20-forty.comBecause love isn’t always 20/20!
Addicted to Love
Being in love can be an exhilarating rush, a high if you will, and can arouse feelings in us that we have never experienced. Sex stimulates the same type of feelings. So why? What causes these sensations? What causes us to fall in love? Why do orgasms give us such an incredible thrill?
The answer is chemical. The levels of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin in our body are directly linked to our emotions concerning love and sex. High levels of dopamine and norepinephrine cause the feeling of exhilaration while low levels of serotonin spark obsession. Sound familiar? That’s right folks, an imbalance in these neurochemicals also causes addiction.
Dopamine
Dopamine is the key chemical when it comes to addiction. Found in the central nervous system, retina, and sympathetic ganglia, dopamine activates the reward, or pleasure, circuit of our limbic system. The best way to describe dopamine is as the “craving” neurochemical. When the desire caused by dopamine is satisfied, our reward circuit is stimulated, thus encouraging us to repeat the action that caused such pleasure.
Dopamine levels generally increase when we participate in activities that affect the continuation of our genes, such as sex or reproduction, eating, and taking risks. We become addicted to the bliss that is brought about by this increased level of dopamine, therefore craving more of the action. Studies have shown that upon seeing a loved one, dopamine level increase, thus connecting love and addiction.
Orgasms are also brought on by increased levels of dopamine. In fact, an orgasm is the largest dose of dopamine one can naturally and legally experience. Studies have shown orgasms to closely resemble heroin rushes.
Norepinephrine
Norepinephrine, also known as noradrenaline, is a neurotransmitter that is chemically similar to dopamine. Acting as an arousal mechanism and mood enhancer, norepinephrine excites neurons (and us) and transmits messages to endocrine glands thus causing them to release hormones. These hormones regulate sex drive, appetite, metabolism, and fertility.
As with dopamine, it is when norepinephrine levels are increased that it affects our reward circuit and is likely to cause addiction. Because these increased levels boost sex drives and heighten emotions brought on by sex, we form a mild addiction to sex and the sensations it induces. However, if the levels become too high, the addiction becomes dangerous, bringing about the need for rehabilition.
Serotonin
About.com describes serotonin as “a neurotransmitter that impacts multiple functions of the central nervous system including mood, sleep, vomiting, sexuality, and appetite.” Low levels of this neurotransmitter are what trigger obsession and addiction. A study on serotonin levels in individuals who had fallen in love within six months of the experiment, showed significantly lower levels of serotonin than in the other test subjects. The study also showed that the recently amorous subjects had serotonin levels comparable to that of the subjects with obsessive compulsive disorder. This could be why those newly in love “obsess” about their partners.
Think About It
It makes sense that love, sex, addiction and obsession are all interconnected and controlled by the same brain processes, chemicals, and transmitters. The euphoric feelings that are brought on by loving our partner or engaging in sex are very similar to the feelings enduced by an addiction. The reward circuit of our brain wants to be pleased and surrendering to an addiction or obsession appeases that want. Its no wonder love is so complicated.
Honey October 3rd, 2008, 12:54 pm
It’s complicated, yet seems somehow sad and simple to be a bag of chemicals. What about values? I guess we’re not really the agents of free will we think we are…
Honeys last blog post..I’ve Had Sex With Three Virgins And I’m Gonna Tell You About It
Brad K. October 7th, 2008, 11:11 am
Honey, I think we use values and ethics to choose who we are standing next to when the chemical soup spills over.
Unfortunately adrenaline plays a big part, too, I believe. Much of the attraction of new partners is about an edge of risk, danger, fear - that is, adventure. Bad boys and bad girls get lots more first dates. Calm, competent, steadfast folk just don’t spark the imagination - the adrenaline. Past the first blush of exhilaration (danger survived), though both the wild and mild partners settle down to the balance that Kira describes - a rich and rewarding, for many, intimate life.
Except the adventure-cravers are looking for the adrenaline edge. Once that wears off, the fear and danger aspects no longer trigger the sexual sparklings. If there were no character involved, then the relationship grows stale and those involved look for another adventure with someone else - or they get into the games that keep the danger and risk and bondage in the bedroom.
Remember, adrenaline takes 28 minutes to affect you, and wash out of your system. Relationships should last longer than that.
Brad K.´s last blog post..Family Music
kira October 7th, 2008, 1:35 pm
Honey- It does seem somewhat sad and simple to be a bag of chemicals. I first heard about the feelings of love originating in the same part of the brain as addiction on Discovery Health some time ago and it made a lot of sense so I thought I should explore it a bit further. You’re right, we aren’t necessarily the agents of free will that we would like to think we are.
BradK- It makes sense that adrenaline would play a role. When we take risks we get an adrenaline rush as well as an increased level of dopamine. It is all interconnected. All of this helps to explain why, to an extent, we don’t get to choose who we fall in love with (even if being in love with them is the worst decision in the world).
sophia October 7th, 2008, 7:25 pm
Whenever I get my period I become more anxious and depressed and irritable. I also noticed when my emotions are less happy and upbeat, I tell myself that I don’t feel for my boyfriend anymore. This only happens when I am menstrating. I don’t understand how that can happen when previously, before my period, I was head over heals for him. This happens every month. Any advice?
sophia´s last blog post..Date Smart
kira October 8th, 2008, 12:56 pm
sophia- PMS can be caused by any number of hormonal changes. Part of the process of PMS is your body preparing itself for pregnancy. During this process, your endocrine system (made up of your adrenal, pituitary, and thyroid glands, hypothalamus and ovaries) works to send signals (in the form of hormones and neurotransmitters) to the rest of your body. These hormones and neurotransmitters can affect your mood, ability to think clearly, energy level, etc.
To help control your symptoms of PMS try the following:
*Keep a menstrual journal. Record symptoms and their severity, dates you start and stop your period, and the ovulation dates. This will help you to see a pattern in your menstrual cycle and will enable a physician to better assist you in finding relief.
*Take daily doses of calcium, vitamin B6, and magnesium.
*Exercise regularly and maintain a well balanced diet.
*Eliminate unhealthy habits such as smoking, caffeine consumption, and alcohol.
If you are doing all of these things and your symptoms still don’t subside, you need to consult your physician.
Best of luck to you!