All You need to know about “Obsessive Love Disorder”
Love is a lovely emotion. One of the strongest feelings in the world, it has the power to uplift, encourage, and provide meaning to existence. For the sake of their loved ones, it empowers people to move mountains. There is love in the world and it can heal many broken hearts. But love also has the power to drive individuals to despair and utter destruction. The scenario may get worse if the individual on the other side doesn’t reciprocate your affection. The person begins to see the other as their obsession or an item they must have out of fear that their feelings would be rejected. They begin to have unhealthy obsessions with the individual, which can have devastating effects on their mental health.
What is Obsessive Love Disorder?
According to medical terminology, obsessive love disorder (OLD) is a condition in which you become fixated on the one person you believe you might be in love with and cannot stop thinking about them. Even if it means dominating them and treating them like an object, you can feel compelled to defend the person with an obsessive urge.
Although it hasn’t been fully identified as a psychological or mental health disorder, it can cause the person to experience several mental health issues. Because love is such a powerful emotion, it frequently takes precedence over our lives.
It’s crucial to seek a professional diagnosis because, without treatment, a person who struggles to understand his feelings may turn to violent or abusive behaviour to express them. That may cause them great distress and harm to their mental health.
So, it is crucial that people are aware of and comprehend the effects that this symptom has on their friends, family, and loved ones.
Symptoms of Obsessive Love Disorder
Sometimes it’s easy to spot the signs of this disease, but other times it can be incredibly challenging to identify such obsessive behaviour in people. The typical signs could be:
- Strong attraction to a certain individual
- Recurrent, controlling thoughts about that person
- Always wanting to ‘guard’ the subject from others
- Consolidating obsessive ideas into modest, obvious actions and words
- Severe and extreme jealousy of other people’s interpersonal interactions and behaviours
- Lack of self-worth
- The continuous desire for affirmation of one’s value
- Complete inability to socialise with others
- Frequent messages, calls, and other kinds of communication with the interested person
- Keeping track of the other person’s daily activities
Causes of Obsessive Love Disorder
This condition has many personality and psychiatric issues at play, yet there is no one cause. Attachment disorders, borderline personality disorders, delusional jealousy, and a few other mental health issues combine and leave such features in the person, causing them to become obsessed with love and romantic relationships. The psychological slow destruction of a person’s psyche by compulsive disorders has a profound impact on that person’s daily functioning and quality of life.
Treatment of Obsessive Love Disorder
If someone has Obsessive Love Disorder, a thorough evaluation by a psychiatrist can help diagnose the condition. They can start by inquiring about the person’s preferences, close relationships, likes, and dislikes.
- To recognise and treat this mental disease, the first step is to speak with a mental health expert
- Selective medicine and psychotherapy are used in conjunction with one another. Antidepressants or mood stabilisers, as prescribed by the doctor, can reduce the likelihood of this issue. It may take several weeks or even days for someone to perceive the effects of the medicine.
- The most effective method for treating this mental health issue is psychological counselling. A person can break free from their obsession by talking and gradually expressing their feelings. Professionals are incredibly skilled and know exactly how to speak to someone about their mental state. Also available are individual or group therapies, depending on what the mental health practitioner deems appropriate.
Note:- We must keep in mind that we must handle this illness carefully. Despite being incredibly rare, Obsessive Love Disorder can impair one’s mental stability and render them unfit members of society due to their activities. Many people still do not understand the significance of dealing with mental health issues, but if a loved one or someone you know exhibits symptoms of this condition, please take the required measures to protect their wellness.
