I am a polyromantic – what does it mean?
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OptimistMinds
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Author bio
The Optimistminds editorial team is made up of psychologists, psychiatrists and mental health professionals. Each article is written by a team member with exposure to and experience in the subject matter. The article then gets reviewed by a more senior editorial member. This is someone with extensive knowledge of the subject matter and highly cited published material.
In this article, we will define the term: polyromantic. We will also explain the differences between sexual and romantic attraction.
How do you define Polyromantic?
Being Polyromantic is defined as someone who is romantically attracted to people of many, but not all genders. Someone who is Polyromantic may be attracted to men, women, demi girls, demiboys, and other genders as well.
The term polyromantic is often confused with polyamory or panromantics, but there are significant differences between these three concepts.
Polyamory: Describes people who have multiple simultaneous intimate relationships. People are often confused about the difference between polyamory and polygamy.
Polyromantic: describes people who feel a romantic attraction towards more than one gender (which does not necessarily involve sexual attraction).
Panromantic: Regardless of the other’s gender, the goal is to acquire romance.
What is romantic attraction for polyromantics?
For polyromantics, a romantic attraction is a special type of love, in which the affective and the spiritual are intertwined, and which is fueled by our innate need for union, fusion, deep intimate connection.
Romantic love involves a connection full of passion between two people, but one that takes place simultaneously on the emotional, sexual and spiritual levels, and which can not miss some extremely important elements: appreciation, curiosity and interest in the other person.
We cannot consider a love relationship as romantic if the relationship is not experienced as passionate or intense, at least to a certain degree, if there is no spiritual affinity between the two partners, a similarity between values and points of view if not there is a deep emotional involvement, a strong sexual attraction and a mutual admiration.
Following the latest research in neurophysiology, the romantic attraction began to be considered even as a vital instinct developed for millennia, which has the ability to activate and energize our entire psycho-biological system.
A person in love is happy, euphoric, full of energy, unable to sleep, loses appetite, trembles, and his heartbeat and breathing accelerate.
Many feel anxiety, panic or fear in the presence of the person they are in love with.
They are euphoric when things are going well and they fall into deep despair when things go wrong.
They become possessive, jealous, afraid of being rejected, and become anxious when they think of parting.
They always think of that person in an obsessive way. He could say “I would die for her/him” as easily as he would ask someone to give them salt.
High levels of dopamine in the brain are associated with euphoria, loss of appetite, hyperactivity, increased mental activity, decreased need for sleep, but also with anxiety, panic and fear.
Interestingly, amphetamines and cocaine help increase the level of dopamine in the brain and cause the same feelings as romantic love: excitement, euphoria, insomnia, decreased appetite, fear and anxiety.
When obstacles arise in the way of the lover, he will amplify his feelings and become even more eager to be with his loved one.
This is again associated with high dopamine levels because when a reward is delayed, dopamine-producing neurons increase their productivity.
A person in love deeply wants his partner, not only sexually but also emotionally.
She is empathetic and ready to sacrifice herself if necessary. She reorganizes her priorities, changes her habits, even her values just to be available for her loved one.
Polyromantic and other important concepts
The “palette” of sexual orientation has diversified greatly in recent times.
In addition to terms already known and widely discussed, such as heterosexuality, homosexuality and bisexuality, sexual identity has acquired new nuances and definitions.
In order to clarify this topic, the American publication “Huffington Post” explained 10 lesser-known terms, which define sexual and romantic identities, less known at this time:
Pansexual – Pansexuals are those people who can fall in love sexually, emotionally and spiritually by anyone, regardless of sexual identity.
Polysexual – Like pansexual, polysexual can be attracted to anyone, regardless of gender, male or female.
However, for polysexuals, sexual identity matters. For example, if a polysexual is attracted to women, he will also be attracted to people who identify as women, such as transgender people.
Panromantic – A panromantic person is emotionally and spiritually attracted to anyone, regardless of gender or gender identity, but is not sexually attracted to them.
Skoliosexual – In the case of skoliosexual, sexual attraction is manifested on people of non-binary sexual identity who do not identify with their natural sex, such as transsexuals.
Asexual – Asexuals are “people who do not feel sexual attraction” and, most of the time, not even emotionally.
According to asexuality.org, they may feel the desire to show affection for a person without having sexual desires.
Aromatic – An aromatic person feels very little or no romantic attraction to other people. “Aromantic people do not lack the ability to establish emotional or personal connections, but they do not feel the instinctual need to make such connections. This identity is not a choice, but it is innate “, notes asexuality.org.
Graysexual – Jared, a man who claims to be graysexual, defines the term as “a bridge between asexuality and sexuality.”
Graysexuals can also be identified as heterosexual or homosexual or with any other sexual identity.
Although they will feel a physical attraction to other people, they will not necessarily feel the need to have sex.
Queerplatonic relationships – Queerplatonic relationships are not romantic by nature, but they involve a deeper and more intense emotional connection than in the case of a traditional friendship.
The partners are called, in this case, “zucchini”.
Demisexual – A person who defines himself as demisexual does not feel sexual attraction to a person unless he has already established a deep emotional connection with the other, although it is not necessarily about falling in love, so it may not be romantic.
If the connection has an intense romantic character then it is called demiromantic.
Lithromantic – The term “lithromantic” describes a person who has feelings of love, but does not want them to be reciprocal, a type of amorous masochism.
Sexual or romantic attraction
Helen Fisher says we have our brains set in 3 directions when it comes to love. A certain set of emotions that leads to attachment, another set that leads to romance and another set that leads to sex.
Each of these 3 groups has specific emotions and in love, they often act mixed.
The emotions of sexual attraction are indeed chemicals that leave the brain. When a person feels a strong sexual attraction, at the physiological level major changes occur:
- increased heart rate,
- lack of appetite,
- increases sensitivity to all 5 senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch),
- often states of euphoria (happiness).
Then, inevitably, the body runs out of resources and, after a period of a few weeks, up to a MAXIMUM of one year, returns to normal.
We’ve all heard of the conservation instinct. The human brain and its emotions tell you to run away from danger and save your life.
What, then, is so powerful as to transcend the conditions of the brain and its emotions that control the whole body, and to cause a person, man or woman, to sacrifice his life, for example?
When a house is on fire and your reason tells you to stay away and your emotions tell you not to go in because you will burn alive, what makes you go in and try to save another life, maybe at the cost of your life?
Have you ever seen a mother defending her child in the face of a danger that far exceeds her physically and mentally?
Likewise, if everything depended on the physical and mental body, the woman would have to give up the fight before starting.
But a woman who fights for her children is more powerful than 3 men together.
Because in addition to the physical and mental, we humans also have a spirit.
In this spirit is the answer to the question “what is true love?“, Which is true, goes wonderfully combined with sexual attraction.
Conclusions
In this article, we explained the term: polyromantic. We also highlighted the differences between sexual and romantic attraction, between polyromantism and polyamory and panromantism.
The term polyromantic describes those people who are romantically attracted to many, but not necessarily all genders, it usually does not involve sexual attraction also.
If you have any comments, questions or recommendations, do let us know in the comments section!
FAQ about polyromantic
What does Polyromantic mean?
Polyromantic means that someone is romantically attracted to many, but not necessarily all genders.
What is the difference between Polysexual and polyamorous?
The difference between polyamorous and polysexual is that polysexual is someone who is sexually attracted to multiple genders, while polyamorous is someone who is looking for multiple romantic relationships with the consent of all the partners.
What is Androgynoromantic?
Androgynoromantic is someone who is attracted to androgen people.
Androgens are individuals with organs of both sexes.
What is a 4 person relationship called?
A 4 person relationship is called polyamory.
Polyamory describes people who have multiple simultaneous intimate relationships.
What does a Graysexual mean?
Graysexuals can also be identified as heterosexual or homosexual or with any other sexual identity.
Although they will feel a physical attraction to other people, they will not necessarily feel the need to have sex.
Recommendations
Exploring the Dimensions of Human Sexuality, by Jerrold S. Greenberg
References
Theanatomyoflove.com
Huffpost.com
Asexuality.org
