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<\/p>\nCentral Florida mental health counselor explains research linking romance to risk-taking<\/p>\n
Lake Mary-based counselor Shantala Boss joins WESH 2 to explain key findings and potential ways to stay grounded amid a research study by the Scandinavian Journal of Psychology <\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIT IS 946, AND VALENTINE\u2019S DAY IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER. WE\u2019VE GOT A COUNTDOWN CLOCK FOR YOU. JUST OVER SEVEN DAYS TO GET THOSE PLANS IN ORDER BEFORE NEXT WEEKEND. AND OF COURSE, WE\u2019VE ALL HEARD THE SAYING, LOVE IS BLIND. THAT SHOWS THERE\u2019S A LINK BETWEEN LOVE AND RISK. THE SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY FOUND THAT ROMANTIC FEELINGS INCREASE A PERSON\u2019S DECISION MAKING, IMPULSE CONTROL, AND RISK TAKING BEHAVIORS. A LOT TO UNPACK THERE. SO WE\u2019VE GOT LOCAL LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR CHANTAL ABBAS JOINING US THIS MORNING. THANKS FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. SO IT\u2019S THE SEASON OF LOVE. WE\u2019VE GOT A WEEK TO GO UNTIL VALENTINE\u2019S DAY. AND THIS NEW STUDY HAS EMERGED. CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH IT AND WHAT SOME OF THE BIG TAKEAWAYS WELL, BASICALLY WHEN THEY HAD CERTAIN CONTROL GROUPS LOOK AT WORDS OF LOVE OR TRY TO UNDERSTAND FEELINGS OF LOVE, THEY WERE MORE IMPULSIVE AND MADE DECISIONS MORE QUICKLY AND DIDN\u2019T THINK THROUGH THINGS AS MUCH. AND I THINK WE ALREADY KIND OF KNOW THAT WE SAY LOVE IS BLIND, BUT IT\u2019S JUST ANOTHER STUDY. THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL STUDIES THAT HAVE SHOWN HOW HUMAN PSYCHOLOGY WE\u2019RE SO DRAWN TO LOVE BECAUSE WE WANT IT SO BADLY. I MEAN, IT\u2019S IT\u2019S THE WHOLE REASON THE WORLD GOES AROUND IS IT GIVES MEANING AND HOPE. AND SO SOMETIMES, THOUGH, WHEN WE ARE IN THAT STATE, WE\u2019LL RISK EVERYTHING FOR IT. AND WE DON\u2019T ALWAYS THINK THROUGH LOGICAL STEPS. AND SO WHEN THESE WHEN THESE PEOPLE WERE IN THIS STUDY, THEY WERE KIND OF IN THAT STATE OF MIND. AND IT KIND OF PROVED RIGHT THERE THAT WE DON\u2019T ALWAYS THINK THROUGH THESE THINGS LOGICALLY. YEAH. IT\u2019S VERY INTERESTING. AS YOU SAID, LOVE IS WHAT MAKES THE WORLD GO ROUND. ON A MORE LIGHTHEARTED NOTE, IT\u2019S, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE SEE IN ALL OF THESE ROMANCE MOVIES. BUT ON A MORE SERIOUS NOTE, THIS IS HOW SCAMS HAPPEN, AND THIS IS HOW PEOPLE ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF WHAT IS IT ABOUT LOVE OR ROMANTIC REMINDERS THAT MAKE OUR INHIBITIONS DROP SO MUCH THAT PUTS US IN A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION? WELL, IT\u2019S THE DOPAMINE IN THE BRAIN. IT\u2019S THAT REWARD CENTER THAT YOU KNOW, AUTOMATICALLY. WE WANT MORE OF IT, JUST LIKE ANY OTHER ADDICTION. LIKE WOULD IT BE SUGAR OR ANYTHING? THE MORE WE SEE IT, THE MORE WE WANT IT. AND THAT CAN COME IN SO MANY DIFFERENT FORMS. AND I THINK THE STUDY KIND OF SHOWED US THAT THROUGH MEDIA OR FOR EVEN LOOKING AT SOMETHING, WE CAN FEEL THOSE INCREASED FEELINGS OR NEEDS FOR LOVE, OR SO IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME WITH MARKETING, WITH SCAMS. YOU\u2019RE SO RIGHT. AND EVEN WITH ONLINE DATING, HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT WE\u2019RE REALLY LOOKING AT? EVERYONE\u2019S PUTTING THEIR BEST FOOT FORWARD, BUT IS THAT REALLY WHO THE PERSON IS? YEAH, IT CAN BE VERY RISKY. SO HOW DO WE STAY GROUNDED HERE? BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO OPEN UP YOUR HEART TO LOVE, TO FIND IT. RIGHT. BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE\u2019RE STAYING SMART ABOUT THIS. WELL, WE REALLY NEED TO KNOW OURSELVES FIRST AND REALLY PRIORITIZE WHAT ARE OUR BOUNDARIES? WHAT ARE OUR LIMITS? YOU KNOW, IF WE\u2019RE IN A RELATIONSHIP WHERE WE FEEL WE\u2019RE GIVING UP PARTS OF OURSELVES OR, YOU KNOW, OUR FRIENDS ARE SAYING, YOU KNOW, YOU\u2019RE PUSHING AWAY, YOU\u2019RE NOT AROUND AS MUCH OR WE\u2019RE NOT REALLY DOING THE THINGS THAT WE ONCE LOVE MAKING EXCUSES FOR SOMEONE REGULARLY. THOSE ARE ALL KIND OF WARNING SIGNS THAT MAYBE WE\u2019RE SACRIFICING SOMETHING FOR A FEELING INSTEAD OF REALLY THE TRUE THING. YOU KNOW, WE DO FALL IN LOVE WITH HOW A PERSON MAKES US FEEL, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO LOOK AT WHO THEY ARE AS A PERSON AND AND OUTSIDE OF ALL OF THE THINGS THAT JUST MAKE US FEEL GREAT. AND MAYBE YOU DO HAVE THE SELF-AWARENESS TO RECOGNIZE THOSE CHANGES WITHIN YOURSELF, BUT MAYBE YOU\u2019RE A FRIEND WHO\u2019S NOTICING IT IN SOMEBODY ELSE. WHAT IS YOUR RECOMMENDATION TO, YOU KNOW, HAVING THAT PERSON GET SOME HELP? WELL, WE DON\u2019T WANT TO BE TOO BLUNT ABOUT IT, BUT JUST TRY TO BE AROUND THAT FRIEND. TRY TO BE AROUND THEIR PERSON\u2019S INTERESTS AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO SEEK OTHER THINGS THAT THEY ENJOY. YOU KNOW, IT\u2019S SO EASY TO GET CAUGHT IN THAT RUT AND WANT TO HUNKER DOWN AND JUST SPEND TIME WITH ONLY THAT ONE PERSON. BUT IT IS IMPORTANT TO LOOK OUTSIDE AT OTHER THINGS, OTHER OPTIONS, AND NOT LOSE OURSELVES IN IT. SO JUST HELPING OUR FRIENDS IN THAT WAY AND GETTING TO KNOW THAT THEIR LOVE INTEREST AND SHOWING INTEREST IN THAT AS WELL, BEING PART OF THAT. ALL RIGHT. SHANE TAULA. THANK YOU. HOW CAN PEOPLE GET IN CONTACT WITH YOU\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Central Florida mental health counselor explains research linking romance to risk-taking<\/p>\n
Lake Mary-based counselor Shantala Boss joins WESH 2 to explain key findings and potential ways to stay grounded amid a research study by the Scandinavian Journal of Psychology <\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\tUpdated: 10:15 AM EST Feb 6, 2026\n\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\tEditorial Standards \u24d8<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\tA new research study by the Scandinavian Journal of Psychology links romantic triggers to risk-taking behaviors. Lake Mary-based counselor Shantala Boss joins WESH 2 to explain key findings and potential ways to stay grounded. Click here to learn more.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tORLANDO, Fla. \u2014 \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n