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Obsessive love disorder is a condition that causes you to experienceobsessive feelingsyou might mistake as love for another person. A person with obsessive love disorder will indulge in these feelings, regardless if they are reciprocated or not.

Obsessive love disorder isn’t currently classified as a mental health condition under the"The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" (aka the DSM-5). This is because there has been some debate about whether obsessive love disorder can be considered a mental health condition.

While the DSM-5 doesn’t currently provide criteria for obsessive love disorder, it’s a real-life debilitating condition that could interfere with one’s daily functioning if left untreated. It could alsocause them to have dysfunctional relationshipswith the people they are in love with.

In some extreme cases, it could also pose a threat to the object of a person’s fixation, especially when feelings are not reciprocated.

Some research shows that obsessive love disorder is more likely to occur in women than in men.

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Signs of Obsessive Love Disorder

Although it isn’t classified as a mental health condition, obsessive love disorder has specific defining characteristics that can help you identify the disorder.

The signs of obsessive love disorder vary from person to person, and the condition can look very different in two people who are living with it:

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Identifying Obsessive Love Disorder

There are no specific criteria for identifying obsessive love disorder. However, if you display symptoms of the condition, your doctor will first conduct a series of tests and interviews to rule out other mental health disorders.

In many cases, obsessive love disorder could be a symptom of a mental health condition.

However, in cases where it doesn’t coexist with another mental health condition, it can be tough to identify. While some researchers have been clamoring to get obsessive love disorder recognized as a mental health condition, others believe it simply doesn’t fit into the definition of a mental health disorder.

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Causes of Obsessive Love Disorder

Since obsessive love disorder is not classified as a mental health condition, it is hard for it to have an identifiable cause. However, it has been linked to other mental health disorders such aspost-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, andborderline personality disorder.

Obsessive love disorder has been identified more as a symptom or sign of the existence of a preexisting condition in people with these disorders.

Attachment disorders have been most strongly linked totriggeringobsessive love disorder. When a person cannot form healthy attachments with other people, this affects the quality of relationships they have and how they act with other people.

For some people with anattachment disorder, the condition might make them feel distant from potential or current partners. For others, an attachment disorder can cause them to become obsessive with people they form a connection with.

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How Is Obsessive Love Disorder Treated?

If you have obsessive love disorder, doctors will focus on treating any preexisting conditions to help alleviate symptoms.

In instances where the condition can’t be linked to any other mental health condition, a doctor or medical professional will need to tailor a treatment plan specifically for you. This could involve medication, a form ofpsychotherapy, or a combination of both.

In psychotherapy, a therapist will first attempt to identify the underlying cause of your obsession. It could be because of a past traumatic relationship with family or a really bad breakup.

The therapist will help you identify your obsessive thoughts and behaviors and teach you techniques that will help you overcome them.

How to Cope With Obsessive Love Disorder

Coping with obsessive lovedisorder can be tricky. However, in many cases, if you notice that you are experiencing symptoms of obsessive love disorder, it could signify that you are living with a mental health condition. Please don’t be embarrassed to speak to a medical professional about it so that they can help you get the help you need.

Don’t Dismiss Your FeelingsIf you’ve noticed that your affections towards another person are beginning to feel obsessive, don’t ignore these feelings hoping that they’ll go away. In most cases, they won’t and will only intensify the longer you ignore them.

Don’t Dismiss Your Feelings

If you’ve noticed that your affections towards another person are beginning to feel obsessive, don’t ignore these feelings hoping that they’ll go away. In most cases, they won’t and will only intensify the longer you ignore them.

Suppose you or someone you love is living with obsessive love disorder. In that case, they could benefit fromgroup therapy, especially if the condition triggers can be linked to attachment issues they had with family or friends.

If you are in the early stages of treatment, here are some things you can do to cope with the symptoms of the condition:

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3 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Bogerts B.Delusional jealousy and obsessive love: Causes and forms.MMW Fortschritte der Medizin. 2005;147(6):26, 28-29.Vahidi A, Iran D, Maram G, Maryam M, Soroush S.Prevalence of obsessive love and its association with attachment styles.Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences. 2013;84:696-700.International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards.Obsessive Love.2021

3 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Bogerts B.Delusional jealousy and obsessive love: Causes and forms.MMW Fortschritte der Medizin. 2005;147(6):26, 28-29.Vahidi A, Iran D, Maram G, Maryam M, Soroush S.Prevalence of obsessive love and its association with attachment styles.Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences. 2013;84:696-700.International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards.Obsessive Love.2021

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Bogerts B.Delusional jealousy and obsessive love: Causes and forms.MMW Fortschritte der Medizin. 2005;147(6):26, 28-29.Vahidi A, Iran D, Maram G, Maryam M, Soroush S.Prevalence of obsessive love and its association with attachment styles.Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences. 2013;84:696-700.International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards.Obsessive Love.2021

Bogerts B.Delusional jealousy and obsessive love: Causes and forms.MMW Fortschritte der Medizin. 2005;147(6):26, 28-29.

Vahidi A, Iran D, Maram G, Maryam M, Soroush S.Prevalence of obsessive love and its association with attachment styles.Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences. 2013;84:696-700.

International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards.Obsessive Love.2021

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