How chemicals in your body come together to give you that wonderful, ecstatic feeling whenever you’re next to your hot date.
‘Thump’, ‘Thump’, ‘Thump’, your heart pounds like never before and your knees grow weak. Your palm sweats, your stomach gets squishy, and your mind draws a blank while you frantically search what to say next. Sparks seem to fly whenever you’re near this special one, like no other person you’ve come across. You’re love struck. But how would you explain it? It’s time you understand the chemical reactions taking place in your body while you’re swooning with romantic feelings.
Testosterone & Estrogen The Lust Charger
These two pheromones cause the feelings of attraction towards the other person. The higher the level of these sex hormones, the bigger is the chance of feeling attracted to someone. Once you are feeling attracted to another person, an explosion of other chemicals in your brain occurs.
Phenylethylamine The Love Drug
This is one of the natural psycho-stimulant drugs your brain can produce. It’s a chemical related to amphetamines and raises blood pressure and blood glucose levels. It can give you the feeling like you’re on top of the world and gives you lots of energy. The elevation of this drug can be triggered by little things like eye contact or a simple, innocent touch. It speeds up the flow of information between the nerve cells and this causes that wonderful excited feeling.
Phenylethylamine or more famously known as PEA is also called the ‘love drug’ and is thought to be the reason why chocolate is known as an aphrodisiac and why women love it so much.
Norepinephrine The Adrenaline Booster
Have you ever experienced sweaty palms or palpitations (pounding heart) when you are close to this ‘special’ person? Blame it on the norepinephrine chemical! This one stimulates the production of adrenaline and makes your blood pressure go up which causes a racing heart and clammy hands.
Oxytocins The Cuddle Chemical
The oxytocin chemical can be released by a lover’s look, voice or smell or a (sexual) fantasy. In passionate love it is an important chemical, because it signals orgasm and makes lovers want to be held, cuddle and have close contact before, during and after lovemaking. In a stabilised relationship, this chemical is also crucial. It makes both men and women calmer and more sensitive to other’s feelings. Parents benefit from this chemical as it makes you more caring towards your children. And it’s also a gift for breastfeeding mothers as it helps stimulate milk production in them.
Endorphins for a long-lasting relationship
After a few months or years in a relationship your body can get used to the stimulating chemicals like phenylethylamine (PEA). But fortunately our brain has a few other chemicals in reserve, so the relationship can last. Besides oxytocin, there are other endorphins that calm you, kill your pain and reduce anxiety. These chemicals, like serotonin, are addictive and give you a feeling of happiness and for that reason; people want to live together forever.
Well, that’s one part of the equation for a wonderful relationship. What if you were wrong with your choice of partner? Keep in mind the vital information below in case your hot date becomes cold!
Blinded By Love
The saying is not just a cliché because research has demonstrated that it is true in more ways than one! Read on and understand how falling in love can be a tricky affair.
Confirmation Bias: We Only See What We Want To See
People always tend to search for things that confirm their thoughts with no exception when it comes to relationships. If we are attracted towards someone else, it’s plausible that our first thoughts of this person were positive. We start to search for positive characteristics that confirm these thoughts and focus on these characteristics. By putting so much focus on the positive things, we don’t see the negative characteristics of the other person and are blinded by our own thoughts.
Intrusive Thinking: Listening To Your Heart
Your brain can be divided into two parts: the logical thinking part (cortex) and the emotional part (limbic). By intrusive thinking, the emotional part is taking control over the logical part. If you’re starting to fall in love, your thoughts will be led by emotions, caused by the chemicals and you don’t see the dangers or negative sides of the relationship, because the cortex part is overruled by emotions.
Love Makes You Blind – Literally!
When you’re in love, some parts of your brain will be blocked, especially when you think about or look at your partner. The brain activity in these parts decreases and as a result of this you become less aware of other attractive people out there. Then again, even if you see attractive people, they don’t have as much impact on your body as they would have when you’re not in love. It’s been said that this natural blocking system exists to improve long-lasting monogamous relationships.
Well, now you know why those Hollywood couples who were the in-thing last year have now gone their separate ways and why ol’ Uncle Henry can still stay calm and loving no matter how much Aunty Helda nags him. Both parties have their “love chemicals” to thank…or blame!
