Hey there Psych2Golars, before we start we want to let you know that we're so grateful for all of the love and support you've given us. We strive to help everyone learn about psychology and fun, engaging, and digestable way. So let's begin. Is love the most important thing we do? In 2015, a 75-year study collected data on the lives of 268 people. Doctors wanted to find the secret to a happier life, and the answer was love. Love changes you, guides you, and destroys you. It's mysterious and powerful, and ways science can hardly explain. To help you understand this extraordinary feeling here are 10 psychological facts you may not have known about love. 1. Love literally hurts. In 2017, Taman and Amad found that love increases your perception of pain. Without injury or disease, love can create and enhance physical pain all on its own. But how is this possible? Anatomically, pain and love blend together in your brain. The area is responsible for pain and love overlap, so these feelings become entangled. Psychologically, the relationship between love and pain is even more confusing. For example, heartbreak can fool you into feeling pain that doesn't exist. We felt the pressure and aching of a broken heart. Your heart isn't actually broken. Love and pain are simply woven together. 2. Love relieves pain. Love can hurt you, but love can also heal you. The same 2017 study found that love can diminish, mask, or numb both physical and emotional pain. And this powerful emotion activates areas of the prefrontal cortex, which feel comfort, safety, and intimacy. When these areas of the brain activate, love dulls your pain, almost like a pain killer. Ultimately, love is a double-edged sword. Sometimes it keeps us safe and happy. Other times, it cuts us up and cuts us down. 3. Love works quickly. How long does it take to fall in love? Those people say some were between 3 and 5 months, but your brain falls in love faster than you think. In 1997, Erin and others discovered a shocking revelation about love in your brain. Your brain only needs an hour to fall in love. In rare cases, it only needs 5 minutes. Lasting love requires time to grow and mature, but that spark can ignite almost instantly. 4. Love is a Dicting. In 2010, a neuroimaging study by Ortique and others found many similarities between love and substance abuse. When falling in love, your brain experiences a blinding euphoria. That euphoria stems from a cocktail of neurochemicals such as dopamine, oxytocin, and a genaline. Turns out, several different drugs trigger the exact same response in your brain. Not only does the experience mimic drug use, but love is just as a Dicting. Your brain loves to be in love, and it craves love when that feeling is taken away. That's one of the many reasons why breakups create stress and raise your risk of depression. Passionate love is like an addiction, for better or for worse. 5. Love like's conflict. We've all heard the phrase opposites attract, but is there any truth to this old adage? Being similar is not always a recipe for love. Love needs conflict to survive. Conflict creates interest, passion, and curiosity. It breeds compromise and allows you to learn from your partner. Not only does this strengthen your connection, but it also keeps your love on its toes. 6. Love plays bear. Do you wonder if your partner is out of your league? Love is a universal equalizer. In lasting relationships, partners are drawn to people with an equal level of social desirability. Sometimes two parts are physically equal, other times one is more attractive, but the other is more successful, altruistic, or creative. And this balance is fundamental to any lasting relationship. If you're worried your partner is too good for you, give yourself a bit more credit. 7. Love is universal. People fall in love, develop relationships, and search for our soulmates. But humans aren't the only species looking for their perfect match. A 2018 study by Lambert and others found that countless species lead lifelong relationships. Swans and wolves find soulmates, who they share their entire lives with. That means love isn't something people made up. It's ingrained within our DNA. 8. Love inspires creativity. Love has inspired countless writers and artists throughout history, but that's no coincidence. In a 2009 study, Forster and Others found that love actually changes how you think. It opens your mind by stimulating creative thought. This new way of thinking shapes the way you analyze and process both emotions and experiences. So art forms like writing and painting become ideal mediums to express those new and complicated feelings. 9. Love relieves stress. After a long day, one act of love can transform your mood. These have shown that small interactions with a loved one can significantly reduce stress. Something as simple as holding your partner's hand can unravel a weak's worth of tension. The power of physical touch gets stronger the longer you and your partner are together. That person becomes a beacon of safety and comfort in your life. That's why a small touch can melt away all of your stress. And 10. Love plays tricks on you. How do you feel after a breakup? Sometimes the absence of love creates an even stronger attraction. This surprisingly common experience stems from envy, nostalgia and idealization. In other words, you want something only because it's gone. In those moments, your brain pulls a veil over your eyes. You feel like you're still in love. Even if you know, deep down, it isn't real. Have you experienced love in your life? Has love helped, hurt or confused you in strange ways? Tell us about your experiences in the comments section below. 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