Love on the Brain: the Science of Falling in Love

What happens when you fall for someone?

By Erin Rought

Have you ever been in love before? Have you ever wondered why it has those effects on your body? Why is there this person (or people) you just cannot get enough of? Why do you feel so comfortable around them? Well, let’s dive into the science behind it. 

Our body has reactions due to certain hormones being released. The racing heart, sweaty palms, feelings of passion, feelings of anxiety, and the blushing in the face; it’s because our five senses all play a part when falling in love.  According to Dr. Philip Steig, when a person considers another person beautiful, the brain triggers feelings of lust. Our sense of touch can help us in a relationship, or it can harm the relationship. If you enjoy the way someone smells, you’re more likely to feel an attraction to them. If you feel satisfied with your relationship, it is a good predictor for you to age healthy. Dr. Waldinger (author, speaker, zen priest, and director of the Harvard Study on Adult Development) said “Science shows us that being securely attached to at least one other person is a bedrock of well-being,”  

Let us look at what happens to our brain.  When you’re falling in love, your brain releases a large amount of cortisol, dopamine, and testosterone. Oddly enough, serotonin levels drop to a level that is often seen in people who are depressed or are in an obsessive state. Dopamine activates the ventral tegmental area of the brain, which is also known as the reward circuit.  This reward circuit makes love pleasurable, and makes us experience euphoria similar to the effects of alcohol.  

Over time, almost all the hormones go back to their natural levels, except dopamine. The dopamine stays high, and your oxytocin and vasopressin increase (which are often referred to as the “bonding” neurotransmitters). Oxytocin is usually released during sexual intercourse and skin-to-skin contact, making couples feel closer. This hormone being released makes people feel calm, secure, and content, Vasopressin is linked to long-term, monogamous relationships. Those two hormones explain why passionate love fades as attachment grows and as you and your partner’s relationship grow. 

So next time you look at your partner, just remember that they have released multiple hormones from just the way they look, talk, smell, touch, etc.  If you have been in the relationship for a while, and you are satisfied in it, just know you’re probably going to live a long healthy life as well. 

Wanna chat? Email Erin at er965821@ohio.edu or follow her on instagram at @attitudesgenetic