Is love an addiction?
Ok, so...yesterday I was in my psychology class, and we were discussing addictions. Basically, we get addicted to things such as alcohol and drugs becasuse our brains like to feel happy, when alcohol and drugs are consumed, it produces a rise in the dopamine levels in the brain, making you feel very very happy. Over time, repeated use of these substances causes the brain to stop producing its natural dopamine, and rely and the stuff you get from alcohol and drugs; hence the addiction.
Now, this made me think about another possible type of 'addiction'. When you say you love somone, or are attracted to them...basically, thats just another addiction. Like I said before, the brain loves to feel happy. So if your around someone who causes intense feelings of pleasure, causes you to feel happy all the time, that too would cause a rise in the dopamine levels in your brain...therefore, is love just an addiction of sorts? Your drawn to the person because they make you happy, which your brain likes, so you keep going back to that person to keep feeling happy...almost like a drug. Now, I'm not saying that love should be viewed as an addiction in the classic sense, cause love is great, I wouldnt be here today if it wasnt. But what I am trying to do, is figure out what the forces are behind it..why are we attracted to people, and why do we keep coming back to them? I think that the 'addiction' philosophy makes sense. Think about it...let me know your thoughs.
Now, this made me think about another possible type of 'addiction'. When you say you love somone, or are attracted to them...basically, thats just another addiction. Like I said before, the brain loves to feel happy. So if your around someone who causes intense feelings of pleasure, causes you to feel happy all the time, that too would cause a rise in the dopamine levels in your brain...therefore, is love just an addiction of sorts? Your drawn to the person because they make you happy, which your brain likes, so you keep going back to that person to keep feeling happy...almost like a drug. Now, I'm not saying that love should be viewed as an addiction in the classic sense, cause love is great, I wouldnt be here today if it wasnt. But what I am trying to do, is figure out what the forces are behind it..why are we attracted to people, and why do we keep coming back to them? I think that the 'addiction' philosophy makes sense. Think about it...let me know your thoughs.