Neurobiological Pathways of Romantic Attraction: How do the Neurobiological Pathways Involved in Romantic Attraction Parallel Those Involved in Addiction and Reward?

Abstract

Romantic rejection is a potentially debilitating condition that many people experience at some point throughout their lives. Whether it is through experiencing a breakup or ruminating over feelings of unrequited attraction, the failure to properly rebound from romantic rejection can have disastrous consequences on one's mental health, such as prolonged feelings of obsession, social anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. To find a potential treatment for romantic rejection, one may observe that romantic attraction is an experience sharing many traits with the reward of addiction, such as the activation of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin, as well as the activation of specialized regions in the prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortex, and the nucleus accumbens. Due to the significant role of the brain's reward system in addiction, by considering the similarities this system may share with those salient in individuals experiencing romantic attraction, one may be able to find treatment ideas for romantic rejection. This paper will provide a review of the neurobiological pathways of addiction compared to romantic attraction, a discussion of the similarities between the two, as well as further avenues for research on potential "anti-love" medications that may ease obsessive, fearful, and depressive behavior frequently associated with romantic rejection.