[Flamingo Girl]

Brain Scans Of Those In Love Nearly Identical To Those With Mental Illness

UPDATED: 3:26 pm EDT June 1, 2005

PHILADELPHIA -- Have you ever been crazy in love? Scientists now say the brain activity of those in a whirlwind romance is nearly identical to those with mental illness, Philadelphia television station WCAU reported.

New research with brain scans finds that new love lights up the part of the brain that is also lit up by thirst, hunger and a craving for drugs.

"Of course, drug addictions can be very powerful, very compelling kinds of experiences for people and the kinds of experiences that people feel they need to have that kind of thing," said Dr. Andrew Newberg at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. "And if love runs along those same lines, it's really not completely surprising the same brain areas would be involved."

That means that new love might be less emotion and more physical addiction. The study's authors call it life's greatest addiction.

Once your crazy love has mellowed, many people's brain scans tend to light up in regions involved in long-term attachment.

Newberg is a neuroscientist and he researches brain scans. He said he is not surprised first love lights up like an addiction because if we don't fall in love and have babies, our species would die out.

"It really makes sense that the feelings we have around love, mating and sex are among the strongest we have as human beings. And showing that on a brain scan is not surprising to me," Newberg said.

The study's author, from Rutgers University, said that new love is so addicting that some people actually commit suicide if they get dumped.

Drug addicts rarely do that if they don't get their drugs.