Apparently Beyoncé was onto something.
‘Cause Drunk in Love has actually been proven to be a real thing (subtract the hangover, add the breakup).
If you’ve been in love, you know that the feeling that overcomes you can be all-consuming and make you do crazy things. You know, just like having one too many tequila shots.
A new study published by the University of Birmingham in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews claims that the effects of the ‘love hormone’ oxytocin bears remarkable similarities to those of alcohol.
When in love, a person’s behaviour is similar to being drunk – aside from the slurring and inability to walk a straight line.
That warm, fuzzy, euphoric feeling you experience when you are in love is the result of oxytocin, a brain chemical produced in the hypothalamus. It plays a major role in determining social interactions and reactions to romantic partners. 
Exploring the role of oxytocin, researchers pooled existing research into the effects of both oxytocin and alcohol. They found that the chemical increases behaviours like altruism, generosity and empathy, makes us more willing to trust others, and helps to remove social inhibitors such as fear, anxiety, and stress.
So, for the most part, it makes you a way better person, right?
Well, not completely.
A dose of either alcohol or oxytocin was found to influence how we deal with others by enhancing our perception of trustworthiness, which could further increase the potential danger of taking unnecessary risks, said the researchers. They added that taking compounds like oxytocin or alcohol can make a stressful situation seem less daunting. That’s because the oxytocin appeared to mimic the effects of alcohol consumption when ingested nasally.
That, of course, is not to suggest that the hormone (or booze) should be used to self-medicate to gain confidence.
Though the researchers don’t think there will come a time when oxytocin is used socially as an alternative to alcohol, the findings do reveal the potential of the hormone to treat psychological and psychiatric conditions in its ability to suppress moods and alter behaviour.
We don’t know about you, but suddenly we’re in the mood to fall in love.
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