A: Your status of "in love," or not, is certainly not for anyone to decide but you and you partner! An interesting phenomena to be aware of, however, is that on occasion nature does play tricks with us. There is a naturally-produced substance in our bodies called Phenylethylamine (PEA) which is considered a "love drug." This chemical is released when we begin to experience an attraction to someone. The effect of this chemical in our bodies is to heighten all of our senses so that the pleasures we experience are greater than they are during times the PEA is not present.

What is sometimes deceiving is that we commonly associate this heightened sense of pleasure with love. PEA is generally produced for 3-6 months during initial courtship, after which time production begins to diminish. Many couples find that it is in their third to sixth month that they begin to place more emphasis on their differences, causing the "honeymoon" feeling to subside. This is normal. Sometimes we do not know whether or not we were "really in love" until many months after the feelings first arrive. My hope for you is that you are!