It’s neither romantic nor healthy to be hooked on a person, and recognizing the signs your addiction to relationships is taking over your life is crucial. Being addicted to a person is the same as being addicted to anything else. It both fills you up and brings you down.
Any bad habit is bad for your health. Getting hooked on drugs, alcohol, exercise, or even a person will not end well. And being hooked hurts you. It might be what makes the pain go away but also makes more pain come.
For an alcoholic, drinking feels good at the time, but it leads to regret, self-hatred, vomiting, hangovers, dangerous withdrawals, and long-term health problems. The same goes for being addicted to a person. Even though good times are nice, bad times are so much worse.
The relationship may make you happy or smile, but it may also make you cry, scream, and feel bad about yourself. It’s something that hurts you, but you keep going back to it.
It’s hard to stop, just like any other addiction.
Are You Hooked on A Certain Person?
Most of the time, a relationship that makes you addicted isn’t a good one. When a relationship is healthy, it doesn’t take over your life. You still have time for friends, work, family, and other things that make you happy. When you’re hooked on a person, the relationship is often rough. It could happen again and again. Toxic relationships are the most addicting because they give you the same rush as drugs or gambling.
But it’s not always what it seems like to be addicted to a romantic partner. We’ve all been completely blown away by a new love interest. You are always checking your phone, can’t stop talking about them, and use your free time to look at their social media.
But that comes from being excited. When the novelty wears off, these habits tend to go away. But it’s a whole different thing to be addicted to a person.
The problem doesn’t start right away. You ease into it, and most of the time, you don’t even realize it until you hit rock bottom. So, how do you know when a relationship has become an addiction?
Is your relationship who you are?
At first glance, most people would say “no” to this question. But take a closer look. Do you feel like the world is falling apart when you and your partner fight?
Do you feel that you’ll have nothing left if this relationship ends? If this relationship ends, will you also end? If you said yes or maybe to any of these questions, you are probably hooked on a relationship.
Does your love make up for your pain?
When we hurt, we use things to make the pain go away. Some people use drugs, alcohol, or other people to feel good. If you’ve been hurt in the past, even if you’ve tried to hide it, this relationship could become your new focus.
The relationship’s pain and happiness are a way to keep you from thinking about what’s really making you hurt.
Does your partner make you nervous?
If you always feel uncomfortable in a relationship, it’s not making your life better. If you walk on eggshells to avoid ruffling feathers or worry about what could go wrong all the time, it is taking over your life.
Do you think you’ll be able to get by without this person?
If you have a strong and irrational fear of the relationship ending, that’s a big sign that you’re hooked on it. Even if you don’t like where you are and want to leave, the thought of actually leaving scares you.
Do you trust your partner?
Without trust, you can be hooked on a partner and a relationship. In fact, the foundation is so shaky because people don’t trust each other. If you don’t trust your partner, you overthink and overanalyze their actions, which makes you pay even more attention to the relationship.
Do you trust yourself?
Do you believe what you think? Deep down, you probably know that this person and this relationship aren’t good for you, but you keep going with them because you have to. Do you question every decision you make?
You broke up, but then you got back together.
This isn’t a clear sign of relationship addiction if you do it once or twice, but if you do it over and over again, there’s a reason. When two people break up, there’s usually a good reason.
It becomes an addiction when you miss each other and keep getting back together. You’re hooked on the pain of getting dumped and the high of getting back together.
Do you pick them over everything else?
Do you cancel plans with your friends and family when they need you?
And do you always put what they want ahead of what you want? What do you do for yourself? We all want to make our partners happy, but in an addictive relationship, you put their happiness ahead of your own.
Do you forget everything they’ve done?
Bad behavior can sometimes be overlooked, but not always. You should expect a certain level of respect in a relationship. But if you put up with being disrespected and keep forgiving your partner because you don’t want to lose them, you are probably addicted to the relationship.
Are bad things more common than good ones?
This is a clear sign that the relationship has become a drug for you. We don’t usually get hooked on a good relationship that brings us a lot of happiness. If there are more bad times than good times in your relationship, and you still want to stay together, there’s a reason.
Do you try to make up for them?
If your partner does something wrong and you make excuses for them, you aren’t just being forgiving. Saying that because your partner had a bad day at work, it’s okay for them to be mean to you at dinner doesn’t mean you’re in a good or healthy relationship.
Do you want them to notice you?
You’re addicted to your relationship if you need your partner’s love and attention, like you need sugar or caffeine.
How to Stop Getting Hooked on A Person
Relationship addiction makes it difficult to break free. You’ll need help, guidance, and strength, just like with any other addiction. You have to work on yourself, not the relationship, if you want to stop being addicted to it.
The relationship is only hurting you, so if you want to put yourself first and leave, you have to think you deserve that kind of care and attention. Think that you deserve to be happy. Know that you deserve to be somewhere better than where you are.
That might take a while. You will need help from friends and family, but you will also need a therapist to help you focus on the right steps.
A therapist can help you fix the way this addiction has changed the way you think. To break this habit and the pattern of an addicting relationship, you have to dig deep and find out what started it all.
Focus on a better future by getting over the pain of your past.
If you’re addicted to a relationship, you can leave it for good. Follow these steps to have a better relationship.
Related articles you might like: 20 Quick Signs Your Relationship is Moving Too Fast, How Much Sex Do Married Couples Have, Why it’s Possible to Love Someone Too Much and Ruin Their Heart