Can You Be Addicted To A Partner In A Relationship?

It’s not uncommon for people to develop an addiction to someone, even if it may sound strange. This can happen with anyone in your life, not just significant others. In this context, it’s worth exploring the possibility of such an addiction, its underlying causes, and how to deal with it if you’re in a situation where you feel addicted to someone. In short, yes. It’s completely possible to be addicted to another human. Addiction is a compulsion to do something that makes you feel a certain way—usually, something that floods your brain with happy chemicals, such as dopamine or oxytocin. Addiction specialists believe that addiction can occur with anything and that a person can subsequently suffer from an unhealthy addiction to anything or anyone.

The Differences Between Love and Addiction

Addiction to a person may feel like love to you, but it manifests in unhealthy ways. Let’s look at the differences between a loving relationship and an addictive one.

Characteristics of a Loving Relationship

• Healthy boundaries are easy to keep
• You feel free to talk about your feelings with them
• You both take alone time and encourage one another’s solo outings and activities
• You respect their privacy
• Your self-esteem does not depend on your partner’s thoughts of you
• No one in your life is concerned about your level of involvement with them

Characteristics of an Addictive Relationship

• You feel uncomfortable or like you can’t handle life when they aren’t there
• You think they are the only person you will ever love
• They are expected to fulfil all of your needs
• You feel jealous or upset if they do anything outside of the relationship
• Friends and loved ones from your life before this person are worried about you; you may be in less frequent contact with them, as well

Why You Might Become Addicted to a Person

After learning how to distinguish between love and addiction, you may be curious as to why one may become addicted to another person. Here are some of the top reasons. New people can be very exciting, and interaction with someone can flood our brains with feel-good chemicals. If you meet someone and they make you feel like a better version of yourself, it can become addictive to want more of that feeling. Being admired by another person can be a high, just like a substance would give you. You may simply be looking for something that makes you feel good and keeps you feeling good.

You’re Prone to Addiction

Maintaining moderation can be a difficult task for those with an addictive personality. It’s worth noting that addiction doesn’t only refer to drug and alcohol use, it can also include behaviours such as mood swings, impulsivity, thrill-seeking, and low self-esteem. Some mental health experts have criticized the concept of an addictive personality. It’s important to consider individual factors that may lead to addictive behaviour instead of labelling all individuals as having the same personality. For example, genetics can increase the risk of addiction. Additionally, environmental factors such as poverty can contribute to addiction. Lastly, mental health conditions can also increase addiction risks.

You Never Saw What a Healthy Relationship Looked Like

If you’ve never seen an example of a healthy relationship in your life, it can impact how you navigate relationships in adulthood.

If one of your parents was neglectful, if they were in unhealthy relationships, or if their focal point in life was their relationship, you may not have received a healthy relationship blueprint.

Why Addiction to a Person Can Be Harmful

Pop songs might make it sound fun, but addiction to another person can be dangerous. These are the reasons why:

• You may stay with someone even if they become abusive
• The rest of your life, such as your work or school, may suffer because you give less time and energy to it
• People in healthy relationships may no longer want to be around you
• You may use substances to cope with troubles in the relationship
• If the relationship ends, you may feel unable to cope with life

What to Do If You Think You’re Addicted to A Person

Being addicted to someone is mentally unhealthy, but it doesn’t have to be permanent. You can take steps to turn your relationship and your life around for the better. It’s possible to educate yourself and to get help so that you can change.

Learn About Addiction

Addiction can be lifelong, so if you’re experiencing it as a life issue, it’s very important that you work to understand what it is and your own personal risk factors. Addiction recovery programs offer substantial literature, usually in the blog sections of their websites, about addiction-related issues. Educating yourself about what addiction is and how it has been at play in your life, can be a key step to your recovery.

Learn About Co-dependency

Addiction and co-dependency often go hand in hand. Co-dependency is a relationship dynamic where individuals become overly reliant on each other in an unhealthy manner. This is particularly true if you are in a relationship where both parties feel addicted to one another. However, it is fully possible to recover from co-dependency by taking certain steps. To break free from co-dependency, you need to take care of your own needs, establish healthier boundaries, and communicate with others who are also experiencing co-dependency. By doing so, you can change your patterns and lead a healthier, more fulfilling life.

Seek Professional Help

Educating yourself can potentially be enough to help you shift away from addictive behaviour, but this is often not the case. It’s very normal to need professional help. Many types might be right for you, from a relationship therapist to an addiction program. Addiction to a person may feel fun and exciting. Still, it’s worth remembering that there will always be fun and exciting interactions with others in your life and that you can experience joy and delight without it being all-consuming or interfering with your daily tasks.