“Usually, infatuation lasts for between 18 months and three years,” says Mundin. “Unless a long-distance relationship is involved or an extremely insecure individual is fascinated, infatuation rarely lasts longer.” The remnants of infatuation may help strengthen a relationship, however, according to Lee.
How long does the romantic phase last? Studies have estimated the euphoric stage can last anywhere from six months to two years.
Signs of infatuation:
You feel like this person is a "perfect match" for you. You feel vaguely "obsessed" with this person. You're very physically attracted to this person, and it can sometimes distract you from exploring other facets of this person. You don't know the person that well on an actual personal level.
Infatuation is often a fantasy-based, passionate longing for someone else. It can prevent you from acknowledging their weaknesses, and may even land you in an unhealthy situation. Love is often based in reality and is fed on closeness and knowledge of the other person.
In your brain the dopamine center is rewarded when you see or think about your love interest. Then your brain gets flooded with dopamine. This pleasure response feels so good that it's easy to mistake infatuation with a real connection.
They have entered what the Aronsons call the “disillusionment phase” of a relationship, when the euphoria of infatuation wears off and people begin to look critically at each other. This is one of the danger zones on the path to a lasting, “mature love,” the Aronsons said.
Appreciation, infatuation, attraction, impression, and conviction are the 5 bonding stages for a man.
“There is no absolute rule,” says Dr. Lauren Kerwin, a clinical psychologist in Los Angeles. “[Falling in love] can happen instantaneously or take weeks, months, or years! It happens differently for everybody and takes different forms.”
These five stages are attraction, reality, commitment, intimacy and finally, engagement. It may seem pretty obvious, but relationships – whether romantic or platonic – grow with time and undergo distinct changes as bonds are formed and intimacy is developed.
Takeaway. In many ways, men may fall in love in a way that mimics the female experience. The early stages can involve an infatuation with someone else, which can slowly deepen into trust, compassion and deep attachment. Men may also fall in love quickly and feel a strong need for affection from their partners.
Infatuation is the state of being completely lost in the emotion of unreasoning desire. An intense feeling of deep affection. Urgency, intensity, sexual desire, anxiety, high risk choices, reckless abandonment of what was once valued.
Kerner told Men's Health that infatuation tends to happen at the beginning of relationships. "It's usually marked by a sense of excitement and euphoria, and it's often accompanied by lust and a feeling of newness and rapid expansion with a person," he said.
Infatuation can feel marvellous, but it can also feel a bit… unhealthy. Many people caught up in the greedy romantic mania of infatuation wonder whether it will turn into a more stable kind of love. The good news is that infatuation can turn into love.
As the infatuation period ends, whether or not you want your partner to know your faults, they are going to start seeing them. You can own up to them or not, but it is always a better idea to take responsibility for your bad behavior, and accept the parts of yourself that your partner may not like.
Love is two-sided. Infatuation, on the other hand, is frequently one-sided. If you're infatuated, you might spend a lot of your time wondering about whether or not they're super into you or committed to you.
Curiosity. As the infatuation fades a bit, you start investigating your partner and who they really are as a person. This is when the mask comes off and you're figuring out the other person's true self and whether or not you can work as a couple.
The extreme highs and lows of an infatuation can leave you feeling insecure and vulnerable. You might find yourself preoccupied with your partner's experience of the relationship and opinion of you without pausing to check-in with your own feelings of comfort, safety, and self-worth.
Love and infatuation are both accompanied by intense feelings, attraction, and emotions. However, there are many differences between the two, including love is more than physical, and infatuation is only physical. Love is deep, and infatuation is shallow. Love is secure, and infatuation is insecure.
A man who's falling in love tends to show his desire for greater closeness and intimacy in many different ways. He will likely prioritize spending time with you and put in real effort to make you happy. He may show you his softer side, while also serving as a source of strength and comfort when you need it most.
A strong and healthy relationship is built on the three C's: Communication, Compromise and Commitment. Think about how to use communication to make your partner feel needed, desired and appreciated.