We have all felt it at some point in life. Poets have written about it, singers have sung about it, and around it an entire industry has grown dedicated to finding, expressing, and preserving it. But what is love? Where does it reside? What triggers it? And what really happens in our minds and in our bodies when we fall "madly" in love?
Although often difficult to define, romantic love encompasses the development of a strong emotional bond - known as "attachment" - sexual attraction and caring. "Lovers" experience a range of intense feelings, such as intrusive thoughts, emotional dependence, and increased energy, although these feelings may be limited to the early stages of the relationship.
According to scientist Helen Fisher of Rutgers University in New Jersey, there are three key stages to reaching "forever together," and all of them involve a defined number of known chemical effects.
Lust
Attraction
Fixation
Lust stage is obviously dominated by the sexual aspect and all that it entails. Testosterone and estrogens are the substances that most participants in this stage.
Despite what is believed on a daily basis, testosterone is not only part of the male drive, but it also plays a fundamental role in a woman's sexual desire.
Attraction stage is very important on the path of "love". People cannot stop thinking about more than their boyfriend or girlfriend. They may lose their appetite and may even need less sleep as they prefer to dream of the person they want.
In this stage, a group of neurotransmitters called "monoamines" participate, which take the reins of the situation:
-Dopamine (also activated by cocaine and nicotine)
-Norepinephrine (also known as a norepinephrine- this makes us sweat and accelerate the heartbeat)
-Serotonin (one of the most important in this process and which can make us lose our minds)
Fixing stage follows attraction since no one can be in "attraction" for their entire life. Fixation proposes a firmer commitment and makes couples stay together and enter married life and parenthood.
Two main hormones are responsible for this stage:
-Oxytocin - This hormone occurs in both people during sex and causes them to meet with a feeling of unity. Studies show that couples who have more sex are more united.
-Antidiuretic hormone - This hormone is also important in the union of couples. It largely controls the kidneys and was discovered while studying the social behaviors of some rodents.
In any case, it seems that romantic love is universal. However, the degree to which an important part of the sexual relationship is expressed or constituted can vary.
In our brain, numerous brain regions, particularly those related to reward and motivation, are activated when we think of or are in the presence of a romantic partner, including the hippocampus, hypothalamus, and anterior cingulate cortex. Activating these areas can serve to inhibit defensive behavior, reduce anxiety, and increase trust in the partner. In addition, areas such as the amygdala and frontal cortex are deactivated, a process whose function is possible to reduce the probability of the appearance of negative emotions or judgments about the partner.
Thus, brain activation in response to romantic partners appears to reward social interaction while preventing negative responses. The degree of brain activation during the early stages of a romantic relationship appears to influence both our own well-being and the extent to which the relationship is a success or failure.
For example, happiness, commitment to a partner, and satisfaction with the relationship have to do with the intensity of the activation of the brain.
Oxytocin and vasopressin are the hormones most closely associated with romantic love. They are produced by the hypothalamus and released by the pituitary gland. Although both influence both men and women, the latter are more sensitive to oxytocin, and the former to vasopressin.
The concentrations of both hormones increase during the intense phases of romantic love, they act on numerous systems within the brain and their receptors are present in various brain areas related to romantic love. Oxytocin and vasopressin interact primarily with the dopamine reward system and can stimulate dopamine release from the hypothalamus.
The dopamine pathways activated during romantic love create a pleasurable, rewarding sensation. These pathways are also related to addictive behavior, which has to do with obsessive behavior and emotional dependence normally observed when romantic love is in its initial phase.
Finally, romantic love can serve an important developmental role, for example, by increasing the parental support available for subsequent offspring. Love brings us happiness and is something beautiful to feel and is so magical that we can understand how it feels and how to differentiate a friend's love to a real love. On the other hand, it also can be sad. There are many ways love cannot be something happy, for example, abuse (this is not doce but is hard to those who live this situation daily to understand). Death, a minority of people who experience a death loss and says is a painful feeling and can also be obsessed with the missing partner. Love is beautiful, how our body works when we are in love is amazing, all the hormones involved, but also losing all that happiness is hard, and we must be ready for anything.
By Laura Rodríguez and
Nicolle Madiedo, Step 10 B.
