The feeling of sparks and butterflies when you’re deep in new love is priceless. But what does it mean when those feelings suddenly flip, and the reality of new love just isn’t picture-perfect anymore? Well, you could start experiencing the symptoms of lovesickness.
Lovesickness creeps up when a person “is so in love” or misses their love interest so much that they are unable to act normally. In an interview with mindbodygreen, psychotherapist Annette Nuñez, M.S., Ph.D., explains that “lovesickness happens when your romantic feelings for someone completely take over your mind and body. From obsessive thoughts to feelings of anxiety to loss of appetite, lovesickness can be all-consuming.”
If you feel like you’re currently experiencing the symptoms, or think you know someone who is, check out the nine signs of lovesickness below!
1.
Trouble Falling Asleep
If you’re experiencing lovesickness, then you’re more than likely unable to sleep at night. Your thoughts are keeping you wide awake, fixated on your love interest — replaying past events, repeatedly going over recent interactions, and heavily anticipating your next interaction with them.
2.
Irritability
Because you’re unable to get an adequate amount of sleep at night, you’ll notice that you’re more prone to irritability during the day. Simple things that you’d normally find joy in, including interactions with your favorite family members and friends, you’ll now find annoying and unfulfilling because you’ve become so fixated on your love interest.
3.
Headaches
Another side effect due to trouble sleeping is headaches. Because irritability is high, and your body just isn’t getting enough rest, headaches will become a consistent part of your day.
4.
Obsessive Thoughts
At this point, your whole world has come to revolve around your love interest. Not only are your emotions and physical well-being wrapped up in them, but now your mental well-being is too. You’ll notice that your thoughts about them have become obsessive. You can’t stop thinking about the next time you’re going to be with them, a small comment that they may have made in a conversation, what they’re doing and who they’re doing it with at any given moment.
5.
Exhibiting Irrational Behavior
Your obsessive thoughts are only growing stronger, and now your thoughts are turning into actions. At this point, you may find yourself going so far as following your love interest around, randomly showing up to their house or place of work or even stalking them and their close friends on social media.
6.
Nausea or Loss of Appetite
Your physical well-being is certainly not at its best, so you may also experience nausea or loss of appetite. Your favorite foods can become unappealing or unappetizing. Or your levels of nervousness may just be so high that you physically cannot bring yourself to eat.
7.
Showing an Anxious Attachment Style
At this point, you’ve probably developed an anxious attachment style with your partner. You’ve become nervous that they will abandon you, and now all of your thoughts and actions are focused on keeping them in your life by any means necessary.
8.
Exhibiting Controlling Behavior
Developing an anxious attachment style will definitely lead you to try to control the relationship as much as possible. You’ll find yourself trying to entice your love interest with dates, lavish gifts or anything else that can possibly win them over and keep them in your grips.
9.
Projecting False Realities
In order to keep your hopes high, you may find yourself creating a false reality that feeds into the narrative that the relationship with your love interest is actually progressing well. This is dangerous because the reality is that things can actually be on the opposite side of the spectrum. Because you’ve created a false reality to keep yourself feeling good about the relationship, you now are more prone to being blindsided by the unexpected events of reality.