Love Addiction
From its name, one would think that love addiction might actually be a good thing. In reality, co-dependency addiction is extremely unhealthy and can even be dangerous. A person who puts all of their value on another person and essentially lives their life through their partner is sick and needs significant help or their condition could turn violent. What makes this condition even more difficult to deal with is that while there are often similar root causes from person to person, each individual suffers from love addiction for their own set of reasons. If you feel that you are in a relationship with someone who has a love addiction, speak to a health care professional right away.
One common complaint that you hear people voice about their relationships is that their partner doesn’t seem to think of them very much or do enough nice things for them. When you find yourself in a love addicted relationship, the exact opposite is true. Your partner is often obsessed with you and will often try to control many aspects of your relationship. As bad as love addiction can be while the two of you are together, if there is ever a breakup, things can get much worse in an instant. Many people experience stalking, harassment, assault, rape, and even attempted murder from their scorned partner. A person may claim that they will kill themselves if the other person leaves or that they will harm a pet or a family member. Once all avenues of stalking and hurting a former partner have been closed off, a love addicted person will immediately form a new relationship and the cycle will start again. Many love addicted people have extremely low self esteems and view their lives as not worth leading without a partner in the picture. They also likely believe that others see them that same way; that without a partner, they are worthless or meaningless.
Love addiction is a complete and all encompassing psychosis. While there is treatment available for people who suffer from love addiction, much of the focus is on helping the unwitting partner escape the clutches of someone who has the potential to turn violent at any moment. While it is easy to say that everyone has at least one “bad” relationship at one time or another, most people don’t face the prospect of being with someone who could legitimately harm them. Just as any failed relationship can cause significant emotional pain, being with someone who is love addicted can be devastating. A person can begin to second guess their judgement and even swear off relationships for a period of time out of fear that the next person they date could have the same problem. As for the love addicted person, the major hurdle they have to clear is admitting they have a problem. Once that is done, a recovery can begin but the amount of change that must be made is mind-boggling. It is a long, hard road that takes the rest of a person’s life, but happiness can be achieved.
It can be difficult to spotlight the symptoms of a love addiction since you may already be living them and not realize it. Most love addicted people are absolutely obsessed with every minute detail of their partner’s life. They have to know where that person is at all hours of the day and they have to control who their friends are and when they spend time with them. They are often abusive and demand intimacy even when the other person doesn’t want it. They will often use threats to get their way and frequently follow through if they feel threatened.
If identified and treated, a relationship can survive love addiction. It all really depends on how willing the addicted person is to change, how willing they are to admit that they may have a problem, and how willing they are to seek help. If a person refuses assistance, they will likely end up alone and there is a significant risk of violence which would likely result in a lengthy jail stay. Love addiction may be the most unassuming type of addiction, but it is likely the most all-encompassing and devastating to both sides of the gender equation.
