Obsessive Love Disorder is a psychological condition that presents as an overwhelming, obsessive desire to protect and possess another person.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a disorder in which people have recurring, unwanted thoughts, ideas or sensations (obsessions). To get rid of the thoughts, they feel driven to do something repetitively (compulsions).
A person with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) may: Be preoccupied with and insist on details, rules, lists, order and organization. Have perfectionism that interferes with completing tasks.
Obsessive love is more about control and extreme thoughts and emotions. Health professionals don't widely diagnose obsessive love disorder, as it's not in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Even so, obsessive love disorder is real.
Relationship OCD (sometimes called R-OCD) is a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder in which people experience intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors related to their relationship with their romantic partner. The condition can create repetitive thoughts that center on doubts or fears about the relationship.
Some obsessions can stem from an experience with someone that affects an individual so much that they become fanatical about that person. This condition – often referred to as an “obsessive love disorder” (OLD)– occurs when someone mistakes feelings of obsession for feelings of love.
Trauma or experiences in childhood that lead to an insecure attachment style may lead to fear of abandonment. People with a fear of abandonment may develop obsessive tendencies. People may be fearful to be alone and they may make threats or take impulsive actions in order to prevent a partner from leaving.
Emophilia is defined by a tendency to fall in love quickly and often, which is associated with rapid romantic involvement. However, questions linger as to how it is different from anxious attachment, which also predicts rapid romantic involvement.
Obsessing over a crush floods our brains with feel-good hormones, so it can be “a little addictive,” she says, and a hard habit to break.
Obsession with another person often stems from a lack of self-esteem or an anxious attachment style. However, you may be able to reduce this obsession through a few steps. Are You Struggling To Move On From A Crush?
Obsessive love disorder (OLD) is not a formally recognized mental illness but is instead more so a relationship style characterized by unhealthy obsessions for a particular person. These fixations could be romantic, sexual, or controlling in nature, and may lead to inappropriate and abusive behaviors.
Does BPD make you obsessive? Since BPD causes intense emotions that are hard to deal with, people with this condition often obsess about how they feel.
Here's what our community shared with us:
“If I have a flight with someone or I feel like someone is avoiding me, I obsess over thoughts. I will spend hours just replaying conversations, actions, everything I can possibly remember that has ever happened with that person.
Obsessing and ruminating are often part of living with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). No matter how hard you try to ignore them, those negative thoughts just keep coming back, replaying themselves in an infinite loop.
The following are some typical signs of obsession: Thinking about the other person most of the time. Stalking the other person online or following them around. Forging relationships with everyone close to them, such as friends and family, to have a part in all of their interpersonal interactions.
For someone with this type of BPD relationship, a “favorite person” is someone they rely on for comfort, happiness, and validation. The relationship with a BPD favorite person may start healthy, but it can often turn into a toxic love-hate cycle known as idealization and devaluation.
Another way to figure out if it is a crush or an obsession is to think about a life without that specific person. People with crushes will often be able to “bounce back” after, but people with obsessions will feel as if they can not live without that person in their grasp.”
While these feelings are natural in certain cases, they can also spiral out of control and have a negative impact on your self-esteem and mental health, says relationship expert, Britanny Burr. Wondering how to keep your love interest to a healthy crush, rather than a “Fatal Attraction”-level infatuation?
If you're falling in love, prepare for butterflies and excitement. However, if you're still distracted and completely wrapped up in someone after months have passed, it could be a sign of obsession. Obsessive passion isn't a healthy basis for a relationship.
“Although asexuals don't have the desire for sexual relationships, they nevertheless form romantic relationships and those connections look at least somewhat similar to non-asexuals' romantic relationships,” said William Chopik, associate professor in MSU's psychology department and coauthor of the study.
You probably know someone who is Love Avoidant — someone who avoids and fears intimacy. Love avoidance is common for people who suffer from sex or porn addiction. Love Avoidants often are attracted to Love Addicts — people who are fixated with love.
Sometimes obsessive thoughts stem from conditions like OCD. Whilst others come from unfulfilled desires or a strong attachment to someone. This can be distressing when the feelings are directed at someone unavailable or inaccessible.
Being romantically rejected can be a familiar feeling that mirrors one's childhood, leading that person to seek out more of the same. People with a history of rejection may sometimes subconsciously seek out similar scenarios, hoping that the story will have a different ending.