8 Things That Happen To Your Brain When You Fall In Love

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You really can be addicted to love

When Robert Palmer sang about being “addicted to love,” he was most likely being metaphorical. All these years later, though, it turns out there is scientific truth to those words.

Once again, it all comes back to dopamine. Because dopamine rushes into your brain’s pleasure centers, it gives you a feeling not unlike being high. And just like drug addicts keep chasing those pleasurable feelings, someone in love will try to spend more and more time with their partner because they are chasing that pleasant feeling.

Fortunately, there is no chemical dependence associated with love like there is with, say, drugs. But breaking up with someone you loved can create withdrawal in the form of major anxiety, which is why so many people take their breakups very hard.

Anxiety and love are connected

Speaking of anxiety, that’s a major part of falling in love with a new person. And if you’re wondering why that happens, all the blame falls on your cortisol levels.

Normally, cortisol helps your brain deal with what it perceives as something dangerous or surprising. Cortisol helps you manage your fears, maintain your mood, and even stay motivated in crisis situations.

However, when you fall in love, the overwhelming feelings make your brain feel like you are now in a major crisis situation. As a result, your brain creates more cortisol levels, and this drops your serotonin levels, making you feel very anxious or even scared. The good news is that these anxious feelings eventually go away. The bad news is it may take up to two years into the relationship before that happens!