How can someone be addicted to love? What is love addiction? Do you have love addiction? How does it differ from the normal and expected sadness following a relationship breakdown?

Can we be addicted to love? Surely addictions are physical, as in the body's craving for heroin, alcohol, and nicotine?

Sadly not all addictions involve physical dependency on a substance. Some addictions are psychological but have just as debilitating and real effect on the body as a physical dependency!

All addictions involve chemical changes in the body - the high of heroin for the junkie, the high of intoxication for the alcoholic, the high of orgasm for the sex addict and the high of triggering of the love fantasy for the love addict.

Whilst sex and love addiction are not physical dependencies the high's experienced create very similar chemical changes in the brain and the body.

The hallmarks of an addiction include the following, the high when the fix is obtained, the compulsive draw towards something which is bad for them, panic at the possible absence of the substance (person) and withdrawal symptoms following abstinence.

In the case of the love addict, as bad as the panic is at the contemplation of a possible breakup, it cannot compare to the devastation when the breakup actually happens. Just like a drug addict who goes cold turkey.

Love Addiction like any other physical or psychological addiction leaves those suffering from it feeling powerless to break free and at its mercy.

So what is love addiction? In a nutshell, it is when ones feelings for someone cross the line from love to obsession and desperate need.

Do you have love addiction? Can you relate to or identify with some or many of the following?

Do you tend to stay in relationships, even though you're hurt over and over again? Do you make excuses for the way your partner mistreats and hurts you? Do you know that the relationship is bad for you or causes you frequent pain but cant contemplate leaving for the terrible fear of being alone? Does your self esteem or mood depend on your partners behavior towards you? Do you attempt to subtly manipulate your partners to change and or stay with you? Is the relationship your primary source of happiness? Does its survival eclipse everything else in your life? Are you so considerate to your partner in order to please them that you put your own needs second much of the time? Do you let abusive people remain in your life? Do you or those you are attracted to mistreat you or refuse commitment? Do you need another in order to feel fulfilled? Do you give far more in the relationship than you receive? Do you cling to the 1% chance it will all change and work out? Do you believe you NEED a relationship in order to be happy?

But isn't this normal when you're in love?

The end of a love relationship will inevitably result in an appropriate level of sadness and a certain amount of grieving at its loss, however what we are talking about here is far far more than this.

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