Being In Love Isn’t Always A Good Thing: Here’s Why

Being in love is a beautiful thing. It is a source of strength and inspiration to many and is what helps individuals aspire to be better and do better in life. However, science says that the state of being love is not totally healthy, both physically and psychologically. There are levels of love that can turn destructive to the self and other people. Here’s what studies say about being in love and why it isn’t always a good thing.

Love Affects The Brain

Being in love is a conscious effort, according to science. It involves the influx of hormones and chemicals to the brain that’s why we can identify feelings of pleasure, attachment and even obsession. Neurological experts even categorized love into three: lust, attraction and then attachment. The hormone dopamine is responsible for the so-called “lover’s high” because it is what triggers pleasurable feelings, much similar to how drugs work. That said, love has an opioid effect that can direct the brain to perceive being in love, which when unchecked can lead to destructive attachment.

Honing in One Just One Person

Scientists say that serotonin levels in the brain have a lot to do about why people tend to love just one person and zero in all his or her attention and affection to the same. Research has shown that those who are in love have lower serotonin levels, and this has the tendency to drive the mind into consciously forgetting or ignoring a partner’s faults and undesirable traits to focus only on the good.

Other hormone responsible for attachment are vasopressin and oxytocin, which can create feelings of security and loving in the brain. These are typically observed to be active when partners have been in love for quite a while. Whereas serotonin can be seen at its lowest during the early stages of a relationship.

Typical Negative Effects of Being In Love

Psychologically speaking, those who are in love tend to sleep less. First, in the early stages of a relationship, would-be lovers spend plenty of time calling or texting each other, with apprehensions and hopes leading to many sleepless nights. In the middle of a relationship, sleep can also be lacking as couples deal with each others’ home and bedtime habits.

Those who are in love also usually get fat, mostly because of complacence — or that feeling that they no longer to keep up appearances and let go with constant eating. Couples who are both fitness buffs are an exception, but the typical relationship leads to weight gain for both.

Finally, being in love can foster feelings of jealousy and paranoia, which are both potentially highly destructive. This also leads to irrational and ridiculous arguments and, later, feelings of extreme highs and lows.