Love addiction can manifest as unhealthy behaviours in close relationships, leading to fixations and compulsions towards love interests. People pleasers who are addicted to love prioritise the needs of others over their own.
Additionally, it may lead to separation, extramarital affairs, poor work performance, interpersonal conflict, difficulty concentrating on daily duties, entanglement, clinginess, and emotional suffering such as anxiety and depression.
Resentment can develop over time due to emotional highs — like intense passion — and emotional lows — like profound disappointment or loss. As a result, love addiction may share aspects of loss of control with other addictions, such as sex addiction or substance addiction.
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In this article, we look at the impact love addiction can have on your life and when you should seek treatment. We offer world-class love addiction treatment in South Africa at affordable prices.
A person who suffers from love addiction develops an unhealthy and obsessive preoccupation with a love interest. Everyone should experience the joy of being in love. The desire to love and be loved by someone is shared by almost everyone. Love, though, can sometimes take unhealthy forms.
People who experience love addiction may act strangely and irrationally, harming both themselves and those they care about. Creating and maintaining healthy relationships can be difficult for someone who is addicted to love.
Love addiction can happen in different types of relationships, despite the fact that romantic partnerships are the most common setting. It may occur in relationships with friends, family members, strangers, and even children.
These individuals frequently have idealised notions of what love should be like. When these expectations are not met, it only serves to make their condition worse.
Within their relationships, love addicts frequently have unhealthy fixations and try to exert control over their love interest. A person who is addicted to love may display uncontrollable behaviour and impulses, much like other addictions.
However, they can unlearn these destructive behaviours and attitudes towards love through professional love addiction treatment at a rehab centre.
When dealing with love addiction, a person may worship their lover, pursue relationships for the excitement of the honeymoon period, or grow overly reliant on their partner.
The following are possible signs of love addiction, but they are not limited to this list:
- A strong need for romantic love
- Idealising their romantic partners
- Experiencing obsessive thoughts about their love interest
- Feeling uncontrollable urges, withdrawal symptoms, emotional highs, and dependency on their partner
- Needing to experience frequent romantic relationships
- Seeking unrequited love from a partner while needing emotional support
- An inability to be alone
Love addicts in recovery need to give themselves some time. Creating healthy relationships and establishing appropriate boundaries are some of the objectives of treatment for love addiction.
It is preferable to refrain from romantic or sexual relationships for a set period while receiving love addiction treatment. You can concentrate on healing during this break.
Childhood trauma needs to be evaluated and treated as soon as possible. The underlying factors that contribute to love addiction are complex and frequently stem from early experiences.
People who are addicted to love may struggle with self-confidence and may have experienced unstable attachments as children.
It is challenging for them to stop because they engage in acts that stimulate the brain’s reward system. You will gain new coping mechanisms at White River Recovery’s addiction treatment facility. Additionally, you’ll learn techniques to avoid some of the common love addiction tendencies.
Learning skills for healthier relationships is a crucial component of treatment for those in recovery from love addiction. However, patients also need to understand that they don’t need romantic or sexual relationships to lead fulfilling lives.
For women — in particular — who have been socialised to feel that a relationship completes them, this is crucial. This also applies to men who struggle with love addiction.
You will learn new habits to replace old, toxic patterns while in therapy for love addiction.
Can a love addict have a healthy relationship?
Yes. Love addicts can form healthy relationships. However, it requires hard work and perseverance. Seeking professional help, which may include intensive therapy, is often necessary.
What is the root cause of love addiction?
Childhood trauma is often at the foundation of love addiction. People who lack self-confidence or experienced unhealthy childhood environments may grow up needing frequent affirmation from others. Relationship addicts frequently crave the thrill that being “in love” brings.
What does love addiction look like?
Having intense cravings for a love interest, experiencing withdrawal symptoms, feeling emotionally “high” when around them, and needing them desperately. Having a constant desire to fall in love.
