SAEDNEWS: Researchers have found that a brain in love is very different from one experiencing mere lust and bears no resemblance to the brain of a married person. A person in love shows distinct signs, which you will discover below.
According to Saed News’ psychology section, falling in love triggers a series of chemical reactions in the body that play a significant role in the nervous system and hormonal activity.
1. Love is like an addiction
Research shows that when someone falls in love, the brain releases hormones such as dopamine, oxytocin, adrenaline, and vasopressin, creating an emotional attachment similar to drug addiction. A family therapist explains that these chemicals intensify dependence on the loved one. Like drugs, spending more time with them strengthens the feeling of addiction.
2. You can’t take your eyes off them
Keeping photos of a loved one or setting them as phone or computer backgrounds has a scientific basis. Seeing these images triggers dopamine release in the brain.
3. Weight gain
Studies confirm that people in satisfying relationships often gain weight. For example, women may crave foods high in sugar and fat after entering a romantic relationship.
4. Increased courage
Oxytocin, often called the “love hormone,” can make someone bolder, more confident, and courageous. Blushing, sweaty palms, and a racing heartbeat are not just emotional; adrenaline and norepinephrine are also involved.
5. Pupil dilation
Being emotionally attached or looking at a loved one activates the sympathetic nervous system, causing the pupils to dilate.
6. Consumed by thoughts of them
Research by Fisher shows that lovers spend over 85% of their waking hours thinking about their partner. This obsessive thinking may be linked to lower central serotonin levels, associated with compulsive behavior.
7. Feeling listless
Loss of appetite and lethargy are normal in love. Stress hormone cortisol constricts blood vessels in the stomach, causing these effects. This explains why brides and grooms sometimes lose their appetite at weddings.
8. Feeling powerful
Oxytocin release increases physical endurance and strength. Lovers can feel as if they could perform extraordinary feats, like a mother lifting a car to save her child.
9. Changes in voice
Once infatuation evolves into deeper commitment, physical signs of attraction appear, such as speaking louder yet softer. Women, for example, tend to raise their voices when attracted to someone.
10. Missing them physically
The hormone corticotropin plays a key role in the discomfort felt when a partner is absent. Couples eventually develop coping strategies, such as listening to the loved one’s voice.
11. “Broken heart” syndrome
Research shows heartbreak can be life-threatening. Extreme stress from loss, separation, or divorce can mimic heart attack symptoms like irregular heartbeat, chest pain, and breathing difficulties.
12. Stronger bones in men
Men over 25 who enter a deep romantic relationship tend to develop stronger bones. Emotional support from a female partner is crucial for this effect. Scientists note that a brain in love is distinct from both sexual desire and a typical married brain.
13. Desire to do anything for them
Lovers experience strong empathy, feeling their partner’s pain as their own and displaying a willingness to make sacrifices.
14. Adapting to their preferences
Falling in love often leads to reprioritizing habits, style, personal traits, or values to align more closely with the loved one’s preferences.
15. Sleeplessness
Excitement over thoughts of romantic moments can cause insomnia, especially early in a relationship. This heightened energy comes from positive emotions.
16. Increased creativity
While some writers claim depression sparks creativity, a 2015 study showed that love stimulates creative thinking. Lovers adopt a holistic perspective, seeing multiple angles of a situation.
17. Relief from chronic pain
A 2010 Stanford study found that deep romantic love alleviates chronic pain similarly to medication. Romantic relationships activate the same brain regions affected by pain-relief drugs, making “prescribing love” a surprisingly rational idea.
