If you have a crush, you may be experiencing an intense emotional attachment to someone that you don’t even know. Your heart rate increases, your palms get sweaty, and your stomach may twist into knots. You can’t stop thinking about them, and even seeing them in passing makes your heart beat faster. The person you have a crush on seems to fill every gap in your life, and you’re convinced that you can’t go a day without being near them.
It’s no wonder that this feeling can be so confusing and difficult. It’s normal for people, especially teenagers, to develop a crush on somebody they see or interact with on a daily basis. It’s human nature to look at your crush through rose-colored glasses and fantasize about them, but it’s important to be aware of the serious psychological effects this can have on your mental health.
When you’re crushing, the hormones serotonin and adrenaline are thrown into a whirlwind of excitement and fear of rejection. Serotonin is known as the “happy” chemical, but when you’re in a crush, that level can fluctuate, which can cause mood swings and anxiety. Add to that the uncertainty of new-crush territory, and your amygdala can become active, triggering fight or flight responses.
Having a crush can make you feel anxious, and sometimes, even paranoid. This is because your brain is reacting to this new and different situation, and trying to figure out how you can survive it.
Crush is a new Hulu series that tries to capture the experience of having a crush on a high school student. The show has a lot of promise, with a young cast and some pretty witty banter. But as a queer coming-of-age story, it’s missing a certain dose of youthful mischief and some sense of stakes that are often necessary for this genre.
The term “crush” has been around for quite some time, dating back to at least 1870. It was originally a variation of the word mash, which meant to tease or flirt. Later, it became a slang term for head over heels in love or completely obsessed with someone. By the 1920s, it was in common usage to describe an infatuation or a romantic interest.
In the figurative sense, crush can also refer to an overwhelming number of something, such as the crowd on a subway car or a crowded mall. It can also mean to subdue, like when a dictator’s forces crush a rebel uprising. More recently, it’s come to be used as a synonym for an unrequited love. Unlike a romantic relationship or a soul mate, a crush can be a fleeting emotion that’s a rush to get over and move on from. But even if your crush doesn’t reciprocate your feelings, it can still be a worthwhile feeling to have.