Does Love Addiction Really Exist? 4 types of love addicts
Being in love is a beautiful feeling. Everyone is looking for love and wants someone to love them. However, love can manifest in unhealthy and irrational ways when dating a love addict. Learn about the types of love addicts you can encounter that are detrimental to your well-being.
are you addicted to love Before we get into the details, let’s take a look at what exactly love addiction is.
What is love addiction?
Love addiction (sometimes called pathological love) is a psychological condition and behavioral pattern that is achieved when attachment and affection become compulsive, pervasive, and dysfunctional. It can also have other negative consequences.
This compulsive behavior can take the form of reward seeking, dependent love, and impulsive dreams. Unlike substance addiction, addicted lovemaking is not based on a need to consume a chemical substance. Rather, the feelings of “love” trigger the release of serotonin and dopamine, which fuel compulsive desires for pleasure and satisfaction.
Factors that contribute to love addiction
Negative childhood experiences are the first port of call when it comes to love. It becomes a survival pattern as you try to fill the emptiness you rejected or left as a child.
Some factors that can give us clues as to the cause of this addiction:
- Dealing with a separation or divorce of parents.
- One or both parents were alcoholics.
- You were adopted and experienced neglect as a child.
- The death of a sibling or a parent at a young age
- Feelings of rejection because parents were emotionally unavailable.
To better understand this condition, below are the different types of love addiction and the symptoms that indicate this condition.
4 types of love addiction
Love addiction is a complex psychological condition that manifests itself in a variety of ways. If you suspect that you might be, or know someone who is, a love addict, knowing about the different types of love addicts will help you understand and manage your situation. Here Are The Most Common Types Of Love Addicts –
1. Obsessive love addicts
This is one of the most common love addiction types that afflicts most people and exhibits some of the most predictable relationship patterns, such as being in control, possessive thoughts, or feeling like their partner or that one person completes them.
They easily fall into a fascination with the relationships through their fantasy and denial. The compulsive love addict is overly attached to his love object and finds it difficult to break free from him.
2. Dependent love addicts
Among the different types of love addicts is the addicted lover who uses their partner to bolster their fragile sense of self and gain validation. They expect their partner to give their life meaning, but are unable to receive or accept love. They often suffer from low self-esteem.
3. Narcissistic love addicts
Narcissistic love addicts are emotional manipulators who take advantage of their partners and use them as someone to exercise power and control with to boost their ego. They use coercion, deception, and sometimes violence to maintain control in a romantic relationship. They become abusive when they find themselves being neglected or rejected.
4. Ambivalent love addicts
Ambivalent love addicts are one of the many different types of love addicts. They have one thing in common when it comes to having a decent relationship because they need love but are afraid of intimacy.
You may be someone obsessed with an unavailable partner that causes relationships to fall apart when things get intimate, or someone willing to be physically intimate but not emotionally involved.
Other types of love addiction
Here are some other types of love addiction that you should know about –
a. Anorexic love addicts
They are in a delusional emotional state where they compulsively avoid relationships.
b. Avoidant love addicts
They are attracted to people who are in need or someone they can control.
c. Parental love addict
This type is a parent and not a love partner. They tend to love their own child obsessively.
i.e. Addicted to love
They are addicted to engaging in love acts with their partner instead of making love.
Here are some of the love addiction symptoms to look out for when dealing with an unhealthy attachment or relationship.
- Avoiding abandonment and rejection at all costs
- You are controlling and manipulative in a relationship
- Unrealistic expectations of their relationships and partner
- Tendency to mistake intensity for intimacy
- Confusing love and attraction
- Using love or the relationship to relieve pain or improve mood
- Trading love activity for affection or love
- Refusing to acknowledge the problem
- Inability to be alone or move from one partner to another.
Healing of Love Addiction
Sometimes taking a break from dating for a while can help you break the cycle of obsessions and compulsions that revolve around the other person. Breaking free from compulsive, addictive behaviors is very difficult, but with support and the right steps, anyone is able to overcome scary situations.
Here are some ways to heal yourself from love:
- Learn the difference between healthy and addicted love.
- Break free of how to be independent instead of becoming dependent.
- Recognize if the patterns in your relationships are repeating themselves.
- Acknowledge the pain of childhood, such as abandonment or shame.
- Learn to be assertive and boost your self-esteem
- Take time to find your own needs and nurture yourself.
- Take time to fall into love with yourself.
Love addiction prevents you from having a meaningful and loving relationship. But if you recognize the different types of love addiction and recognize the patterns within yourself, you can make some positive changes.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What makes a person addicted to love?
The feelings of “love” cause the release of serotonin and dopamine, which fuels the compulsive desire for pleasure and satisfaction.
Is addiction to love addictive?
Among the different types of love addicts there is a codependent lover who uses their partner to bolster their fragile sense of self and gain validation.
What is an avoidant love addict?
A love-avoiding addict is someone who doesn’t really share who they are. They are attracted to someone who is needy or someone they can control.
Why is falling in love so addictive?
Love triggers and releases neurotransmitters that stimulate receptors in the brain, leading to feelings of joy and excitement, and in some cases addiction.
