金學堂英語的部落格

Research suggests
there is scientific evidence that supports the old phrase, “Love is like a
drug. ”

Addicted to love

Recent studies
have shown that feelings of love can increase levels of certain chemicals in
the brain in the same way that drugs like cocaine do. The increased levels of
these chemicals cause people to feel excited, energetic, and euphoric,
especially in the beginning stages of courtship or drug use. In the same way
that drug users develop a tolerance to a drug’s effect and eventually require a
higher dose to get the same feeling, those in new relationships also
overindulge in love. This explains why some new couples just can’t seem to get
enough of each other.

Love as a
painkiller?

A recent study at
Stanford University enlisted the help of students who were in their first
months of dating to examine the correlation between love and tolerance to pain.
While undergoing an MRI scan, participants were shown photos of their love
interests while simultaneously being inflicted with pain from a hot rod on
their palms. The images from the brain scan showed activity in the same areas
of the brain that are affected by certain drugs. Students were then asked to
rate the degree of pain they felt while looking at photos of either their
partners or friends. The results showed that the students felt less pain while
looking at photos of their partners than when looking at photos of friends,
suggesting that love is a natural painkiller.

Can't buy me love

Unlike cocaine,
love offers a longer-lasting effect, but new love—that
can’t-get-enough-of-each-other passionate love—doesn’t last forever either. “If
young love could be bottled and sold, drugstore shelves would be bare,” says
researcher Dr. Jonathan Hughes. “But there are some things that money just
can’t buy.”