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Description
“Doctor, thank you for seeing me on such short notice.”

“Have a seat, make yourself comfortable. Correct me if I’m wrong. You mentioned over the phone that you have been experiencing these symptoms for over a month?”

“That’s right. And what an exhausting month it’s been! I presumed that the problem would just go away on its own.”

“Could you take me through all the symptoms once again?”

“Ah, yes. I haven’t been able to sleep for more than two hours each night for many weeks. At first, I thought it was insomnia. But then I found that I had lost my appetite. I can’t bring myself to eat more than a few morsels at every meal. I perpetually have this painful knot in my stomach, which doesn’t help matters. I can also feel my heart racing at least a few times every day.”

“I see. Anything else? Any behavioural changes that you’ve noticed?”

“Mmm, my friends say I’ve been rather aloof lately. Oh and I struggle to focus at work. I’ve been getting pulled up for it because I just can’t seem to get anything done. I also keep breaking into tears quite often, especially when I’m alone at night. And I’ve noticed that my music preferences have changed dramatically. I can’t go on like this. Please, help me.”

“Oh, you poor dear. It’s just as I feared when you called. I’m afraid that you are exhibiting the classic symptoms of a disease called love. It’s usually self-limiting, meaning it goes away on its own. But there have been severe cases where it can last an entire lifetime. No reason to panic though, let’s take this one step at a time.”

“Is there a cure for this disease? Love?”

“I’m sorry to let you down, but the short answer is no. It’s quite similar to the common cold. Despite millions of dollars of funding that has gone into research over the past few decades, we are no closer to developing a vaccine against either. Currently we only have drugs that treat the symptoms.”

“Can love recur then, if it’s just like a cold?”

“Oh yes. Adults suffer an average of between 2 – 4 bouts each year, and adolescents up to 10. These can either be a relapse or a new infection caused by a different strain of the virus.”

“That… I… My normal life is being severely affected.”

“Let’s run a few quick tests so that I’m better placed to prescribe medication that will help ease your condition.”

--

“Right… Nothing unexpected or unusual. It’s a good thing that you came in when you did. Your blood pressure and heart rate are slightly on the higher side, but there’s no cause for worry. You currently have a hormonal imbalance. The high levels of adrenaline and cortisol explain your heart rate. You also have high levels of dopamine in your bloodstream and low levels of serotonin, which is why you have been finding hard to focus at work. All of this is completely normal for people with this condition.”

“You lost me at hormonal imbalance. Am I to understand that my test reports are ok then, or not too bad in any case?”

“Have you had sudden, irresistible urges to write poetry or deface monuments of national importance with a certain name?”

“No, I can’t say I have.”

“Good, then we are in the clear. Your case is still in the early stages. I’m going to prescribe something that will help you sleep at night. It will also calm your nerves and help you focus better on the task at hand. Mind you, I’m giving you a low dosage because this drug can cause addiction.”

“Ok, great. That’s a relief.”

“One more thing, and do pay close attention to this. It’s important. Avoid coming into close proximity with the person responsible for the infection. This will prevent a relapse. Take care and feel free to call me if there’s anything else.”

Description
“Doctor, thank you for seeing me on such short notice.”

“Have a seat, make yourself comfortable. Correct me if I’m wrong. You mentioned over the phone that you have been experiencing these symptoms for over a month?”

“That’s right. And what an exhausting month it’s been! I presumed that the problem would just go away on its own.”

“Could you take me through all the symptoms once again?”

“Ah, yes. I haven’t been able to sleep for more than two hours each night for many weeks. At first, I thought it was insomnia. But then I found that I had lost my appetite. I can’t bring myself to eat more than a few morsels at every meal. I perpetually have this painful knot in my stomach, which doesn’t help matters. I can also feel my heart racing at least a few times every day.”

“I see. Anything else? Any behavioural changes that you’ve noticed?”

“Mmm, my friends say I’ve been rather aloof lately. Oh and I struggle to focus at work. I’ve been getting pulled up for it because I just can’t seem to get anything done. I also keep breaking into tears quite often, especially when I’m alone at night. And I’ve noticed that my music preferences have changed dramatically. I can’t go on like this. Please, help me.”

“Oh, you poor dear. It’s just as I feared when you called. I’m afraid that you are exhibiting the classic symptoms of a disease called love. It’s usually self-limiting, meaning it goes away on its own. But there have been severe cases where it can last an entire lifetime. No reason to panic though, let’s take this one step at a time.”

“Is there a cure for this disease? Love?”

“I’m sorry to let you down, but the short answer is no. It’s quite similar to the common cold. Despite millions of dollars of funding that has gone into research over the past few decades, we are no closer to developing a vaccine against either. Currently we only have drugs that treat the symptoms.”

“Can love recur then, if it’s just like a cold?”

“Oh yes. Adults suffer an average of between 2 – 4 bouts each year, and adolescents up to 10. These can either be a relapse or a new infection caused by a different strain of the virus.”

“That… I… My normal life is being severely affected.”

“Let’s run a few quick tests so that I’m better placed to prescribe medication that will help ease your condition.”

--

“Right… Nothing unexpected or unusual. It’s a good thing that you came in when you did. Your blood pressure and heart rate are slightly on the higher side, but there’s no cause for worry. You currently have a hormonal imbalance. The high levels of adrenaline and cortisol explain your heart rate. You also have high levels of dopamine in your bloodstream and low levels of serotonin, which is why you have been finding hard to focus at work. All of this is completely normal for people with this condition.”

“You lost me at hormonal imbalance. Am I to understand that my test reports are ok then, or not too bad in any case?”

“Have you had sudden, irresistible urges to write poetry or deface monuments of national importance with a certain name?”

“No, I can’t say I have.”

“Good, then we are in the clear. Your case is still in the early stages. I’m going to prescribe something that will help you sleep at night. It will also calm your nerves and help you focus better on the task at hand. Mind you, I’m giving you a low dosage because this drug can cause addiction.”

“Ok, great. That’s a relief.”

“One more thing, and do pay close attention to this. It’s important. Avoid coming into close proximity with the person responsible for the infection. This will prevent a relapse. Take care and feel free to call me if there’s anything else.”