Love Addiction Recovery

What Is Love Addiction Recovery?

Addiction recovery is a process that helps you address the underlying causes of love addiction and develop healthier coping mechanisms for current or new relationships.

During recovery, you can improve your emotional well-being, establish healthier partnerships, and develop better ways to cope with dependency and strong emotions related to love addiction.

Steps of Recovery for Love Addiction

Love addiction recovery looks different for everyone, especially since some people may have different contributing factors. But many love addicts can benefit from taking the following steps on the road to recovery.

1. Acknowledging the Problem

Addicts can’t stop themselves because of the way addiction impacts your brain: You feel like you have to continue your behavior to fulfill an emotional or spiritual need.

Many times, a person with an addiction can’t acknowledge that they have a problem. So, love addiction recovery starts by recognizing your behavior patterns related to romantic relationships.

Check out our article on the warning signs of love addiction for more information.

2. Seeking Professional Help

When you’ve successfully acknowledged that you might have a love addiction, you can begin seeking treatment from professionals, like counseling.

Therapy may help you address factors that contribute to love addiction, like your attachment style. For example, one 2019 study found that internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) improved anxious and avoidant attachment.

Notably, the participants in this study had panic disorder, not love addiction, but the overlap in symptoms can make CBT highly effective for facing love addiction.

3. Developing Healthy Coping Mechanisms

By attending therapy and working with a professional, you can learn how to react to your love addiction triggers in healthier ways.

For example, mindfulness-based therapy can teach you to become more self-aware of your emotional state and triggers—like wanting to call your partner when you’re stressed.

You can find more constructive coping methods, like meditation or deep breathing exercises.

4. Establishing Boundaries

People with love addictions may struggle to set healthy boundaries with their romantic partners. Some people may neglect their wants and needs in favor of their partner’s wishes. Others may grow controlling or need more time together to feel satisfied.

If that’s the case, setting healthier boundaries can be a part of your love addiction recovery journey. Boundaries require assertiveness and clear communication, which can be tricky if you’re used to saying “yes” to everything.

However, well-maintained boundaries are a part of any healthy relationship and can help you avoid falling into old patterns.

For example, neither you nor your partner should ever need to ask for “permission” to see friends and family or take part in your hobbies.

5. Rebuilding Self-Worth

Some people with love addiction may have low self-esteem. You may believe that you’re nothing without your partner or that being in a relationship is the only thing that matters.

You may even stay in toxic or abusive relationships despite knowing that they’re bad for you.

To avoid falling into self-destructive patterns related to love addiction, it’s important to recognize your inherent worth outside of your relationships. You have value because of who you are, not who you’re dating.

Practicing self-love may help you foster healthier romances: some research indicates that people with higher self-esteem also have healthier relationships.

6. Creating a Support System

While recovering from any addiction is a personal journey, it’s always helpful to have friends and family supporting you along the way. One study suggests that addicts who get social support from their families may be less likely to relapse.

Trusted loved ones can provide motivation, outside perspectives, and even accountability to stick to your love addiction treatment. Be mindful to choose people in your support system who will lift you up and not enable harmful patterns.

Love Addiction Treatment

Since love addiction isn’t an officially recognized diagnosis, we still need more studies to determine the most effective courses of treatment. But, some preliminary research suggests that some of the following methods may be helpful.

Therapy

You can attend therapy for love addiction by yourself, with your partner or family, or in a group setting. We don’t yet have a lot of information on the specific techniques that might be helpful for love addiction, although researchers believe that methods like CBT might be beneficial.

Early research does indicate that group therapy may be effective for love addiction. One small study of eight love addicts found that attending a series of 18 group therapy sessions led to significant improvements in attitudes toward love.

However, we need studies with bigger sample sizes to confirm these results.

Support Groups

Twelve-step groups are a type of support group that allows you to connect with fellow love addicts while following a structured program designed for recovery.

Twelve-step sessions are similar to group therapy, but a licensed therapist doesn’t always lead them. Common support groups for love addiction include Love Addicts Anonymous (LAA) and Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous (SLAA.)

Rehab

While most people associate rehab with substance abuse disorder, rehab also exists for behavioral addictions.

While treatment programs for love addicts may be more complex to find than for other types of addictions, you can always check with any local rehabilitation centers to see if they offer a program for love addicts.

Preventing Love Addiction Relapse

Relapses are a typical part of recovering from addiction – and it doesn’t mean that you’ve “failed.” Instead, it gives you a new starting point for tomorrow.

There isn’t much research available specifically about love addiction relapses.

However, general principles may help prevent compulsive behavior, including the following.

• Curating mindfulness. Mindfulness techniques make you more aware of your emotions, allowing you to respond more intentionally to triggers (e.g., fear of abandonment). They can also be an excellent source of self-care.
• Seek supportive relationships. Stay in touch with people who will support your recovery and encourage you to progress.
• Strengthen self-control. Some people who are addicted to love addictions may have trouble controlling impulsive behavior. Consider practicing activities that may boost your self-control, like exercising.
• Bust myths about love. Reframe your attitudes toward love and romance, like believing that obsession is a sign of devotion or that there’s only one “right person” for you.
• Claim your space. If you’ve recently left an unhealthy relationship, get rid of anything that might remind you of your ex-partner, like photos or cards. Some people may find that memories of exes trigger addictive urges.
• Find Rewarding Activities. One of the best ways to break out of old patterns is to try something new: Pick up a hobby, spend time volunteering, join a sports team, or meet new friends. Stimulating activities like these can give your brain a healthier “reward” outside of your romantic relationship.

Find Support for Love Addiction Recovery

Recovering from love addiction is a journey, but you don’t have to go through it alone. With the right support, you can break unhealthy patterns, rebuild your self-worth, and develop healthier, more fulfilling relationships.

Professional treatment can provide the guidance needed for lasting recovery. Consider reaching out to a licensed therapist who specializes in behavioral addictions. You can find qualified professionals using the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) online treatment locator or by calling 1-800-662-4357 for free, confidential support.

Support groups like Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous (SLAA) and Love Addicts Anonymous (LAA) offer structured recovery programs where you can connect with others who understand your struggles. These groups provide accountability, encouragement, and a safe space to heal.

If you are in a physically abusive relationship or fear for your safety, please seek immediate help. Contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or text “START” to 88788 for confidential assistance.

Visit our treatment help page to explore recovery options and take the next step toward a healthier, more empowered life. You are not alone—healing starts today.

Written by

Brooke Helton

Medical Content Writer

Brooke Helton is a freelance writer passionate about wellness topics, especially the relationship between physical and mental health. As a contributor to AddictionHelp.com, she’s proud to combine her writing and research skills to inform and empower people impacted by substance abuse.

Reviewed by

• Fact-Checked
• Editor

Kent S. Hoffman, D.O.

Founder & Chief Medical Officer

Kent S. Hoffman, D.O. has been an expert in addiction medicine for more than 15 years. In addition to managing a successful family medical practice, Dr. Hoffman is board certified in addiction medicine by the American Osteopathic Academy of Addiction Medicine (AOAAM). Dr. Hoffman has successfully treated hundreds of patients battling addiction. Dr. Hoffman is the Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of AddictionHelp.com and ensures the website’s medical content and messaging quality.