What is Love Addiction?
 Love addiction can be described as when one person “obsessively loves” another person in a way that is intense and is not really in the best interest of either party.

What Are the Effects of Love Addiction?
When an individual can be classified as a love addict they will center a tremendous amount of energy on romantic relationships.  They can be directly involved in a relationship, believe they are single and ready, or avoid getting into a relationship all together.

Love Addict’s relationships can be brief, intense and feel very romantic while being in the relationship.  If the addict is in a long term relationship, it can usually be characterized by the roller coaster of emotional highs and lows. There are cases, where the love addict can completely withdraw from romantic or sexual relationships to avoid feelings of vulnerability.

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What Are the Causes of Love Addiction?
 More often than not the root cause is developed in our childhood where we learn how to attach or avoid others. During our childhood, we also learn how to trust, relate and connect with people.  If there was some sought of trauma that resulted in relationship damage, individuals can grow up lacking self-esteem or if we had less than nurturing childhoods, as adults we can look for constant reassurance from others.

Love Addicts tend to enjoy the feeling of the excitement that being “in love” can bring, which can result in moving quickly and making compulsive decisions early in a new relationship.

How Can Therapy With An Orlando Licensed Therapist Who Specializes
in Love Addiction Help?
1)   Orlando Love Addiction Counseling can help you identify, observe and take an inventory of your dysfunctional pattern in your current and past relationships.  It will be important that during your time with a Orlando Licensed Therapist that you be honest with yourself in the absence of judgment.

2)   Orlando Love Addiction Counseling can help you take an inventory of common themes in your relationships (known and unknown to you). Sometimes if we look deep enough there are similarities between our childhood experiences and our choices as an adult.  When we discover this pattern, it is no coincidence.

3)   Orlando Love Addiction Counseling can help you develop a plan and follow through to become a healthier person in your relationships including a strategic plan to go through a withdrawal period.

CALL LIFE COUNSELING SOLUTIONS TODAY AT 407-622-1770!

Recommended Resources:

  • Facing Love Addiction by Pia Mellody
  • SLAA Big Book
  • Is It Love or Is It Addiction? By Brenda Schaeffer
  • Love Addict by Ethlie Vare
  • Why We Love by Helen Fisher
  • Ready to Heal by Kelly McDaniel
  • Recovery Workbook for Love Addicts and Love Avoidants by Susan Peabody