Obsessive Love Disorder (OLD) is an attachment disorder in which a
person becomes obsessed with someone they think they may be in love with, and are unable to accept rejection from them. OLD may stem from:
- Experiencing neglect (from parents or primary caregivers) in childhood.
- Emotional and physical abuse in childhood.
- Low self-esteem which leads to a need to have the void felt by the sufferer filled by the person they love.
Women are more affected by the condition than men are.
The following symptoms are pointers to the disorder:
- An overwhelming attraction to a particular person.
- Obsessive thoughts about the person, such that you cannot think or focus on anything else.
- An addiction to the loved person.
- Stalking the loved person physically and via social media.
- Going out of your way to put yourself in contact with the loved person.
- Repeatedly (harassingly) calling and texting the loved person.
- Low self-esteem and dependence on the loved person.
- A constant need for affirmation and reassurance from the loved person.
- Possessive behaviors and thoughts accompanied by extreme and delusional jealousy.
- Inability to satisfactorily attend to other daily activities such as work or other hobbies due to focus on the loved person.
- Monitoring the whereabouts of the loved person and the activities they engage in.
- Feeling the need to "protect" the loved person.
OLD is often accompanied by other mental illnesses or disorders
such as: erotomania, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Delusional Disorder, and Cluster B personality disorders such as Boderline Personality Disorder, Narcissistic, Histrionic and Antisocial disorders.
OLD is treated using a combination of medication and
psychotherapy. Therapy options include: talk therapy, play therapy (for kids), dialectical behavioral therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy. The medications used in treatment may be one or more of the following: mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, antidepressants, or anti-anxiety medications.
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