Love Addicts Cycle of Addiction

Exploration of the Fantasy Relationship:

This is a simple yet very insightful exercise to follow if you are wanting to explore the possibility of the Love Addiction symptoms and traits that I have acknowledged in previous articles. This simple exercise lets you explore fantasy relationships and provides insight into past or current problematic relational dynamics.

LIST THE QUALITIES OR ATTRIBUTES WHICH YOU WANTED YOUR (MATE, FRIEND, LOVER, FAMILY MEMBER, THERAPIST, ETC…) TO POSSESS:

HOW WERE THESE QUALITIES PART OF YOUR CHILDHOOD FANTASY OF A RELATIONSHIP?

WERE THESE QUALITIES PRESENT IN THE PERSON WHEN YOU FIRST GOT TOGETHER? YES/NO

IF THE ANSWER WAS ‘YES’ LIST WHAT YOU SAW/HEARD THIS PERSON SAY OR DO WHICH SUPPORTS THAT?

IF THE ANSWER WAS ‘NO’, HOW DID YOU MANAGE TO OVERLOOK THE ABSENCE OF THESE QUALITIES?

IF THE ANSWER TO 3 WAS YES, WHEN DID THESE QUALITIES BEGIN TO CHANGE AND WHAT WAS YOUR RESPONSE TO THAT?

IN TERMS OF YOUR RESPONSES, WHAT DID YOU DO TO MAINTAIN YOUR FANTASY ABOUT WHO YOU NEEDED THIS PERSON TO BE?

Healing from Love Addiction is formidable work, the Love Addict enters into recovery just like any other addict, in withdrawal, agony so great that it is expressed as physical pain. If the pain is not at a severity enough for change, the love addict will tough it out, set their heart and project the obsession onto another object and begin the cycle again. Let’s walk the path to healing and forming healthy, intimate relationships that we all desperately yearn for.

Mike Quarress CSAT-S