Science says getting drunk and falling in love feel the same, which explains a lot

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Science says getting drunk and falling in love feel the same, which explains a lot

You really can be drunk in love

Getting drunk does feel a lot like being in love: you’re desperate for some physical contact, need to scream about your feelings to everyone and your body is overcome by warm fuzzies — until the spins set in, that is.

And no, it’s not just the booze talking. Apparently, your brain literally can’t tell the difference between getting drunk and falling in love.

A study published in the science journal Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews found that oxytocin (also known as the “love hormone”) and alcohol have identical effects on our brains.

According to the study, in both situations we experiences decreased anxiety and inhibitions, lower stress levels and feel encouraged to take so-called “leaps of faith.” Yeah, that’s certainly one way to put it.

One of the researchers, Dr. Steven Gillespie, said in a press released that “the idea of ‘Dutch courage’ — having a drink to overcome nerves — is used to battle those immediate obstacles of fear and anxiety. Oxytocin appears to mirror these effects in the lab.”

Of course, as most of us know all too well, there are some pretty dire consequences to releasing your inhibitions. The dark sides of both love and getting wasted, like envy, anger, violence and trust in people we shouldn’t, are clearly present in both.

Time to blame it on the alcohol, I guess. Or was it the love’s fault this time? This should make Valentine’s Day interesting.