Definition
Popular language sometimes calls intense romantic attachment “selflove addiction” or “relationship addiction.” This framing borrows from substance addiction and may or may not accurately describe what is happening.
Why it matters
Language shapes treatment. Calling something addiction implies specific pathways to recovery. If the underlying process is trauma bonding, learned helplessness, or fear-based attachment, the treatment may differ.
The Science
While some brain-reward parallels exist between substance dependence and intense relational bonds, wholesale application of addiction models to attachment remains scientifically contested.
The NSI Perspective
NSI is careful with borrowed language. Use whichever framing helps, but hold it as one lens, not a diagnosis.
Clinical Implications
Clinicians can validate patients’ sense of unfreedom without prematurely importing full addiction protocols.
Practical Application
If “addiction” language helps you take your pattern seriously, use it. But stay open to more precise descriptions if they emerge.
References
- 1.Reynaud M, et al. Is love passion an addictive disorder? Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 2010;36(5):261–267.