Love Addiction, What Is It?

What is love addiction? Often in clinical settings such as a physician or counselor’s office, love addiction is overlooked or minimized. That means, the behaviors discussed or uncovered there are dismissed as trivial to other explanations for the client’s/patient’s complaints, and what often results is the treatment for those complaints fail.

Love addiction is often misdiagnosed when a counselor or physician understands their client or patient’s seeking of relationships as their desire for partner intimacy. Often that is the good case, yet for many others what is actually happening is the seeking of relationships has little to do with partner intimacy. It is, rather, often the pursuit of a “falling in love” high that has over time taken the place of any intimate partner connection. The horrible result is isolation, chronic isolation.

Do you know of someone that groans complaints that something is very wrong with their intimate relationships? Often love addiction will have nothing to do with their problems, and often it would be a mistake to not include love addiction as a possibility.

Love addiction is the process that powerfully disrupts the ability to bond with another person or persons in meaningful and reciprocating ways. The process love addiction takes might easier be thought of as a pattern, which there are many. And these patterns are diverse. What they have in common is the inability to maintain balanced, stable, and nurturing connections needed for healthy relationships. For example, some men repetitively choose relationships with partners they see as “perfect” in someway, and when the perfection is not realized they dramatically end the relationship. Another example is a married woman that shuts out her sexuality from her spouse as a way to avoid a sexual relationship with him though she is secretly sexual in someway, e.g., masturbates to pornography, uses online dating sites, etc.

Consider the following few questions. If you or someone you know can answer yes to most, there may be a problem that is overwhelming your life.

Do you or another you know blame others for not meeting your sexual needs?
Do you or another you know spend too much time in online chat rooms or dating sites?
Do you or another you know spend too much time viewing pornographic material online?
Do you or another you know seek sexual approval from others more than is seems others do?
Do you or another you know spend too much time being seductive, flirting, or seeking romance in some way?
Do you or another you know seek romantic or sexual relationships with inappropriate people, e.g., a married person, your therapist, your clergy, complete strangers, a subordinate, etc.

There is help. Call today. 208-755-7114

Testimonials

"Coeur d'Alene Counseling understood the severity of my illness and helped me resolve rooted issues formed as a young girl. The program’s curricula and methodology allowed me to reconnect to my family."

Client
"This program allowed me to heal from the destructive patterns of Love Addiction. I now live a life filled with hope and serenity. "

Client
"I was unaware that Love Addiction had such a powerful control over my mind. It wasn’t until my life became unmanageable and chaotic that I sought help. Coeur d'Alene Counseling’s expertise and guidance gave me tools to find freedom. I am now a whole, authentic woman who lives a peaceful, purposed filled life. "

Client
"My staff says that I am more approachable and much better about communicating with them. I am more present to their needs and I am being told that their work environment is much better place. I am so grateful to Coeur d'Alene Counseling!"

- Patient
"My children say they see a change in me. They say that they feel really loved by me. There is something different about me now. It’s through the tools I have learned through Coeur d'Alene Counseling that has helped me to be a better father."

- Patient
"I felt that I could never be helped because my addiction wasn’t something that could be treated. But I was wrong – thank God I found Coeur d'Alene Counseling."

- Patient
"I didn’t realize that this sense of security I developed with myself and my wife was even possible until Coeur d'Alene Counseling came into my life."

- Patient
"The program helped me to find myself – figure out who the real me is. I found a sense of wellbeing that has opened doors I never knew were available."

- Patient
"Coeur d'Alene Counseling’s program changed my life. The course of my marriage was an almost certain divorce. Now it’s an authentic trusting and loving relationship."

- Patient
"Rarely was there a moment that I did not feel like I was at my end. This program has taught me to strengthen my mind, and sobriety is leading me to a future."

- Patient
"I have a relationship with my kids again."

- Patient
"This program helped me become the man my wife wanted."

- Patient
"Sex addiction nearly took my life. Recovery has saved it"

- Patient
"Dread was my most feared feeling. Now I can hardly remember feeling it."

- Patient
"The program has helped me begin loving myself"

- Patient
"I thought I would never find some peace. I found some."

- Patient