Love addiction

• Jan 24, 2009

Love addiction

I read something recently about psychologists and neurologists who
decided to put people in the early passionate stages of new love into
an MRI machine.  They showed the volunteer subjects various pictures,
some of the object of their affections, some not, and watched how their
brains responded differently.

As it turns out, the analogies with drug addiction aren't just a matter of poetic license.

The craving, the irrational behavior, the withdrawal when forced to go
without, they seem similar because the same parts of the brain respond
to each, and in the same way.

The author of the article I read said that love was like a drug.



But of course, evolution didn't develop our brains to respond positively to
cocaine, heroin, or nicotine.  There would be no incentive.

There is, however, very strong biological incentive to have people fall passionately in love.

Which means its far more likely that drugs are like love, not the other way around.

Perhaps the whole reason drugs have appeal in the first place is that
they artificially take the place that passion and romance are supposed
to.

Makes me think about narcotics in a whole new way.  Sure seems simpler
than dating.  I guess there could be a downside I'm not considering....