The Three Stages of Love Navigating Your Journey to a Fulfilling Relationship By Suzanne E. Harrill Love grows and changes. The heady emotional brew that brings couples together in the first place is very different from the love that emerges five or fifteen years down the road.
Love relationships go through three stages.
All are important and none can be circumvented if love is to flourish. Your brain is saturated with chemicals called endorphins , creating the sensations of intense pleasure that accompany infatuation. The exhilaration and sense of well-being are similar to feelings produced by vigorous exercise or eating something extremely pleasurable, like chocolate. In this highly charged emotional state, you are apt to project images, expectations and ideals of the perfect mate onto your partner. These projections often have little to do with who your partner really is, but it's hard to tell because both of you are on your best behavior.