Psychology Today | 26.04.2026 00:17
A question frequently asked in treatment: “What’s the difference between love and obsession?” The former is thought to be pure and meaningful, and the latter to be pathological. Clinically, obsessiveness is defined by intrusive thinking, extreme anxiety, and mental and physical acts meant to silence (or suppress) the thoughts and feelings. I’m sure that sounds like romantic love to you. A fixation on an object, followed by the uncertainty of reciprocity, what we call limerence, and the desperate need to resolve it by searching for hints of affection. Both obsessiveness and love can be exciting, even if distressing, and both can feel as though they’re expressions of short-term suffering for long-term gratification.
