Angelina Elliot, Staff Reporter
Love can be a confusing rollercoaster of emotions — especially when you are in high school.
People look at couples either with annoyed looks or with happiness. When you go through a bad relationship after that you may only look at love negatively, but why look at it in disgust when you can see the positives. But after all, it’s important to reflect on how love can greatly benefit mental health and bring happiness into your life.
Senior Alejandro Dominguez states, “I think that love can definitely help your mental health. Break up definitely affects mental health so I don’t see why being in love wouldn’t change that. I feel like love has a lot of effects on the body and mind. It is a source of happiness” This feeling of happiness that Dominguez talks about has scientific research behind it, The Anne Arundel Medical Center wrote an article about how love benefits your all-around health. In their informational article, the medical center found that, “Research shows a clear link between strong social ties and longevity. A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology assessed the relationships of nearly five thousand adults ages thirty to sixty-nine. Those with strong, happy marriages lived longer than unmarried men and women.”
Having a supportive person in your life could really be helpful especially if you feel lost or alone within the chaos that is high school. Dominguez feels that his girlfriend Angelena, a senior at Rancho Cucamonga High school is a great supporter in his life.
The support that Angelena provides is undeniable, being in love is the greatest feeling, Dominguez stated, “It makes me feel like anything is possible like I can do anything and it’s good having someone there to support you. Having someone there to help you through hard times feels good and lets you know that you’re not alone. Everyone needs a support system.”
The little things can make all the difference in a relationship. The Anne Arundel Medical Center also stated, “Besides the physical health benefits, being in love works wonders for your mental health as well. Love, marriage and overall well being reduce stress, which also strengthens your immune system.”
But what really goes on in your mind when you’re in love?
“Thanks to endocrine research [the study of hormones] and MRI scans, we can get a peek behind the scenes,” says Dr. Kilical, a assistant professor of medicine at George Washington University put this feeling into words, “Love causes changes in many of your hormones including oxytocin, vasopressin, dopamine, serotonin, cortisol and testosterone.” These hormones help to decrease stress and to increase happiness. While high school relationships can be fun, there are always ups and downs to any mature relationship. It’s important to note that a significant other will not solve all your issues, there should be no pressure to be in a relationship — you need to love yourself before you can love somebody else. You do not have to be in love to be happy. Happiness comes in all types of forms.
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