Is Love A Drug, Scientists Ask

Being in love is physically similar to the buzz of taking drugs and also has withdrawal symptoms, an expert on addiction has said. Dr. John Marsden said that dopamine - the drug released by the brain when it is aroused - has similar effects on the body and mind as cocaine or speed. "Attraction, and lust really is like a drug. It leaves you wanting more," the National Addiction Centre head said. "Being attracted to someone sparks the same incredible feelings no matter who you are. Love really doesn’t know boundaries," he said. According to Dr Marsden - a chartered psychologist - the brain which processes emotions becomes "fired up" when talking to someone it finds attractive. The heart pounds three times faster than normal and causes blood to be diverted to the cheeks and sexual organs, which causes the feeling of butterflies in the stomach. However, as with cocaine and speed, the "hit" is only temporary, though it can last between three and seven years. Dr Marsden's research for the BBC's Body Hits series suggests people look for similar features to themselves in a partner as they are searching for characteristics in their mother and father, who have already successfully raised a child. "It might look like we are all after the perfect partner to wine and dine but unde eath, our animal instincts are seeking out an ideal mate to share our genes with. Our biology drives us to find a perfect compromise between sameness and difference and we strike that balance all the time when it comes to choosing faces and smells," he said. Sex is a Trap Sex is booby-trapped for to make partners bond. According to the researchers - the more two people have sex together, the more likely they are to bond. "We all know you can have sex without falling in love but if you have enough sex with the same person there's a good chance you will hit the body's booby-trap which is there to tip you head over heels into love," reported Dr Marsden. So having sex is an addiction which can’t be cured, because people love each other and are attracted to their life partners. Marketing Managerr World Technology Network 2013 H Street, NY, 10001, USA 559-4812 http://www.mysexy-world.com/