How does our body react when we fall in love?

Love makes the world go round. It’s woven into our poems, our food, the songs we listen to, and the movies we watch. We even feel it in our bodies with the butterflies in our stomachs and racing heartbeats. There's probably a hundred other signs, that are impossible to describe. At its core, it is a cocktail of emotions released by the brain that leave us feeling happy, optimistic, and healthy. But why does this happen? How does our body really react when we are in love? And why is it such an addictive feeling? Let’s explore what really happens to our bodies when we’re in love.

When you fall in love, your responses are heightened and you feel an increased sense of passion driven by the sex hormones—estrogen and testosterone. The limbic system, responsible for emotions and memories, also plays a significant role, making those initial feelings of love particularly powerful. This is exactly why your feelings in the initial days of being in love are so intense. There’s also a spike in dopamine aka the ‘happy hormone’ that motivates people to pursue their new-found love interest, while noradrenaline gives you a sense of euphoria, hence the butterflies in your stomach. And as Newton’s third law suggests, the opposite reaction here is reduced activity in the frontal cortex, which reduces negative emotions and judgement, which explains why we often overlook red flags in the early stages of love.

Post the honeymoon phase, people feel an increase in attachment and intimacy with their partner. A hormone called oxytocin is responsible for these feelings, it adds a sense of security, while vasopressin makes the person feel territorial and protective of the person they’re close to.

Love feels like an addiction

The hormones mentioned above enhance a person's attraction towards their partner and deepen the bond with a partner. And they crave more of this feeling as they spend more time with them. Not to mention, they also lower your inhibitions, leading you to let down your guard and be more open with your partner. It’s like being intoxicated but in a much more exhilarating way.

This so-called addiction often results in stress, depression, and anxiety when the person is not around. To cope, one might keep their photo on a lock screen or desk, enjoying the dopamine boost from seeing it. When together, the desire only grows stronger, leading to a heightened sex drive at the start of the relationship. This is why couples can’t keep their hands off each other and constantly seek new experiences together.

Changes in your body

We've all experienced our hearts racing, cheeks flushing, and hands sweating before a big date. It’s not just nerves; it’s the adrenaline making you crave their presence and focus all your attention on them. Your eyes also reveal what words cannot—when you’re attracted to someone, watch their pupils dilate. And listen to your voice; it tends to rise in pitch when you’re drawn to someone. If friends or colleagues notice a change in how you speak, they might be picking up on your crush.

Lead image credit: Netflix

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