Why can love feel addictive?

Excerpt from my book, "Secrets To Keeping The Sparkle Alive: The 4 Cs of a Diamond Relationship"

According to scientists and researchers such as Dr. Helen Fisher, we can now study the anatomy of the brain in love through technology such as MRIs. When someone is longing for their beloved, whether in the throes of love or after rejection, the same parts of the brain get stimulated as when one craves drugs like cocaine. This research can help us to understand why people stay in unhealthy and even dangerous relationships. It is easy to judge from the outside when a friend is emotionally abused by her partner, but seen through the lens of addiction—in this case, the physiological addiction response in the brain—her attraction becomes evident and her refusal to leave, or even acknowledge the problem, makes more sense. Similarly, the drug-like power of love shows how strong the urge can be to stay together and work it out, even when couples are causing each other great pain.

If you or someone you know is dealing with these issues, I welcome you to reach out. I’m here to support you.

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Hello!

I’m Dr. Alisa Ruby Bash. It’s wonderful to meet you! I’m a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice in Malibu, California, and I have my doctorate in clinical psychology.

I work with clients through traditional therapy and use a mind, body, and spirit approach, including Psychodynamic Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Positive psychology, Kundalini Yoga, Sound Healing, and Mindfulness Meditation. Click here to learn more about how to work together.