LOVE AND LOSS

By: Ronnie Gerber

It’s perhaps one of the most addictive sensations imaginable. Falling in love can lead to some of the highest highs and the lowest lows.

Monet Schlotterbeck, a Fresno State media communication and journalism student, shares a bit about her experience with this addictive process.

“My initial reaction is usually fear,” Schlotterbeck says. “And I’m sure lot of people have that same worry. It’s a defense mechanism, but it’s that exciting possibility.”

Schlotterbeck explains that being together and finding closeness provides a sense of familiarity.

“It sucks if you feel like you didn’t see it coming or you knew there was a problem but you thought that you could fix it or you wanted to fix it. But it gets to a point to where if you’re the only one trying, it doesn’t work.”

Dr. Martin Shapiro, a Fresno State biopsychology professor, attributes much of our romance behavior to a chemical process in our brain.

“We do studies in neuroscience about the neurochemistry or we record the brain with MRIs and look at hormones all in different types of love,” Shapiro says.

He explains that research categorizes love into four areas: love, lust, trust and attatchment.

Shapiro says that although science has much to say about love and the chemicals that govern romance, love is a complicated thing that is probably better described by poets and artists rather than scientists.