Having a crush is wild like that.
Or, Why am I reading their grandfathers PhD dissertation on JSTOR when I should be grocery shopping?
(Or whatever other unhingery you participate in when youre crushed out.)
Whats happening, scientifically speaking, in my body when Im fixating on a crush?
Oxytocin is a neuropeptide associated with romantic and sexual attraction.
So if you cant stop thinking about somebody cute despite your best efforts, thats oxytocin.
Dopamine can motivate us to do certain things, Dr. Moss explains.
(Hence Laurens sudden promptness at the officeand more on this in a bit.)
Okay, that sounds kind of pleasant!
However: I actually feel like having a crush is torture.
Explainthat, scientists!!
Fluctuating serotonin levels can lead to mood swings.
What if, after three months together, he turns into a completely different person?
What if he only rides a motorcycleam I okay with riding to work on the back?
Why is it so hard to feel control over crush-y feelings?
Its not sustainable, he says.
If your bodies were nursing the feelings of a crush 24/7, youd beexhausted.
These feelings can be so strong that they might physically even make you feel dizzy, Dr. Moss says.
Anything to keep those gushy feelings on repeat in your body!
)New York Timescrossword daily.
Basically, the more you think about them, the stronger your feelings are likely to become.
How can I get off this ride?
When will this feeling go away?
The more you see or hang out with our crush, the less exciting it is each time.
Say your crush eventually turns intolove.
While both are warm and fuzzy, love feelings and crush feelings arent quite the same.
Think of it like when youre Zillowing your crushs childhood home.
Once youve actually been to Old Saybrook, Connecticut?
Its alotless exciting and fun.
In all: The response is similar to a drug, Dr. Moss explains.
How can I act more level-headed when Im crushing?
Take a step back and assess the situation through a non-judgmental lens.
Understand that at the basic level, crushes are perfectly okay, Dr. Moss says.
As Dr. Moss cautions: Dont let your crush make your decisions for you.
If youve already done some harmless but embarrassing things in a crushed-out fugue state: Thats cute!
Remember that theres actually a chemical, biological force behind those urges, Dr. Moss says.
Acting cringe in the pursuit of feeling good is what makes us human.
As for Laurens work dreamboat?
We never hung out outside of work a single time, she says.
Ive never been down so bad for a man in my life, Lauren says, laughing.
*Some names have been changed or abbreviated for privacy reasons.
