Crazy Little Thing Called Love
- Varun Kheria
- Feb 14, 2024
- 3 min read
Love is more complex than just feeling butterflies in our stomachs or googly eyes across the dinner table (though those are a part of the package). Although poets seemed to have figured it out ages ago (or so they lead us to believe), love is a multi-dimensional phenomenon which is only now beginning to be understood by scientists and researchers.
If you’re reading this blog on the day it is published, it is most likely the 14th of February 2024 for you, also known as Valentine's Day. Are you in love with someone? Do you have someone you want to confess your love to? Or do you feel like you can’t escape the overwhelming capitalistic expectations that this day places on individuals in lieu of a genuine and nuanced celebration of love? Regardless, let’s take a look at the complexities of the heart, both figuratively and literally!
Let's talk chemistry. No, not the kind that stressed you out in high school, but the kind that makes your heart skip a beat. Love is a complex cocktail of neurotransmitters and hormones, which can be compared to a complicated chemistry experiment. These include dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin, which work together to throw the ultimate Valentine's Day party in your brain.
In 2005, a research team led by Helen Fisher published a ground-breaking study that included the first functional MRI (fMRI) images of the brains of individuals who were in love [1]. The team analyzed 2,500 brain scans of college students who viewed pictures of the people they were in love with and compared the scans to ones taken when the students looked at pictures of acquaintances. Photos of people they romantically loved caused the participants' brains to become active in regions rich with dopamine, the so-called "feel-good" neurotransmitter. Two of the brain regions that showed activity in the fMRI scans were the caudate nucleus, a region associated with reward detection and expectation and the integration of sensory experiences into social behaviour, and the ventral tegmental area, which is associated with pleasure, focused attention, and the motivation to pursue and acquire rewards.
Chemicals linked to the reward circuit overflow our brains during romantic feelings, evoking a range of mental and bodily reactions, including pounding hearts, sweaty hands, flushed cheeks, and intense, tense feelings. During the early stages of passionate love, our bodies produce more cortisol, the stress hormone, to help us deal with the impending "crisis." Serotonin levels in the brain decrease as cortisol levels increase. The obsessive-compulsive behaviours linked to infatuation—what Schwartz called the "intrusive, maddeningly preoccupying thoughts, hopes, terrors of early love"—are brought on by low serotonin levels [2]. There’s always a bit of madness in love, after all.
We also feel a lot of stress and madness when we break up with someone we love. It feels like a part of yourself has been ripped out and that you’ll never feel ‘whole’ again. Going through a breakup can cause a lot of emotional pain that feels similar to physical distress. The brain is greatly impacted by this pain, with specific areas such as the dorsomedial thalamus and parts of the brainstem being activated [3]. This highlights the deep psychological and physiological effects of heartbreak.
Don’t give up though – a broken heart is not permanent! Neuroplasticity is an inherent trait that our brains possess - the brain's ability to rewire itself over time. Although it may be painful at first, studies show that the frontal cortex of the brain becomes more active in controlling impulses and redirecting behavior, helping in the healing process. Understanding these neurological processes can bring comfort, as it suggests that emotional recovery from a breakup is achievable with time and the brain's adaptive capabilities. Don't be too hard on yourself if you find yourself thinking about your ex. Your brain is doing everything it can to help you move on!
Whether you're spending Valentine's Day with your soulmate, your best friend, or a tub of ice cream, or you’re someone who doesn’t believe in the day at all, keep in mind that love is more than just a box of chocolates or a bouquet of roses. The twists and turns of the human heart, plenty of laughs, a lot of tears, and the unforgettable moments along the way are what truly matter. So, here's to love – in all its messy, complicated, and beautiful glory. Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!
- Varun Kheria, Science Communicator, ARISA Foundation
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