Skip to content
Call Us Today! 212-533-4646 | MON-FRI 12PM - 4PM (EST)
DONATE
SUBSCRIBE
Search for:
About Us
Publications
FAQ
Annual Report 2023
Annual Report 2022
Annual Report 2021
Projects
Advocate
Educate
Cultivate
Care
News
Newsletters
Sign Up For Our Newsletter
Join UNWLA
Become a Member
Volunteer With Us
Donate to UNWLA
Members Portal
Calendar
Shop to Support Ukraine
Search for:
Print
Print Page
Download
Download Page
Download Right Page
Open
1
2-3
4-5
6-7
8-9
10-11
12-13
14-15
16-17
18-19
20-21
22-23
24-25
26-27
28-29
30-31
32-33
34-35
36-37
38-39
40
“НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, ЛИПЕНЬ - СЕРПЕНЬ 2020 WWW. UNWLA.ORG 33 SOME INSIGHT ON LOVE by Ihor Magun, MD, FACP Let’s begin at the beginning by addressing a core question: What ac- tually is love? The most obvio us answer that comes to mind is that love is simply a strong affection felt by people who have a romantic relationship. It encompasses many traits — a partnership, a trust, respect, honesty, integrity, acceptance, appreciation, commitment, besottedness, car ing, intimacy and gratitude. The list can go on. But despite all the studies of human behavior, love is the least understood. It has been said that the most impor tant organ for love is the brain, not the heart. This may be true. Magnetic Resonance Imagin g (MRI) studies of the brain have provided us with some fascinating data. These studies recruited college students, and the participants were given photos of acqua intances and pho- tos of romantically loved individuals. Scans of students looking at pictures of acquaintances showed no significant change in the MRI images. Scans of the romantically loved individuals looking at photos of their romantic partners had a mar kedly different response. Two brain regions lit up. The first area to light up was in the region rich in dopamine (the feel - good neurotransmitter), the area that activates the so - called reward circuit that makes love a pleasurable experience. The second lit up area was the caudate nucleus, an area associated with pleasure and sensory experience s. Other chemicals “at work” during romantic love include cortisol. Cortisol is a stress hormone. It produces an emotional response manifested as sweaty palms, r acing heart and flushed cheeks. All the feelings one can experience in early courtship/rela tionship. This is mostly due to human coping mecha- nism when dealing with a new experience. Then there is Oxytocin, a hormone secreted by the pituitary gland that is frequently referred to as the “cuddle hormone” or the “love hormone” because it is releas ed when people snuggle up or even when they simply bond socially. It is also thought to be involved in other corollary responses of bonding — empathy and trust buildi ng. Aside from having the physiological properties described abopve, love is a force of nat ure. It is fascinating, exciting, unpredictable and inherently free. It is also all - inclusive. Not everyone experiencing love is in a relationship, but that does not mean there is a lack of love. We can experience the power of love in various ways in eve ry moment. Sharing and giving of love to others can achieve this. Love is a powerful force, especially when shared. Above all, love is caring. Fostering a long - te rm love connection is important to keep fueling our brain's “love enhancing” system, but som etimes life interferes. We are human, after all, and sometimes our emotions get the best of us and the stress of life becomes overwhelming and the love relationship starts to fizzle out. This is precisely the time to address the issue and rekindle the emot ions that brought you and the person you love together. A general “roadmap” for this follows. Your brain craves novelty — recreate the dating scene even if at home . Pretend you have met for the first time and start conversations to foster new connections . Hold hands, light a candle. Pretend you are at a picnic while merely sitting on the living room floor. You know what to do. So schedule time together and do i t. The power of love is held within each of us every moment. It is an energy that gives us all remarkable drive and satisfaction Use this powerful tool to the fullest. It’s love that makes the world go round. – W.S. Gilbert Omnia vincit amor. – Virgil
Page load link
Go to Top