this way, romantic love is similar to other types of love because these hormones help families and friendships become stronger. Additionally, oxytocin has the ability to prevent the production of stress hormones, which is why spending time with a loved one can be so therapeutic. It is possible for early love to give way to a deeper connection and a more sincere understanding as the judgment-free quality of the love fades. On the other hand, issues in your relationship may become more apparent as your rose-colored glasses begin to fade. We can attribute the emotional anguish that comes with heartbreak to the brain, regardless of the cause of the breakup. The insular cortex is a part of the brain that processes both physical and social pain, like spraining your ankle or feeling rejected, when a breakup causes distress. You might start daydreaming about or yearning for contact with your ex-partner once more as the days go by. Like a severe hunger or thirst, the desire to help others may feel overwhelming. Heartbroken individuals exhibit increased activity in the VTA, the motivation and reward center that drove feelings of longing during the initial stages of the relationship, when they look at photos of a former partner. You may also feel shaken and restless as a result of this emotional whirlwind activating your body's stress axis. Over the long haul, higher cortical areas which administer thinking and drive control, can slow down this misery and hankering flagging. It is not surprising that the first heartbreak can be particularly painful because these regions are still maturing and forming connections throughout adolescence. Dopamine, a neurotransmitter that makes us feel good, can be used to control this heartbreak stress response through activities like exercise, spending time with friends, or even listening to your favorite song. And even the most devastating heartbreaks can be healed and learned from with time and support.

Click Here to learn six myths about the middle ages