ATTRACTION

The Attraction phase is where the hormones drop off and the chemicals kick in.

Your brain has a g-spot called the “nucleus accumbens” and during the attraction phase it will be flooded with dopamine making you feel absurdly euphoric. Incidentally this response is directly tied to how addiction works, which is why some people are serial monogamists, constantly chasing that hit.

The increase in heart rate and the butterflies in your stomach feeling are thanks to rushes of adrenaline and norepinephrine, which are also the reason you won’t be able to concentrate on much of anything except how fucking excited you are to see your new person again.

Your serotonin levels will drop off, just like people with OCD, which is why you’ll start obsessing over your new person constantly.

You’ll also notice that your cortisol levels are significantly increased, which is usually linked with a loss of emotional control and cognitive impairment. Because if you’ve ever had NRE then you’ll know it probably wasn’t your intellectual high point.

People in the attraction phase have also been noted to experience higher levels of NGF or nerve growth factor, a protein responsible for the development and functionality of neurons. This is known to increase your sense of connection and also create a feeling of euphoria.