{"id":101037,"date":"2019-01-22T11:00:35","date_gmt":"2019-01-22T11:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/?p=101037"},"modified":"2023-03-06T09:30:20","modified_gmt":"2023-03-06T09:30:20","slug":"love-or-infatuation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/love-or-infatuation.htm","title":{"rendered":"Is it Love or Infatuation? And Why the Difference Matters"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_101039\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/1131701189_505d0a4195.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-101039\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-101039\" src=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/1131701189_505d0a4195-300x400.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/1131701189_505d0a4195-300x400.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/1131701189_505d0a4195.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-101039\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">By: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/tanj\/1131701189\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\" \">tanjila ahmed<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #333399;\">by Andrea M. Darcy<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>Sure you are \u2018head over heels\u2019 in love, but your friends keep saying it\u2019s just infatuation?<\/strong> What is the difference between love and infatuation, anyway? And why does it matter?<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>What is love?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong><span class=\"s1\">I<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"s1\"><strong>n psychology, &#8216;love&#8217; could be seen a<\/strong>s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/healthy-relationships-help-guide.htm\">a healthy relationship<\/a> between two people where you see and accept each other, then support each other to grow as people.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>For more, read our free &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/healthy-relationships-help-guide.htm\">Guide to Relationships&#8221;<\/a>\u00a0and see our article on &#8216;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/authentic-relationships.htm\">What is an Authentic Relationship<\/a>?&#8217;.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">And what is infatuation? <\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>Infatuation, on the other hand,<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><em><span class=\"s1\">\u00a0is a state of intense admiration based on what we think we know about someone. <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>Even if we are around the other person a lot, infatuation tends to be<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-is-perspective.htm\"> a limited perspective<\/a>. We only see only what we want to see.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em><span style=\"color: #666699;\">[At the end of your rope after another infatuation has ended? <a href=\"https:\/\/harleytherapy.com\/?utm_source=Harley%20Therapy%20Blog&amp;utm_content=Mid%20Post\">Book an online therapist<\/a> from anywhere you are in the world, at a price you can afford, and receive the support to finally move forward.]\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"s1\">The love and infatuation connection<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Our brain releases quite the cocktail of chemicals when we are attracted to someone.<\/strong> From the feel good neurotransmitter serotonin to the buzz of dopamine, we are on a &#8216;love high&#8217;. And <a href=\"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fnhum.2015.00071\/full\">brain scans of students in love<\/a> showed that areas of the brain related to motivation and reward had higher activity than usual.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_101041\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-101041\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-101041\" src=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/2943226131_54f5e28cb7-400x377.jpg\" alt=\"love and infatuation\" width=\"400\" height=\"377\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/2943226131_54f5e28cb7-400x377.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/2943226131_54f5e28cb7.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-101041\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">By: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/tacitrequiem\/2943226131\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\" \">tacit requiem (joanneQEscober )<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>This means that healthy love\u00a0 can begin with a feeling of infatuation<\/strong> that then develops into something more.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p1\">Love vs infatuated<\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span style=\"color: #800080;\">So when it comes to love and infatuation, how do we know which one we are dealing with?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>Love builds a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/connecting-with-people.htm\">connection<\/a> steadily over time.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<em>Infatuation is instant.\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Love grows from shared experiences and exploration.<\/strong>\u00a0<em>With infatuation you think you just instinctively know everything about someone. OR feel you understand them in ways others just can&#8217;t.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>Love seeks to know the person well and accept their positives and flaws.<\/strong>\u00a0<em>Infatuation tells us the other person is are very special, perfect, different to anyone else, an \u2018angel\u2019.\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>Love means we can be ourselves around someone.<\/strong>\u00a0<em>If it\u2019s infatuation, we are trying to be what we think the other person would be attracted to.\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>Love means we are still essentially ourselves and can function well in life.<em>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><em>But if it is infatuation, it\u2019s like we are drugged and distracted from daily life. We let things that were once important to us take a back seat.\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>If it&#8217;s love that is growing between you, you navigate conflict and grow from it.<\/strong>\u00a0<em>If it&#8217;s only infatuation, conflict throws you overboard, into huge drama and pain.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Love has a stabilising affect. You feel grounded.\u00a0<\/strong><em>Infatuation might give you buzzy highs, but also crashing lows. You start to feel drained all the time, and catch all the colds going around.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Is infatuation \u2018bad\u2019? <\/span><\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_101057\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/5244572860_2d5ccf770c.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-101057\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-101057\" src=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/5244572860_2d5ccf770c-400x258.jpg\" alt=\"infatuation or love\" width=\"400\" height=\"258\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/5244572860_2d5ccf770c-400x258.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/5244572860_2d5ccf770c.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-101057\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">By: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/gareth1953\/5244572860\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\" \">Gareth Williams<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>If you are a teenager or pre-teen, infatuation is pretty normal<\/strong>. When we are young and still gaining our confidence, infatuation helps us learn who we are attracted to. Our brains are actually still growing, our hormones fluctuating. Infatuation is our body waking up to being attracted to others.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>By our twenties, if we are on a normal self development curve? <\/strong>\u00a0We learn that infatuation is only a starting point, but<\/span><span style=\"color: #666699;\">\u00a0<span style=\"color: #333333;\">learn to take other things into account, too. We consider shared interests and<a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/values-and-beliefs.htm\"> values<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/emotionally-abusive-relationships.htm\">how the person treats us<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Can&#8217;t get past the infatuation stage?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><em>Far beyond the teen years and still caught up in endless infatuations?\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>For some people it\u2019s simply a case of<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/building-confidence.htm\"> low self-confidence<\/a> or<a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/shyness-in-adults.htm\"> shyness<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #993366;\">If we are feel <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-is-social-anxiety-disorder.htm\">socially anxious<\/a> at parties and even at work, then we might never interact with our love interest enough to learn if our infatuation is realistic or not. And holding onto our infatuation can be a way to hide from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-overcome-loneliness.htm\">deep loneliness<\/a> we feel. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>If we seek support to overcome our<\/strong> shyness and<a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/self-compassion.htm\"> build our self-esteem<\/a>, we might even find we are good at healthy relationships. We just needed to give one a try. <\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Love and infatuation and traumatic childhood experiences <\/span><\/h2>\n<blockquote>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\" style=\"color: #800080;\">But some of us get stuck in endless infatuations for reasons that don\u2019t clear up even if we have one relationship after another. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>If we had a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-are-adverse-childhood-experiences-aces.htm\">difficult childhood<\/a> that involved<\/strong> neglect<a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-can-i-remember-childhood-trauma-abuse.htm\">, abuse<\/a>, and\/or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/what-is-childhood-trauma.htm\">trauma<\/a>, then we develop a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/fear-of-intimacy.htm\">fear of intimacy<\/a> and<a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/the-private-hell-of-rejection-why-does-it-keep-happening-to-you.htm\"> rejection<\/a>, as well as<a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/fear-of-abandonment.htm\"> issues with abandonment<\/a>. These can lead us to be needy, or aloof, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/how-to-stop-thinking-about-someone.htm\">obsessive in relationships<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>And intense infatuations become the playing grounds for all these behaviours to play out,<\/strong> all the while avoiding the real connection we are secretly terrified of. We substitute love for a diet of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/black-and-white-thinking-stop-drama-addict.htm\">relationship drama<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/codependency-symptoms-modern-times.htm\">codependency<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">If I am addicted to infatuations, what do I do?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>A life of endless infatuations and no<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/authentic-relationships.htm\">real connection<\/a> is at best exhausting, and at worst dangerous for your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/mental-wellbeing.htm\">mental wellbeing<\/a>. With time <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/7-surprising-reasons-feeling-lonely.htm\">the loneliness builds<\/a>, along with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/effects-of-anxiety.htm\">anxiety<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/types-of-depression.htm\">depression<\/a>, and even <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/managing-suicidal-thoughts.htm\">suicidal thinking<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>If you are struggling with<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/authentic-relationships.htm\"> healthy intimacy<\/a>, then consider seeking support. Read our article on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/find-a-relationship-what-therapy-helps.htm\">the types of therapy designed just to help you with relating issues<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Ready to change the way you relate and attract real love? Harley Therapy connects you with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/therapists.htm\">London&#8217;s top counsellors and psychotherapists<\/a>. Not in London, or even the UK? <a href=\"https:\/\/harleytherapy.com\/?utm_source=Harley%20Therapy%20Blog&amp;utm_content=Post%20End\">Book therapy UK-wide<\/a> or<a href=\"https:\/\/harleytherapy.com\/therapists?location_type=skype&amp;utm_source=Harley%20Therapy%20Blog&amp;utm_content=Post%20End\"> try international online therapy<\/a> by <a href=\"https:\/\/harleytherapy.com\/?utm_source=Harley%20Therapy%20Blog&amp;utm_content=Post%20End\">visiting our booking site<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span style=\"color: #333399;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-117271 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/headshot-yellow-e1675110089673-150x150.png\" alt=\"Andrea M. Darcy\" width=\"140\" height=\"140\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/headshot-yellow-e1675110089673-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/headshot-yellow-e1675110089673-200x200.png 200w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/headshot-yellow-e1675110089673-50x50.png 50w, https:\/\/www.harleytherapy.co.uk\/counselling\/wp-content\/uploads\/headshot-yellow-e1675110089673.png 268w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 140px) 100vw, 140px\" \/><strong>Andrea M. Darcy<\/strong> is a lifestyle and wellbeing writer as well as a coach who often writes about relationships. Find her on instagram @am_darcy<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by Andrea M. Darcy Sure you are \u2018head over heels\u2019 in love, but your friends keep saying it\u2019s just infatuation? What is the difference between love and infatuation, anyway? And why does it matter? What is love? In psychology, &#8216;love&#8217; could be seen as a healthy relationship between two people where you see and accept [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":101039,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"yes","_lmt_disable":"no","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[332,393,390,90],"class_list":["post-101037","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-relationships","tag-codependency","tag-love","tag-love-addiction","tag-relationship-issues","has_thumb"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.0 (Yoast SEO v27.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Is it Love or Infatuation? 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