Romance addiction is a subset of love addiction and can hamper your love life in a number of ways. Love addiction can take a few different forms, but if you are addicted to romance, You crave the excitement of being taken care of, of being admired, of infatuation and of everything that comes with new love. You are addicted to new relationships because that is when the romance is fresh. When a love interest gets too comfortable, you no longer feel special and you’re out of there. This is no way to live and no way to find true and lasting love. How do you know whether you are an addict and not just an appreciator of the romantic arts?
You Are in Love With Love
If you are a romance addict, you are in love with love more than anything else. You don’t love the person you’re with because you don’t even know him well. What you do love is when he sends you flowers at work or surprises you with a nice dinner out. As soon as he stops doing those things, you lose interest. You constantly think about love and romance. You obsess over it. You daydream about romantic episodes, real or completely fantastical, and you spend more time there than in the real world.
You Need to Be Wanted
A romance addict thinks she just appreciates the finer things in a relationship. The truth is that she has a deep-seated need to be wanted and desired by someone, and this has roots in low self-esteem. Be tough on yourself and really think through your motives for being with someone. Do you really like being around him and getting to know him? Or do you just want him to desire you and send you romantic gestures that make you feel wanted?
You Live in Romance Novels
While some romance addicts jump from relationship to relationship, chasing the high of romance, others never even date. If you are this type of romance addict, you live out your fantasies in your head. Instead of getting out in the world to find real love, you read romance novel after romance novel. You watch romantic comedies and historical period dramas full of dashing heroes and beautiful love interests. When not reading or watching these romances, you fantasize about them. These are all common signs of love and romance addiction. If any ring a bell and make you reconsider your outlook on love and life, you are ready to admit to having a problem. Romance and love addiction recovery is possible. You can get out of the fantasy world and back into the real one, with love in all its messiness. Romantic love in Western culture has caused many a woman to have expectations that are too high and too easily dashed. Movies and romance novels may have led you to believe that you deserve a certain level of romance in your life, but that isn’t reality. Real love isn’t so perfect and isn’t always pretty. If you can detach yourself from the fantasy and really get to know someone without constant romantic gestures, you can find lasting love that will sustain you for the rest of your life.
