How to Tell Whether You’re Dependent on Someone Else

Is it possible to get dependent on someone in the same manner as we become dependent on chocolate, adrenaline, or other drugs? According to “Psychology Today,” falling in love can be so alluring that it might turn you into an addict to the person you are in love with. It has been suggested that falling in love activates a long-ago, survival-related area of your brain. Because of this, being in love is linked to hyperfocus—almost like having an addiction. While a professional diagnosis is not available, there are common symptoms that can be extremely upsetting.

The Science of Addiction and Love

Your brain releases a variety of neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, oxytocin, and dopamine, when you fall in love. These substances produce happy, attached, and pleasurable emotions. Known as the “feel-good” neurotransmitter, dopamine in particular is important for the brain’s reward system. It follows that love can be addictive since this is the same system that gets triggered when someone uses addictive substances.

Identifying the Indications

1. Irrational Thoughts: – Thinking about someone all the time, even when you don’t want to, is one of the most obvious indicators that you are addicted to them. Their presence, their words, and their deeds may take over your mind. Your everyday activities may be disrupted by this compulsive thinking, which makes it challenging to focus on work or other obligations.
2. State of Emotion: – Feeling easily upset is another indication, particularly if you are not in contact with the person. When you can’t get through to them or when you don’t hear back from them right away, you could feel depressed, anxious, or even panicked. It can be mentally taxing and draining to ride this emotional rollercoaster.
3. Desperate for Communication: – Another indication of addiction is a strong need to be with the person to the point that it interferes with your life. You may discover that you make extra effort to see them, rearrange your schedule, or disregard other significant connections and obligations. This craving has the potential to turn into an obsession and cause bad habits.
4. Dishealthy Practices: Addiction is evident when one engages in unhealthy behaviour to gain their attention. This could involve actions like sending them a lot of texts, following them on social media, or even just dropping by locations you know they’ll be. Both you and the person you are obsessed on may suffer consequences from these behaviours.
5. Disgusting Diversions: – Some people may try to use unhealthy habits, including drug or alcohol abuse, overeating, or excessive alcohol consumption, as a diversion from their strong emotions. While these coping strategies may offer short-term comfort, they eventually result in more serious issues down the road.

The Effect on Welfare

Your enjoyment of life, self-worth, and general well-being can all be severely harmed by these undesirable symptoms. When you become dependent on someone else for your happiness and sense of worth, it can lead to a vicious cycle of addiction. This dependency may make it difficult to keep up a happy, balanced relationship and increase the risk of burnout and emotional tiredness.

How to Get Rid of the Addiction

1. Set the Record Straight: Recognising the existence of an addiction is the first step towards conquering it. Acknowledge that this degree of attachment is unhealthy and identify the warning signals and symptoms in your behaviour.
2. Seek Support – You can get the help you need to manage your emotions by speaking with a mental health professional or a trusted friend. When it comes to understanding the underlying causes of your addiction and creating more healthy coping skills, therapy can be quite helpful.
3. Set Boundaries: It’s important to set and uphold boundaries. This might include cutting back on communication, taking a break from the relationship, or, if it’s too harmful to your wellbeing, breaking it up completely.
4. Pay Attention to Self-Care: – Give your wellbeing and self-worth the attention they deserve. Take up a hobby, work out, and spend time with loved and appreciated friends and family. Rebuilding your sense of self-worth apart from the other person might be facilitated by taking care of yourself.
5. Practice Mindfulness: – Mindfulness methods, like meditation and deep breathing exercises, can assist you in better managing your emotions and remaining in the present moment. Reducing anxiety and obsessive thinking is another way that mindfulness might help stop the cycle of addiction.

While having a strong emotional bond with the person you love is normal, it’s important to know when this bond becomes unhealthy. Your mental and emotional health may suffer greatly if you become addicted to someone. You may beat this addiction and cultivate happier, more harmonious relationships by owning up to the issue, asking for help, establishing boundaries, emphasising self-care, and engaging in mindfulness exercises. Recall that you shouldn’t base your entire sense of value and happiness on someone else. Living a happier and more fulfilled life might result from making progress towards emotional independence.