Are you constantly absorbed in your partner’s thoughts and feelings? Do you jump at the chance to do anything for him, even if it doesn’t make sense or doesn’t come naturally to you? If so, you may be suffering from an emotional addiction. Unfortunately, this type of addiction can be difficult to identify and often comes with an erroneous and harmful belief system. This is why we have identified certain signs and symptoms that indicate this type of relational dynamic. Take a look at our list of common indicators and find out if they match your current situation.
Sign 1: You think about your partner all the time.
An emotional dependency on your partner can manifest as an obsession with them. You may find yourself constantly daydreaming about him, and these thoughts often lead to an intense desire and need to be close to him. This can manifest as a desire to know everything about him, whether that means knowing what he is doing at all times of the day, who he is talking to, or where he is. It can also mean spending excessive time texting or calling throughout the day to make sure you stay in touch. In extreme cases, this type of behavior can even border on harassment or excessive control.
Sign 2: You prioritize your relationship over other aspects of your life.
When a person is emotionally dependent on their partner, their relationship is likely to take precedence over everything else in their life. She may give up once important activities or interests simply because her partner does not share them. Her friendships with other people may also take a back seat so that she can devote more time to her partner; and her work and school commitments can also suffer if she focuses too much on her relationship instead of taking care of her responsibilities in the first place.
Sign 3: You feel like you can’t live without your partner.
Emotional dependency means that a person’s entire happiness depends on their relationship with their partner. She may therefore feel panicked if something threatens her, such as a disagreement or an argument with him, or even simply not hearing from him for a few hours during the day. This type of behavior is often rooted in feelings of insecurity and fear, which can lead to self-destructive behaviors such as manipulation or trying to please the other at all costs so that the relationship is not threatened. ‘no way.
Sign 4: Your self-esteem seems to depend on what your partner thinks of you.
People with emotional dependence often rely heavily on external validation from their partner to feel good about themselves – they only feel happy when their partner gives them attention and says nice things to them. When this is not the case, they can quickly sink into self-worth and depression because they can no longer validate themselves internally due to their reliance on how their partner views them to be happy.
Sign 5: You make decisions solely based on their impact on your relationship status.
If a person is emotionally dependent on another person, all decisions will be made considering their impact on their relationship, even if it means sacrificing personal values, beliefs or interests so that the status quo of the relationship is not disrupted by the change. Additionally, important decisions, such as choosing a career or where to live, can depend heavily on what would make the other person happiest, rather than what would make the person making those decisions really happy. long-term fulfillment – and that’s a very unhealthy state of mind!
Sign 6: You seek constant reassurance from your partner that you are still loved.
A person suffering from an emotional dependency will often need reassurance from their partner that they are still loved – this can range from text messages asking if everything is okay several times a day (even if everything seems to be fine ), to constantly asking for verbal compliments throughout the day, to regularly checking social media accounts for signs that the love is still there (like likes/comments, etc.), and usually the frequent need for verbal confirmation that all is well between the two parties despite the potential problems present in the dynamics of these relationships.
Sign 7: You sacrifice your own needs/wants/values for his without complaining.
When someone has an emotional attachment to another person, he/she is likely to often go the extra mile (sometimes unquestioningly) for them without thinking about satisfying their own needs or wants in the first place – which can leave him/her feeling exhausted and abused after a while and he/she begins to notice how little reciprocity there is in this dynamic. It can also go so far as to compromise one’s own values and beliefs so that there is no conflict between the two parties, which again goes against a healthy balance in a relationship and should not absolutely not to be encouraged as normal behavior in a relationship dynamic.
Sign 8: You have few limits when it comes to giving up control of yourself.
Being emotionally dependent means that someone can find themselves giving up their autonomy quite easily – whether it’s giving up control of the decision-making process (i.e. controlling themselves entirely) in due to emotional dependence. All of these elements combined show a certain pattern that indicates a lack of inner strength and resources needed to maintain a healthy balance in relationships, as more often than not boundaries are crossed quickly due to fear and insecurity instead of the mutual respect and understanding between the two individuals involved.
