Why Love Makes Us Crazy?
First you need to go back and read my last entry. I spilled my heart out and have gotten like three notes...that hurts people!!!!!
and you should read this...it helps make sense of the crazy shit we do in love and that really it's our brain and their chemicals more so than just us being psycho. :)
Why Love Makes You Crazy
"When you fall for someone, the part of your brain that's rich in the stimulant dopamine is activated, causing you to feel exhilarated. And the intensity of that joy spills out into the rest of your life.
Dopamine also cranks up production of testosterone, the hormone that rules libido, which can explain the crazy horniness, you feel when you first fall in love/lust. You're probably also producing more norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter that further stimulates your sex drive and is also associated with increased memory. That's why you suddenly have the ability to recall the tiniest details about your love.
Your brain is ensuring that you cherish every moment the two of you spend together.
While being in love can put you in the happy zone, it can also be a tad hazardous. Activity decreases in the amygdala, a part of your brain associated with fear. Your internal alarm system doesn't disappear completely, but you are more likely to jump into fearful situations despite the consequences.
Norepinephrine is also at play. Yes, it keeps your mind laser focused on details, but only those that relate to your love. It tends to hamper your ability to home in on ANYTHING ELSE. So Much of your brain power is redirected to your love that every other person or project in your life gets the leftovers.
Because love sparks activity in the dopamine-rich areas of the brain associated with reward, you become as addicted to your love as you would be to a drug. When you're with that person, you're high as a kite; when their MIA, you bottom out. The more affection and attention your love object gives you, the more you crave, and the more depressed you'll feel when you don't get your fix.
The lovesick blues may also be linked to a decrease in serotonin, a brain chemical that helps keep us calm and happy. We know that low levels of serotonin have been linked to OCD, some evidence suggests serotonin may drop as much as 40 percent in people who are in love. Hence the reason you drive by their house a million times and spend hours trying to analyze what they meant by , * See ya later.* There's even a flip side to all that mind blowing booty you've been having. Sex can cause our levels of oxytocin, the cuddle chemical to sky rocket, giving you an exaggerated feeling of closeness toward your partner. It's nature's way of helping you bond with your love, whether they've earned it or not.
While you wouldn't want to totally forgo that wacky feeling, you can keep the side effects in check. For starters, assess how far gone you are by asking yourself three questions.
1) Have I made more than on big decision that I totally regretted?
2) Gave I ditched my friends and family?
3) Am I Sacrificing something that’s important to me, just to spend more time with my love, or sacrificing my OWN HAPPINESS?
If you answered yes to at least two then you need to get a hold of yourself.
Resist the urge to spend all of your waking hours with your love, and make time for friends and family. You need them to act as a sounding board and let you know when you veer to far off course. Plus, once the warm and fuzzy stage wears off, you want your old life to be intact.
Researchers speculate that this phase of love often lasts only 12 to 18 months so enjoy it while you can. You'll never be more aware of the strong connection and attraction you have for this lover, so relish every wacky, embarrassing, exhausting minute of it. Who knows if you'll actually live happily ever after?
and you should read this...it helps make sense of the crazy shit we do in love and that really it's our brain and their chemicals more so than just us being psycho. :)
Why Love Makes You Crazy
"When you fall for someone, the part of your brain that's rich in the stimulant dopamine is activated, causing you to feel exhilarated. And the intensity of that joy spills out into the rest of your life.
Dopamine also cranks up production of testosterone, the hormone that rules libido, which can explain the crazy horniness, you feel when you first fall in love/lust. You're probably also producing more norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter that further stimulates your sex drive and is also associated with increased memory. That's why you suddenly have the ability to recall the tiniest details about your love.
Your brain is ensuring that you cherish every moment the two of you spend together.
While being in love can put you in the happy zone, it can also be a tad hazardous. Activity decreases in the amygdala, a part of your brain associated with fear. Your internal alarm system doesn't disappear completely, but you are more likely to jump into fearful situations despite the consequences.
Norepinephrine is also at play. Yes, it keeps your mind laser focused on details, but only those that relate to your love. It tends to hamper your ability to home in on ANYTHING ELSE. So Much of your brain power is redirected to your love that every other person or project in your life gets the leftovers.
Because love sparks activity in the dopamine-rich areas of the brain associated with reward, you become as addicted to your love as you would be to a drug. When you're with that person, you're high as a kite; when their MIA, you bottom out. The more affection and attention your love object gives you, the more you crave, and the more depressed you'll feel when you don't get your fix.
The lovesick blues may also be linked to a decrease in serotonin, a brain chemical that helps keep us calm and happy. We know that low levels of serotonin have been linked to OCD, some evidence suggests serotonin may drop as much as 40 percent in people who are in love. Hence the reason you drive by their house a million times and spend hours trying to analyze what they meant by , * See ya later.* There's even a flip side to all that mind blowing booty you've been having. Sex can cause our levels of oxytocin, the cuddle chemical to sky rocket, giving you an exaggerated feeling of closeness toward your partner. It's nature's way of helping you bond with your love, whether they've earned it or not.
While you wouldn't want to totally forgo that wacky feeling, you can keep the side effects in check. For starters, assess how far gone you are by asking yourself three questions.
1) Have I made more than on big decision that I totally regretted?
2) Gave I ditched my friends and family?
3) Am I Sacrificing something that’s important to me, just to spend more time with my love, or sacrificing my OWN HAPPINESS?
If you answered yes to at least two then you need to get a hold of yourself.
Resist the urge to spend all of your waking hours with your love, and make time for friends and family. You need them to act as a sounding board and let you know when you veer to far off course. Plus, once the warm and fuzzy stage wears off, you want your old life to be intact.
Researchers speculate that this phase of love often lasts only 12 to 18 months so enjoy it while you can. You'll never be more aware of the strong connection and attraction you have for this lover, so relish every wacky, embarrassing, exhausting minute of it. Who knows if you'll actually live happily ever after?