Limerence Limerance Meaning Definition Rules Signs

What Is The Meaning Or Definition Of Limerence Or Limerence:

Limerence means or is defined as a state of mind that leads to obsessive thoughts and intense fantasies of continually wanting to be close to their lover. The person also has an intense longing for love or a powerful desire to form and maintain a romantic relationship to get romantic with them with mutual feelings, which may or may not be sexual.

Technical Definition Of Limerence:

Limerence comes out from a biochemical reaction in the brain. In response to the signals from the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland secretes norepinephrine, dopamine, phenylethylamine (a natural amphetamine), estrogen, and testosterone. This chemical mix results in the euphoria of new love and starts to normalize as the attachment or bonding hormones (vasopressin and oxytocin) kick in, generally a half year to two years into a relationship. Such a situation is very similar to the changes in the brain caused by drug addiction that leads to a feeling of an intense, consuming pull to use drugs. Limerence too, just like drugs, can drive people to extremes in order to achieve the object of their infatuation.

Limerence Involves Lovesickness Obsession Addiction And Dependence On Someone Else:

Limerence is the experience of being in love, a reflexive state that consists of an extreme longing for emotional reciprocation, obsessive-compulsive disorder and addiction, feelings, thoughts, and behaviors, and emotional, as well as physiological dependence on another person. Some people like to call limerence infatuation or lovesickness, while others associate it with love addiction and love obsession.

Limerence Lies Is In the Grey Area Between True Love And Pure Infatuations:

Limerence is when one can feel intense feelings for someone very quickly but in an unhealthy way. True love usually takes time to develop, so if something happens too quickly, then that is a sign of upcoming trouble. Limerence lies somewhere between true love and pure infatuation for someone.

When Love Transforms Into An Addiction To Have A Fantasy Relationship:

Limerence is not something that everyone experiences in their lifetime. The people who do experience limerence may do so only once for a brief amount of time and then quickly move onto a normal relationship, or they may fall into a never-ending sequence of obsessive relationships. Limerence can be thought of as an addictive type of romantic attraction. Most people who experience limerence become hungry for reciprocation. They end up fantasizing about being with the other person. Just like drug addicts, some follow their infatuated feelings at the cost of their own personal and professional life, health, and well-being. Some people may struggle with their love addiction and romantic feelings in their relationships. Such obsessive behaviors may become scary, such as going overboard with their love addiction, and may eventually need professional treatment.

Limerence Is Normal And Can Be Harmless:

Limerence is very normal and is not always harmful; however, it can become a problem if it affects a person's normal daily life. Such a situation can occur, especially when someone's feelings aren’t reciprocated, which can turn into an obsessive thought process. All this can make it hard to lead a normal life as it affects a person’s personal, professional, social, and family life, making it hard to fulfill their responsibilities and duties. Such a situation is when it becomes a problem, and talking to a trained psychotherapist may be the only solution.

Limerence Is Always One-Sided:

In most romantic relationships with a presence of limerence, one of the two partners is limerent, and the other is not, and in case both partners are limerent, then the relationship usually fades away as fast as it sets in. Such relationships are generally intense but unstable; still, some may evolve into healthy and mutually-satisfying unions, while others end with a lot of sadness and disappointment.

Love, Infatuation, Lust, and Limerence:

Many people mistake limerence or very strong feelings for someone as true love. They feel they are in a loving and caring relationship, when, in reality, they are in a relationship that is primarily based upon limerence. It is critical to be able to differentiate between love, infatuation, lust, and limerence so that one can have a lasting and meaningful relationship.

How Long Limerence Lasts:

Limerence can last anywhere from a few weeks to many decades, with the average being right around two years, and the duration of limerence generally depends on whether the person's affections are reciprocated. If reciprocated, limerence can linger on for many years, but when it is not reciprocated, it usually fades away and eventually disappear altogether.

Limerence Vs Lust:

Limerence is not the same as lust, and they are both different things. Limerence is more like lovesickness or obsession, whereas, lust is exclusively sexual in nature as it focuses more on short-term gratification of sexual needs.

Limerence Vs Infatuation:

Limerence is not the same as infatuation, and they are both different things. Limerence is usually more of a long-term problem, whereas, infatuation is more like a short-term attraction that goes away as quickly as it sets in.

Limerence Vs Crush:

Limerence is not the same as a crush, and they are both different things. Limerence has more to do with a well thought of obsessive and serious thoughts related to love, whereas, crush is all about an immature or casual feeling of attraction towards someone, and it goes away pretty fast.

Limerence Vs Obsession:

Limerence is not the same as obsession, and they are both different things. Limerence has a close link with obsession, but it goes deeper than mere obsessive thoughts as the feelings may be true, whereas, obsession is a behavior that has consequences that go far beyond the love life of a person.

Limerence Vs Love:

Every romantic relationship feels good in the beginning, and it can be hard to know if it's love or limerence, both partners start off by putting their best foot forward, but things change over a period of time. Limerence care very little about the other person's happiness and wellbeing, getting the other person's attention and affection takes priority over earning their trust, respect, intimacy, and love. In any healthy relationship, neither partner is limerent, in fact, they are in love with each other, while not struggling to get their time or affection. True love is more reciprocal, where both partners connect with each other through mutual interests and common goals. When two people truly love each other, they do so regardless of whether there is any reciprocation. True love is characterized by unconditional care for each other, but a limerence person can only be happy when their feelings are reciprocated.

Signs of Limerence:

-Emotional dependency on the partner, wanting them to be always around you, and it hurts when they are away.

-Longing for reciprocation from the partner leads to problems in the absence of reciprocation from the other side.

-Uncontrollable obsessive thoughts about the partner, which may lead to relationship problems.

-Extreme nervousness around the partner, making the person feel shy and even confused.

-Fear of rejection from the partner, which can become very serious as it may lead to hurting themselves.

-Obsessive thought about the partner, being constantly reminded of the person in everything throughout the day.

-Overanalyzing everything about the partner, scrutinizing every word and reading between the lines to analyze every word from different angles.

-Fantasizing about the partner, continually thinking about the person and inability to take them off of their mind.

-Turning things around for the partner, re-arranging schedules to spend maximum time with the other person.

-Constantly thinking about the partner, replaying, and visualizing everything about the other person in minute detail.

Limerence Or Limerance Means Is Defined As Longing For Love Or An Obsessive Love Disorder Or Love Addiction Or Crush Or Infatuation With Extreme Passion That Only Lasts For A Short Time