Love Addiction

When much of your confidence comes from being loved, wanted, chosen, or needed by another person, being single—or even simply spending more time independently—can feel uncomfortable. You may start asking: “Who am I if nobody is choosing me right now?” Building self-worth outside of a relationship does not mean deciding that relationships do not matter.

Romantic attention can feel especially powerful when being wanted has become connected to feeling valuable. A message, compliment, flirtation, date, or new relationship may temporarily make you feel attractive, interesting, important, or secure. When the attention disappears, those feelings can disappear with it. The goal is not to stop enjoying romantic attention. It is to

Going back to someone who repeatedly hurts you does not necessarily mean you do not understand what is happening. You may know the relationship is painful and still miss them. You may remember the good moments more strongly when you are lonely, hope they have finally changed, or feel temporary relief the moment they contact

“Love addiction” is not a formal mental-health diagnosis. It is an informal term used to describe a pattern in which romantic attention, pursuit, attachment, or relationship intensity begins to feel compulsive and becomes difficult to regulate. A person may know a relationship is unhealthy, unavailable, or causing significant distress and still feel unable to step