Love is a drug. Love can cause you to act in a way you normally wouldn’t and just like a drug; love sends surges of euphoria and excitement to the brain. In this state, it’s hard to speak or behave in a rational manner.
Dr. Rachel Needle, a licensed psychologist states, “…specific chemical substances such as oxytocin, phenethylamine, and dopamine, have been found to play a role in human experiences and behaviors that are associated with love. They function similar to amphetamine, making us alert, excited, and wanting to bond.” (Britt, 2012)
Due to this natural chemical response, it’s easier to understand why people in love do the crazy things they do. Whether it’s performing in a flash mob to get a first date or traveling across the world to meet for the first time, people in love will have a difficult time inserting logic into what they do. For example we have couple Kristen and Dave. When they started dating, they lived in two different states. That difference equaled out to be over 1400 miles. That didn’t matter to these two. They commuted every weekend to see each other.
One weekend, Kristen wasn’t going to be able to make the trip, but instead of postponing it, Dave drove all night and the following day, just to be with her for a total of 12 hours, before he had to drive back for work. It’s really easy to classify someone’s behavior or actions as crazy when they act in a way that doesn’t seem normal, but if love produces the same effects as narcotics, then it’s easier to understand how the behavior may not be entirely one’s own choosing.
That drug like effect can change a bad mood into a good mood in an instant and in the story above that burst of adrenaline can be enough to help a man travel 1400 miles to see his love. Our bodies create a chemical so powerful that it can change our physiological composition. It can’t be bought or sold and it occurs naturally, in a state of love. It’s no wonder why it’s hard to understand.
If you have ever experienced this ultra “high” then you know what I’m talking about. If you’re trying to figure out why you can’t think straight or feel like you could climb Mt. Everest in a day, there’s a possibility you could be in love. Kristen and Dave made the trek back and forth to see each other for months. The drug effect was in full force for those two. So much so, that they finally decided to make it official; which was good because they were about to go broke going back and forth like that.
Love makes people do crazy things, understanding how the chemical cycle of love works can help us understand why people in love, do what they do. So instead of calling someone crazy when they do something to express their feelings, now we can say “forgive them, they are currently under the influence of love.”
