Love is often referred to as a drug. And, like any other drug, many people become addicted to it. Love addictions have been around for centuries, but we’re just starting to learn what they are. Now, we’re able to identify when someone is addicted to love and even define what sort of addiction they have.
Below is a comprehensive list of all the different love addictions we know of today:
Codependent Love Addicts:
The most widely recognised type of love addict, Codependents suffer from low self-esteem and cling to the people they are addicted to. CLAs will do almost anything to keep their partner from leaving.
Obsessed Love Addicts:
OLAs cannot let go of someone they love, even if their partner is unavailable (emotionally or sexually), unloving, distant, abusive, controlling or selfish. They will stay in a bad relationship no matter what happens.
Relationship Addicts:
Unlike other types of love addicts, relationship addicts aren’t even in love with their partner, but they are still unable to let go. RAs are afraid of being alone, and they do not want to hurt or abandon their partners. These people would rather be unhappy in a relationship than happy without a relationship.
Narcissistic Love Addicts:
NLAs rely on dominance and seduction to control their romantic partners. Narcissistic love addicts are self-absorbed and are more focused on their happiness than anyone else’s. NLAs are often difficult to identify because they don’t appear to be addicted to anything. But, if their partner tries to leave, they panic and will use any tool at their disposal to keep the relationship alive, even if they have to resort to violence.
Ambivalent Love Addicts:
ALAs don’t have a hard time letting go. Instead, they have a hard time moving forward. They are terrified of intimacy but desperately crave love.
Many people show signs of multiple types of love addiction. It’s entirely possible for a person to be both an Ambivalent Love Addict and a relationship addict.
It’s also possible for a person to be one type of love addict and switch to another when they start dating someone new. A love addict, as the name implies, is addicted to love – their addiction can take many forms.
As with any disorder, the first step to curing a love addiction is to identify the problem. Once someone has been defined as a love addict, it’s important to categorise them accordingly so a professional can help create a suitable treatment plan.
If you think a friend or family member is a love addict, it’s important to step in as soon as you can. You may hurt your friend’s feeling at first, but once they know that you’re only trying to help, they will come around and work with you to get better. Don’t try to fix their problem alone – enlist the help of a trained, experienced professional.
Love is a drug, and anyone who is addicted to love will suffer from severe withdrawal symptoms. Being a loving, supportive friend is the best thing you can do.
