Love Addiction

Love addiction is an excessive preoccupation with romance, intimacy and/or sexual contact. It is characterized by obsessive thinking and compulsive behaviors, such as being overly clingy, being constantly yearning for emotional closeness, and having extreme jealousy, that significantly impair one’s ability to function in everyday life. Love addiction is a very real mental health disorder that can have serious consequences for those affected. People with love addiction often struggle with their relationships, with difficulty forming or maintaining meaningful intimate relationships, and with difficulty controlling their own emotions. Treatment for love addiction usually consists of psychotherapy, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), as well as lifestyle changes that focus on healthy coping strategies and building self-esteem.