Love Addiction

Abstract

Love addiction (LA), also termed as pathological love, is characterized by a maladaptive relationship behavior encompassing excessive longing for one or several romantic partners. Even though LA is not currently recognized by 5th Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) as a specific diagnostic category, it seems to represent a specific type of behavioral addcition. In this chapter, we critically analyze available literature and data regarding LA as a diagnostic construct, its putative biological basis, and its diagnosis and treatment.