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This Valentine’s Week, we’re pausing the roses and grand gestures for something steadier, deeper, and more honest.

In this short bonus episode, Dr. Allison Sucamele offers a gentle but clear reality check: not all chemistry is connection, and not all intensity is love. Many of us were taught to equate butterflies with depth and unpredictability with passion. But what if what we’re calling “spark” is actually dysregulation?

We explore the physiological cost of the wrong love - the sleep disruption, the hypervigilance, the emotional whiplash, and the constant bracing. Because when your nervous system is stuck in survival mode, that isn’t romance. It’s exhaustion.

Healthy love doesn’t require you to override your body. It doesn’t demand chronic stress in exchange for closeness. It feels steady. Repairable. Sustainable. It feels like exhaling.

This Valentine’s week, instead of asking “Do we have chemistry?” ask:
Does my body feel safe here?

A compassionate reframe for anyone untangling intensity from intimacy, and choosing regulation over chaos.

🌹 Love & Relationship Resources

Books

• Attached by Amir Levine & Rachel Heller
• Hold Me Tight by Dr. Sue Johnson
• The Body Keeps the Score by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk
• Wired for Love by Stan Tatkin
• The Betrayal Bond by Patrick Carnes

Podcasts & Voices

• Esther Perel’s conversations on desire and attachment
• Dr. Sue Johnson on attachment science
• Polyvagal-informed work from Dr. Stephen Porges

Journal Prompts

• When I imagine staying in this relationship long-term, my body feels…
• Do I feel regulated more often than rattled?
• Am I drawn to this person’s steadiness, or their unpredictability?
• What does “safe love” look like in my nervous system?

🧠 Mental Health Support

If this episode brings up intense emotions, you do not have to process that alone.

• In the United States, you can call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
• If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
• If you are outside the U.S., please seek your country’s crisis hotline or local emergency services.
• Consider reaching out to a licensed therapist, especially one trained in attachment or trauma-informed care.

⚖️ Brief Disclaimer

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical or mental health treatment. Please consult a qualified professional for personal guidance specific to your situation.