lust.crush.love

Lust
Simplest to identify. It's purely based on physical attraction. You're not fussed by his awful dress sense coz all u want to do is rip his clothes off. What's wrong with you? Blame it on the overproduction of the sex hormones, testosterone, and estrogen.

Crush
Teeny-bopper feeling you get that probably comes from a more physical than emotional place. It can turn into love or fade away. Sometimes a mild crush turns almost obsessive with what's called "intrusive thinking", a toxic feeling of longing where you Facebook stalk him as of he were the oxygen that you need to breathe.

Love
When you're past the crush and lust stage. You like him even after he has done something annoying, you imagine a future with him and you feel loyal to him. Chemicals invloved with this feeling are oxytocin and vasopressin. According to reseachers at Universit of California, oxytocin is associated with the ability to maintain healthy interpersonal relationships and healthy psychological boundaries with others. Vasopressin, on the other hand, is a hormone that promotes feelings of bonding and connection, which is a possible explanation of why lusty love fades as attachment grows within a couple.

credit to Cleo Mag, Aug 2009