The Progression of Love Addiction
Sept 13, 2017 10:49:23 GMT -8
loveelleng, JamesAndWhatNot, and 1 more like this
Post by Susan Peabody on Sept 13, 2017 10:49:23 GMT -8
To measure the severity of your love addiction you must identify where you are on the progression . . .
The Progression of Addiction to Love
"The lover says, `I cannot love anyone else, I cannot give up loving, I cannot give up this love, for it would be the death of me and I would die of love." Soren Kierkegaard in Works of Love
Contributing Factors
How fast and how far addiction to love can progress depends on:The love addict's level of attachment hunger ─ need
The age of the love addict ─ diminishing self-esteem in a youth-oriented culture
Failure heaped upon failure ─ mounting fears and diminished hope
Level of denial ─ I don't have a problem
Level of stubbornness about needing to change ─ I'll die trying
Refusal to get help ─ pride
Childhood experiences ─ trauma
Beginning Stage
Chronic Stage
In the chronic stage the symptoms of addiction to love are a way of life. Love addicts experience one addictive relationship after another and stress-related emotional and physical problems have begun to develop. Also, subsidiary addictions will now start to become a problem because the love addict is trying to find ways to take the edge off of his or her emotional pain.
Dying for Love
Typical Progression
An excessive hunger for love first appears;
Low self-esteem begins to develop;
A fear of abandonment and loneliness appear;
Emotional pain becomes apparent;
A need for relief increases;
Mood altering experiences are used to relieve anxiety;
Romantic fantasies become a fix;
A preoccupation with romance becomes habitual;
⋅Relationships become a fix;
Unhealthy dependencies begin to appear;
An obsession with someone may occur;
Addictive thoughts and behavior become ritualized;
The patterns of addiction are repeated and become entrenched;
Problems associated with obsession and dependency develop;
Emotional distress appears;
Health problems appear;
Subsidiary addictions continue to progress;
Addiction to love becomes a problem;
The love addict loses control of his or her life;
Chronic depression sets in;
A crisis appears;
A life-threatening situation develops;
Danger is imminent;
Death or intervention occurs.