It's better than drugs, Jeremy!

Jeremy was sitting cross-legged on the ground, idly plucking at dry blades under the shade of the tree when he inquisitively asked his friend, “Do you think we would be like the cool guys when we go to college, Frank?”

Frank squinted toward him, his glasses in hand and his folded T-shirt pulled up to clean them. Jeremy’s face was nothing more than bokeh. “I don’t know, man. We can barely talk to girls.”

That was the interaction Jeremy recalled when he was sitting in that park almost 7 years later, excitedly waiting for Frank. 

Exactly then, a car arrived at the entrance, and a man with a confident gait got out of it. But he was not alone. A woman got out from the other door, crossed over to the other side, and gave that man a tight hug as she bid him farewell. 

The man glanced inside the park, saw Jeremy sitting underneath a tree, and started walking towards him.

As he got closer, the faint remnants of his uneven nose, minuscule eyes with marks from prolonged use of spectacles, and the benign mole underneath his chin became lucid. It was Frank!

Overzealous to see his old friend in a new avatar, Jeremy shrieked, “Did you start using some superhuman drugs or what?! And who was that woman?”

The lively face and newly acquired effervescent temperament of Frank were a testament to the fact that something had changed.

Knowing well that he’d be asked this question, Frank smilingly replied, “It’s better than drugs, Jeremy! It’s Love.”

Over the next 40 minutes, both sat under the shade of the gigantic tree from their childhood as Frank narrated how he fell in love in college, which had a butterfly effect in his life.

Love, A Catalyst for Change

When nerdy scientists donned the white coat, cut a piece of the heart, and observed it under a microscope, they were surprised to not find any cell with the words “Love” etched on it.

But when they conducted MRI scans of the always-rational brain of people, they could hardly ignore the signs of love. 

Yes, a 2005 study found that when people looked at the pictures of their romantic partners, it altered the reward system of their brain. 

As people start falling in love, they experience a dopamine rush, the taste of which is so sweet that one could hardly not succumb to the experience.

One interaction followed by another, and their brain leaves them craving for more. 

But what makes love a catalyst for change isn’t that it changes your reward system. Apart from making you happy, love suppresses negative emotions.

The presence of positive emotions and the absence of negative ones serve as the premise for changing your life for the better. 

Not just emotionally, love is also found to be good for your physical health.

When researchers from Ohio State University Medical Center gave married couples blister wounds, they found something interesting. The couples that had hostile interactions recuperated substantially slower than those who were smitten in love and barely fought.

Love is then akin to drugs that act as painkillers, make you transiently happy, and help you escape from the misery of monotonous life. It is the same high people chase through inorganic means.

Except, Love is meant to last.

Vasopressin: The Binding Element of Love

We’ve all experienced the initial high of infatuation. Everything feels like a beautiful dream. 

The trees are greener, the honking of cars sounds like a melody, the ruckus in the market seems to be asynchronous waves of the ocean guiding you to where you’re meant to be, and even the quarrels are construed as the unhindered expression of individuality.

Colloquially, it’s called the “honeymoon period”. 

But when everything is going right, we always have a fear of losing it all. 

So, what is the key to keeping it intact? 

As ironic as it may sound, love is the key.

When people are in love, a hormone called Vasopressin is released. While its primary function is to regulate the water levels in your body, it has been found to be the key element behind long-term monogamous relationships. 

This claim supports another research which found that it is not compatibility, but love that acts as a binding device in long-term relationships.

What is also observed is that as the duration of the relationship increases, the stress induced due to the excitement of romantic love decreases.

And you know what that means?

A dynamic that provides you with constant warmth, impedes negative thoughts, and helps you heal faster from injuries.

What can you call this, except a Super Drug?

It was the culmination of these various minuscule effects that set the wheels in motion for Frank when he fell in love in college. His insecurities subsided, his performance in classes improved, he felt healthier, and most importantly, content and confident.

It was as if he had experienced the ultimate form of love, the Consummate Love. From here on, it was only going to get smoother. 

“But where’d you even find love, Franky?” interrupted Jeremy while he narrated his story. 

“Oh, it was Sunday..”, he replied while getting interrupted by a car horn. It was Frank’s girlfriend, ready to pick him up.

“I’ve to go now, Jeremy. It’s a special day today. I’ll propose to her. I’m in town for a few days. I’ll catch up with you tomorrow”, as he hurriedly ran towards her. 

“Sunday? Did you meet her at the Sunday Church? Heyyy?!? Don’t leave me hanging like this, man!” Jeremy shouted with a perplexed face.