Dubai: When you see a person and your heart goes boom, throat dries up, you get weak-kneed, is it love or merely a reaction of several trace elements, neurochemicals and hormones in your body?
“Love is more a chemical equation than a coming together of hearts,” says Dr Melanie Schlatter, Consultant health psychologist in Dubai. She says that the process of falling in love can actually be broken up into three stages: love/infatuation/lust; attraction; attachment.
“Several neurochemicals have been identified with respect to the initial phase of the love ‘reaction’ (initial lust and attraction), and as these chemicals increase, so does our attraction to the object of desire.” The main chemicals at play in the initial stages are testosterone and oestrogen in males and females respectively.
The second phase, where people claim that they can think of nothing else but their love interest, involves three chemical neurotransmitters — adrenaline, dopamine and serotonin. “The feeling of sparks flying is caused by dopamine, noradrenalin (which induces adrenalin production), Phenylethylamine (PEA), and serotonin,” says Schlatter.
Elaborating on the interplay of chemicals, she says: “When we feel happy, dopamine is released by the brain. Dopamine is also known as a pleasure chemical which produces a feeling of bliss and being in, the new relationship – a feeling akin to taking a banned substance. People also describe heightened levels of energy and alertness (enabling you to talk together for hours on end!), less need for sleep and lowered appetite.
“An increased level of adrenalin is responsible for the primary stress response in people which causes a racing heart, sweaty palms, butterflies in your stomach, shaky legs, dry mouth, and shallow breathing — a sure indicator that something novel is on the horizon.”
Love triggers a greater production of PEA, a natural amphetamine (also found in chocolate!), provides increased physical and emotional energy (the ability to stay up all night and talk for hours), as well as the production of even more dopamine.
“Serotonin is regarded as one of the most important chemicals in the context of love, and is often responsible for your beloved to keep popping into your thoughts. This phase is also responsible for instigating the obsessive like nature of our thoughts regarding the new love interest. Indeed, one research study showed that serotonin levels of individuals newly in love were very similar to the low serotonin levels observed in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients.”
Psychologists say that the immediate release of all of these neuro-chemicals can be initiated from simple acts — such as eyes meeting (across a crowded room, of course), a meaningful ‘hello’, or hands touching. From this point onwards, the individuals can become almost addicted to the feeling of the chemicals, which have been released, and thus the attraction develops rapidly with each person wanting to spend more and more time with each other in order to re-experience that feeling,” observes Schlatter
The third stage of attachment, psychologists point out, is the phase of love after the initial, infatuation, and intense levels of attraction slowly stabilise. At this time, endorphins become more prominent. These are produced from the mere presence of a partner, physical contact, and activities such as exercise — people may be familiar with endorphins for creating the so-called ‘runner’s high’. They are also known as natural pain-killers.
According to the literature, endorphins are responsible for closer relationships where stability, warmth, calmness, intimacy and sharing predominate – ‘true love’. As such, it is not quite the addictive high experienced in the initial phases, but there are enough chemicals to sustain the level of attraction between the two individuals, and for couples to raise a family according to Dr Helen Fisher of Rutgers University doing extensive research on the chemistry of love.
“Two hormones that are commonly associated with this stage are oxytocin and vasopressin,” point out Dr Schlatter. “Oxytocin has been colloquially named the ‘cuddle chemical’ due to its ability to produce feelings of satisfaction and attachment from a look, scent or physical contact.
“It also promotes the need for physical contact, and can make both males and females more caring towards each other. Vasopressin also plays an important role in the attachment bond, including linking feelings to memories.”
So, back to the initial question: is love a sublime emotion or a strong chemical reaction? Romantics and realists of the world, take your pick.
