Are You a Love Addict? Find Out the Signs of Love Addiction

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Are you a love addict? Do you think you’re obsessed with the idea of romance and being in love? Maybe that obsession is too much. Find out if you don’t simply have the love bug, but clinical love addiction.

Being in love is just awesome. You get that sweet rush with every touch or whenever you see the apple of your eye. You can’t help thinking about your love, and you count every day and every hour until you’re together again.

For some people, love is a very special thing. It makes them happy, it inspires them, and it just brightens up their day. However, there are those you can consider as love addicts in the sense that being in love can seem unhealthy and even destructive for them.

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But what does it really mean to be a love addict? And is there really such a thing as love addiction?

What is Love Addiction?

Love addiction is real, and it is diagnosed by love or sex addiction specialists or addiction professionals the same way as they diagnose other addictions, such as drug and alcohol addiction.

Love addiction is clinically a disorder belonging to a criteria called behavioral or process addiction, the same way that gambling and sex addiction are also disorders.

Health care providers and addiction professionals look for three things before they diagnose a person as a clinical love addict:

  • On-going preoccupation with romantic fantasies and getting into new relationships to the point of obsession
  • Lack of control when it comes to new relationships and their romantic notions or fantasies, which can tend to be unrealistic
  • Getting into or staying in relationships or feeding their out-of-control romantic fantasies despite negative consequences

Are You a Love Addict?

Like other kinds of addicts, a love addict is in denial about their disorder or that they have a problem. They won’t admit, even to themselves, the problems their behavior is causing. These problems can include isolation, emotional breakdown, problems with other relationships like with family members, declining physical health, problems with emotional health, and sudden disinterest with things they used to enjoy.

Rather than seeing a destructive pattern in their behavior, they blame their so-called relationship problems and love woes (even their deteriorating health, career, and social relationships) on other people. They will place blame on other people and anything else except themselves when in fact they really have problematic, and even erratic, behavior.

When Love and Sex Addiction Overlap

Sometimes, a love addict may use sex to manipulate a person or gain the upper hand in the relationship. They may act the same way as a sex addict, and the conditions can sometimes overlap as well. The main difference between sex addiction and love addiction, however, is while the former focuses on pursuing any sexual opportunity, the latter is more focused on obsession over a specific person or in getting into relationships.

Symptoms of a Love Addict

  • Having unrealistic notions about love, relationship, and intimacy
  • Mistaking sexual or romantic intensity for true love
  • Feeling desperate and depressed when not in a relationship
  • Feeling alone when not in a relationship
  • Missing out on appointments, commitments, and obligations in search for new relationships
  • Missing out on appointments, commitments, and obligations when in a relationship
  • Seeking other relationships while still in a relationship
  • Feigning interest in activities they don’t have interest in just to get a new partner or keep a relationship
  • Struggling so hard to maintain the intensity of a relationship
  • Relying on romantic intensity as a way to cope with other problems or discomforts
  • Becoming needy, possessive, and overly jealous
  • Becoming overly attached to a new relationship or partner at the expense of other things that should be prioritized

If you or someone you know is suspected to be a love addict, know that the vicious cycle can be stopped before anything serious and irreparable happens. Call or text us at 09175098826 to talk to our addiction specialists.


 

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