Addicted To Love?

It may sound cute, but a fixation on romance is just as dangerous as any other addiction.

- Hemchhaya De

Do you believe love is the only antidote to everything that is wrong with your life? How long do you wait to tell a person that you love him and imagine a future with him? Have you ever stopped to think that you might be more in love with the idea of love than the object of your affections? If these questions make you worried or defensive, chances are you might be suffering from a real problem. Dr Jyoti Kapoor Madan, a senior psychiatry consultant at Paras Hospitals, Gurgaon, says, “Love addiction has not been formally classified as a clinical condition, but research indicates that a strain of pathological maladaptive behaviour manifests in certain people when they fall in love.” They display the kind of addictive behaviour found in substance abusers. Experts say it's hard to define this particular addiction in clear terms, but it can point to some deep-rooted, insidious emotional or psychological problems.