Love is a cocktail of brain chemicals: Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, Endorphin. These happy chemicals evolved to promote your genes, not to make you happy all the time. You can manage the roller coaster when you understand the job these chemicals do in the state of nature. More information like this at InnerMammalInstitute.org

1. Why Love is
a Neurochemical Roller Coaster
Loretta Graziano Breuning, PhD
Inner Mammal Institute

2. Love is a cocktail of
brain chemicals
dopamine
serotonin
oxytocin
endorphin

3. They release in short spurts
Then they droop

4. That’s why
love is a roller coaster

5. You can manage the ups
and downs, but you can’t
have constant ups because…

6.
these chemicals
evolved to motivate
reproductive
success
not to
create
constant
happiness

7. We’ve inherited our brain chemicals
from earlier animals

8. Your brain is designed
to promote
your genes,
not to make you
feel good
all the time

9. Love is a huge motivator of
reproductive
behavior,
so it triggers
huge spurts
of happy
brain
chemicals

10. Disappointment in love feels
like a survival threat
to your mammal brain
so you
surge with
cortisol,
the threat
chemical

11. Your ups and downs make
sense when you know what
turns them on in nature

12. Dopamine
is the great feeling
that a reward is at hand

13. Dopamine
releases energy for the chase

14. New love stimulates lots
of Dopamine

15. Dopamine
droops once you get the reward
until
you set
your sights
on another
reward

16. Oxytocin
is often called
the “love chemical”

17. Oxytocin is stimulated by
touch,
trust,
birth,
and
sex

18. Oxytocin droops when you’re
separated from the herd
This causes
the feeling
that your
survival is
threatened

19. Serotonin
is the pleasure of
social dominance

20. Serotonin
is not
aggression
but a calm
sense that
“ I
will get the
banana ”

21. Serotonin is
soon
reabsorbed,
so we are
always looking
for ways to
stimulate more

22. When you
enjoy the
attentions
of someone
important,
it boosts your
Serotonin

23. Endorphin masks pain
so you can do what
it takes to survive

24. Endorphin is
“endogenous morphine”
it’s meant for
emergencies,
not partying

25. Endorphin is stimulated
by pain, including exercise,
laughing and crying

26. When lovers make
each other laugh
it’s a
valuable
chance to
enjoy
Endorphin

27. Natural selection built a brain that
makes you feel good when you do
things that promote your genes
dopamine endorphin oxytocin serotonin

28. No conscious
interest in your
genes is necessary

29. It’s not easy
being a mammal

30. But you can
make peace with your
inner mammal
if you…

31. 1. Accept
2. Adapt
3. Arrange

32. 1. Accept
• Nothing is wrong with me
• My happy chemicals will
droop sometimes
• It doesn’t necessarily
mean something is wrong
• It means I’m a mammal
among mammals

33. 2. Adapt
I can build
new circuits
My happy
chemicals are
controlled by
circuits I built
long ago
But they don’t
build easily
after puberty

34. 3. Arrange
A new circuit will build
if I repeat a new thought
or behavior daily for 6 weeks
I can arrange my life to feed
new experiences to my brain until
my happy chemicals flow in new ways

35. for example

36. Don’t compare
myself to others

37. Don’t compare
myself to others

38. Don’t compare
myself to others

39. Love will always be a
roller coaster

40. But you can have
a smoother ride

41. you can make peace with your inner mammal

42. Is this information helpful?
share it with your favorite groups and professionals;
get the free 5-day Happy Chemical Jumpstart;
watch the free video:
Your Ups and Downs Are Natural …and also learned
buy a book...and another book;
comment on Youtube, Amazon, Goodreads to help others;
participate in the Inner Mammal Institute’s
Facebook discussion group and Twitter;
read my blogs, Your Neurochemical Self and
thePositivePsychologyPeople;
read book excerpts at InnerMammalInstitute.org

43. my books
Habits of a Happy Brain
forthcoming November 2015
Meet Your Happy Chemicals
Dopamine, Serotonin, Oxytocin, Endorphin
I, Mammal
Why Your Brain Links Status and Happiness
Beyond Cynical
Transcend Your Mammalian Negativity

44. contact me
Loretta@InnerMammalInstitute.org
learn more
InnerMammalInstitute.org
my blog
Your Neurochemical Self
on PsychologyToday.com

45. and one more thing

46. Don’t compare
myself to others

47. Don’t compare
myself to others

48. Don’t compare
myself to others

49. Dopamine
Dopamine makes you jump for joy
when you reach a goal or get a toy.
Innature,ithelpsfindfoodwhenyouneedit.
“Eureka, I got it!” A memory gets created.
Dopamine causes expectations.
Correct predictions bring good sensations.
Dopamine feels great so you try to get more.
It rewarded our ancestors trudging through gore.
Cocaine triggers dopamine. Caution to all:
Joy without goal-seeking leads to a fall.
Dopamine flows when you feel like “I’ve done it.”
Whenothersdoitforyou,yourdopaminewillshunit.

50. Endorphin
Endorphin helps you mask the pain
Of injuries that you sustain.
Yourancestorsescapedfrompredatorattack
‘Cause endorphinfelt goodwhiletheyranback.
Endorphin feels great when it eases your pains.
But only real pain makes it flow in your veins.
Exercise triggers it, experts alert you.
But first you must do it ‘til body parts hurt you.
Endorphin receptors let opium in.
So you feel like you’re safe without lifting a shin.
Laughing and crying can trigger it too.
But just for a moment– then the job’s through.

51. Oxytocin
Oxytocin makes you trust your mates.
We love the bonds that it creates.
Oxytocin flowswhenyoustickwiththeherd.
“Not me!” youmaysay,“I’mnobovineorbird.”
But without social bonds, your brain feels alarm.
This protected our ancestors from all kinds of harm.
Though theherdwillannoyyou,thepackhurt you so.
When you run with a pack, oxytocin will flow.
“My pack is great and the other is nuts.”
This thinking prevailed since the first mammal struts.
You’re above all this foolishness, obviously.
But it feels good when I trust you and you trust me.

52. Serotonin swells your chest with pride
When you get respect and needn’t hide.
Yourbrainfeelsgoodwhenyouboostyourselfhigher.
But when others do this, it provokes your ire.
“I don’t care about status. It’s other who do.”
But youspurtserotoninwhenthelimelight’s on you.
You are quite modest and don’t like to boast.
But no serotonin flows when you coast.
Status doesn’t depend on money.
You can be clever or helpful or funny.
But when others one-up you, your mind agitates.
‘Cause serotonin droops ‘til you lift your own weights.
Serotonin