Love addiction and love avoidance are two patterns of behavior related to how some of us play out our attachment wounds.Love addiction refers to a compulsive behavior where we become emotionally dependent on a romantic partner, and may experience intense feelings of attachment, infatuation, and preoccupation with the relationship. We may feel a constant need for validation and reassurance from our partner, and have difficulty functioning without the relationship. This can lead to a pattern of unhealthy relationships and a fear of being alone or abandoned.
On the other hand, love avoidance is a pattern of behavior where we may avoid close relationships or intimacy. This may be due to past experiences of being enmeshed or relied apon in a disfunctional way with a primary caregiver.
For the love avoidant we experience fear of being engulfed, with an underlying fear of abandonment. We may have difficulty expressing our feelings or may avoid emotional intimacy. This can lead to a pattern of distancing strategies from potential partners or avoiding close relationships all together, leading to sexual or emotional anorexia.
Love avoidants can stay in relationships but may be acting out and avoiding intimacy through other chemical or process addictions such as sex addicition, work addiction or gambling.
With the right therapy and support, recovery from love addiction and avoidance is possible.
