Love is an addiction!

This valuable post on InsideScience (rt clk) comprehensively explains the activity in your brain when you fall in love. While we consider love an emotion, there is very specific brain activity going on to attach you to the person who tickles your fancy, toes, tummy, or whatever else.

The above-cited, well-written post by Ali Jennings, PhD in Neuroscience from University College London, likens your brain activity toward your lover to a “line of cocaine.” Dopamine stimulation creates the highs and lows of reward and craving. Serotonin, Oxytocin and even Opiods, the “active ingredient in heroin,” are all included in the emotional chemistry mix of romance.

It is little wonder that abused romantic partners have such difficulty breaking out of toxic relationships! For most, it’s like abstaining from a highly addictive drug, except they would at least know what they were dealing with if they were a cocaine addict.

The harm in romance scams

When people lie to you to promote your romantic engagement with them, they are underhandedly stimulating the chemical activity of your brain to addict you. They are assaulting, not seducing you. They are causing you the hardship that a drug addict would face in order to recover from their actions.

A person who uses false pretense to stimulate your emotional chemistry is no different than a villain who superstitiously injects you with cocaine or heroin.