Do You Suffer From Love Addiction? | World of Psychology

This guest article from YourTango was written by Sherry Gaba.

To many people, the idea of a love addiction seems far-fetched or made up to explain irrational behaviors.

However, love addiction is not a new concept, nor is it fabricated. Early literature and history are full of references to people ? often very powerful and famous people ? who allowed their dependence on others to destroy them.

People become so dependent on others because of emotional needs that are not met through positive relationships; they are met through negative and destructive relationships. But love addiction is more than just an emotional need unmet ? there is also a potential for serious injury because of this behavior.

When a person continues in a relationship that is abusive, either physically or mentally, there is a very real danger. Women and men are abused in relationships, and unfortunately, death by an intimate partner is a very real concern in today?s society. Here are questions you can ask yourself to see if you are addicted to love:

• Have I been hurt, physically or emotionally, by my partner?
• Do I make excuses or rationalize the abuse?
• Do I tend to choose partners that are emotionally distant or do I have a history of being in abusive relationships?
• Is there a give and take in this relationship or do I give and give but seem to get nothing or very little in response?
• Can I leave this relationship and move on in my life?

Answering these questions honestly is the first step in determining if you may have an addiction to love that is potentially dangerous.

Most people need help with this very serious issue and greatly benefit from talking with a therapist or counselor that specializes in addictions and addiction recovery.

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More related love content from YourTango:

Sherry Gaba LCSW, Psychotherapist, Life, Love & Recovery Coach is featured Celebrity Rehab on VH1. Sherry is the author of ?The Law of Sobriety? which uses the law of attraction to recover from any addiction. Please download your free E book ?Filling The Empty Heart? and your ?Are You a Love Addict Quiz?? at her website. Contact Sherry for webinars, teleseminars, coaching packages and speaking engagements. Listen to Sherry on ?A Moment of Change with Sherry Gaba? on CBS Radio.

Contributed by YourTango.com, an online magazine dedicated to love, life and relationships. From dating to marriage, parenting to empty-nest, relationship challenges to relationship success, YourTango is at the center of the conversations that are closest to our over 3 million readers' hearts. With daily contributions from our Experts, we have a little something for everyone looking to create healthier lives. We're excited to offer our contributions to the PsychCentral community, and invite you to visit us on YourTango.com.

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????Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 5 Sep 2012
????Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.

APA Reference
Experts, Y. (2012). Are You a Love Addict?. Psych Central. Retrieved on September 6, 2012, from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/09/05/are-you-a-love-addict/

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Source: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/09/05/are-you-a-love-addict/

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