Love Addiction
Love addiction therapy with an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist. Heal obsessive relationship patterns, anxious attachment, and codependency. Build healthy, lasting love.
As an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist and Certified Multiple Addictions & Love Addiction Therapist (Candidate), I bring a wealth of experience and expertise to help individuals heal from love addiction and cultivate post-traumatic growth. You can trust in my professional guidance and support.
Love addiction often creates obsessive patterns in relationships, leading to constant texting, calling, controlling behaviors, or even stalking. The “high” of falling in love and the honeymoon stage can feel intoxicating, but once the intensity fades, many love addicts experience emptiness, despair, or the urge to start over with someone new.
Healing from love addiction is not just a possibility; it’s a reality. With professional support, you can break free from these cycles and start building relationships founded on trust, safety, and genuine connection. There is hope for a brighter, healthier future.
What Is Love Addiction?
Love addiction is a compulsive cycle of romantic intensity where the fantasy of love is more appealing than the reality of a long-term relationship. Many people have love addiction:
- Crave constant reassurance and attention
- Struggle with emotional regulation when love isn’t reciprocated
- Prioritize relationships over work, family, or health
- Stay in toxic dynamics or rush into new relationships
Childhood attachment wounds, past trauma, and low self-worth often fuel this pattern.
Symptoms of Love Addiction
Common signs of love addiction include:
- Obsessively thinking about a partner, disrupting daily life
- Feeling codependent or unable to function without a partner
- Constantly seeking new relationships, regardless of quality
- Depression, anxiety, or hopelessness when single
- Struggling to leave toxic or abusive relationships
- Using sex to feel connection or validation
- Leaving once the intensity fades
- Pretending to be someone else to “keep” a partner
- Compromising your integrity or values to maintain a relationship
If you recognize yourself here, remember, you are not alone. Many others have walked this path and found their way to healing. You are part of a community that understands and supports you, fostering a sense of connection and understanding.
Causes of Love Addiction
Although research is still emerging, experts agree that childhood experiences and trauma play a central role. Understanding these causes can bring a sense of relief, as it empowers you to take control of your healing journey.
Potential causes include:
- Childhood abandonment or neglect
- Low self-worth and lack of emotional nurturing
- Emotional, physical, or sexual abuse
- Past traumatic or toxic relationships
Neuroscience shows that being “in love” activates the same dopamine pathways as substance addiction, which is why love addiction can feel just as powerful—and difficult to manage.
Treatment for Love Addiction
Therapy Can Help
With the right therapeutic support, you can:
- Heal anxious attachment and abandonment wounds
- Identify and shift unhealthy relationship patterns
- Develop healthier coping strategies and emotional resilience
- Build authentic, stable, and fulfilling love
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is a proven approach for love addiction. It helps you:
- Identify distorted beliefs (“I’m not lovable,” “I’ll always be abandoned”)
- Break free from obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors
- Reduce emotional triggers that fuel addiction
- Develop new, healthier ways of connecting with others
Through therapy, you can discover that you are worthy of love that is secure, safe, and lasting.
Begin Your Healing Journey
Love addiction can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to navigate it alone. Together, we can:
- Break destructive cycles
- Heal deep emotional wounds
- Create safe and meaningful relationships
Take the first step toward healing—and building the kind of love that truly lasts.