Love Addiction: Definition, Symptoms, Causes, Treatment

Matt Rowland Hill was born in 1984 in Pontypridd, South Wales, and grew up in Wales and England. His writing has appeared in The Guardian, The Independent, New Statesman, the Telegraph and other outlets. Early recovery has the quality of vigorous exercise, as though each repetition of a painful moment… serves to build up emotional muscle. David Sack, M.D., is board certified in addiction psychiatry and addiction medicine and serves as CMO of Elements Behavioral Health and Promises Treatment Centers. Rebecca Strong is a Boston-based freelance writer covering health and wellness, fitness, food, lifestyle, and beauty. Her work has also appeared in Insider, Bustle, StyleCaster, Eat This Not That, AskMen, and Elite Daily.

Help Them Find Treatment

Even though the addict has undoubtedly contributed his or her share of the trouble, in some way you also have a part to play in what is going on. For example, you might be keeping the “drama” going by lending money to your addicted loved one. Or perhaps you are always willing to be there to listen when they tell you all about the problems they are encountering as consequences of their addictive behaviors. Whatever your particular situation is, acceptance of what you are dealing with in your life is the first survival tip for loving an addicted person. Once you’ve identified how you are enabling the addict, you can start setting boundaries and outline consequences.

Unpacking the Notion of Love Addiction

Being in love with an addict, or having a parent or child who is an addict means that you’re often going to feel heartbroken because of their actions. Your enabling behaviors toward the addict may be helping to keep you busy and to fill up your life so that you don’t have to see how lonely and empty you are feeling inside. First, when you love an addict, you have to understand that their addiction takes precedence over everything else, including you. Sex releases oxytocin, the love chemical that makes us want to nest with our partner. As we get to know our lover, we may want to spend more or less time together, depending on what we learn.

How To Help An Addicted Loved One

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In rare cases, the consequences of love addiction may even be as severe as homicide or suicide.
We all deserve healthy love and attachment, and seeking the right support may help you end the cycle of love addiction once and for all.
However, true love does require that we recognize our separateness and love our mate for who he or she truly is.
It’s hard to know how to show your love and be there for your partner – while also being there for yourself.
It may be helpful to start by reflecting on which behaviors or parts of your relationship you’d like to see changed.

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First and foremost, when you love a drug addict, they are not going to be able to love you in return. That doesn’t mean they didn’t love you before their addiction, and it doesn’t mean they can’t return to loving you, but when you’re in the midst of addiction, that’s your loving an addict priority. That substance is what the person’s mind and body are in love with, above all else. Talk to a mental health professional to determine the best time to walk away. Knowing when to give up on an addicted person is an important part of understanding addiction.

The hesitance to give the problem a name only adds to the confusion and ambiguity.
Overusing or inappropriately using the word “addiction” can erode the weight and meaning of a true addiction.
I’ve seen couples married for decades that enjoy a vibrant sex life.
These activities increase feel-good hormones in healthy ways, giving you what you may be searching for from your love addiction.

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)

Keep your hopes up, as substance use disorder is known as a “good prognosis disorder” in that the majority of people can and do recover.
The key thing to remember is that in order for your loved one to deal with one issue, they must deal with the other.
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Ambiguous loss is a term that has been used to describe the experience of losing someone in an incomplete, not-quite-final manner (Boss, 2010).
You may find yourself being asked for money often, and feeling guilty if you say no.

The result was a tale whose bracing darkness is ultimately redeemed not by its perfunctorily hopeful ending but by the extraordinary force and beauty of its telling. The most common form of therapy used to treat addiction is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). With CBT, the therapist helps the person uncover and cope with causes and triggers for addictive compulsions and behaviors. Research on the causes and triggers of the condition is lacking, but factors such as trauma and genetics likely play a role. Research also shows a connection between the euphoria of being in love and the feelings of pleasure a person with substance use disorder might have.