New love can leave you feeling like you’re on top of the world. For the most part, the physical effects of a relationship are good. The neurophysiological benefits can include lowered blood pressure, decreased stress, pain relief and even improved cardiovascular health. But being “lovesick” can also bring with it some negative effects on the body.
Hormone changes
Sometimes referred to as “the love hormone,” oxytocin is released during touch or sex. It’s been shown to lower anxiety and stress, but oxytocin production only increases considerably after about a year into the relationship and afterward.
During the first year, it’s the stress hormone cortisol that increases. One small study found that the first six months of a new relationship can actually appear stressful, based on the production of cortisol. But when the researchers retested the study participants one to two years later, their cortisol levels had returned to normal.
So, what’s the big deal about high cortisol levels? They can decrease your immunity, increase your chances of infection, impair brain function and reduce brain volume, and increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
So, while falling in love might feel great, it may actually be the long-term relationships that are better for you. Serial daters (those who jump from one six-month relationship to another) may have more health risks.
Why love can resemble addiction
Part of the reason we feel so “high” when we’re in a new, intense relationship is that love triggers the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine. It’s the same hormone that’s released when we engage in other pleasurable activities.
In one small study, researchers used MRIs to look at the brains of participants while they were shown photos of previous lovers who had rejected them. The areas of the brain associated with cocaine addiction showed lots of activity. It explains why people who are rejected by a lover may display similar feelings to someone craving cocaine: mood swings, compulsion, risk-taking, loss of self-control, emotional dependence, distortion of reality and personality changes.
