With the myriad of songs written about love. lost love, and pain one rarely thinks of love as a drug that might soothe pain. But a new study was reported today that noted: “The euphoric ‘high’ that accompanies the passion-filled, early days of romantic love is a common pop music theme, but is it just a metaphor or is love really like a drug?
“When researchers examined the question, they found that intense feelings of romantic love affect the brain in the same way drugs like cocaine or powerful pain relievers do.
“The reason people are so attracted to cocaine is that it activates the area of the brain that makes you feel good,” researcher Arthur Aron, PhD, tells WebMD. “The same reward area is activated when people are experiencing the intense desire of romantic love.” Romantic Love Affects Your Brain Like a Drug
The love drug — oxytocin
The pain/ pleasure of love was talked about in a study in Nature. While the above study focused on the natual feelings of love, oxytocin is sometimes called natural love. Oxytocin is a hormone that plays a role in bonding, orgasms, trust, and maternal instincts. One way to activate the hormone is through love-making.
Last year In a February essay for Nature, Dr. Larry J Young, neuro-scientist at Emory University, writes: “Experiments have shown that a nasal squirt of oxytocin enhances trust and tunes people into others’ emotions.
“Internet entrepreneurs are already marketing products such as Enhanced Liquid Trust, a cologne-like mixture of oxytocin and pheromones ‘designed to boost the dating and relationship area of your life’.
“Although such products are unlikely to do anything other than boost users’ confidence, studies are under way in Australia to determine whether an oxytocin spray might aid traditional marital therapy.” Being Human: Love: Neuroscience reveals all : Article : Naturetin Home
Love as addiction
Dr. Stanford Peele, writing for Psychology Today this past July says of the seven top addictions, love is the hardest to break. He says, He says, ” Love. Ah, love is the hardest addiction to quit. It certainly causes more murders and suicides than any other addiction. And if you think people miss smoking, consider what people are like when they break up with long-time lovers or get divorced – even when they hate their spouses!’ Psychology Today.com/
Re-ignite that oxytocin, says Dr. Scott Haltzman
Dr. Halzman says that natural highs “can produce excitatory neurochemicals that the brain interprets as excitement about your partner, not the activity.” He suggests:
- Make love –sex produces a natural high that can boost oxytocin levels.
- Do something out of your normal routine, such as, going to an amusement park or walking in the rain. And if you are walking in the rain, skip puddles or see who can jump into a puddle and make the biggest splash.
- Go to a new restaurant and order a dish that is completely unlike anything else you have ever ordered.
These activities will trigger the bonding effect. These and many other thoughts are in his latest book: The Secrets of Happy Families: Eight Keys to Building a Lifetime of Connection and Contentment
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