Limerence
Limerence or the in love state, is a powerful mental and emotional state where are intensely focused on another person, thinking about them all the time, and almost desperately hope they get limerence about you too. (The book calls this, "acute longing for reciprocation").
Limerence is neither bad nor good. I hear it's wonderful if it works out, and the other person falls in love with you too, but even if he or she does return it, limerence can be good for you.
Limerence is not the same as romantic? love?, or real, committed, grown-up love that adult partners should have. It's more of an intense, sort of irrational feeling, that can sometimes lead to real romantic or grown-up love. I apologise, this article is not well-written. I am failing to explain how the feeling of love in limerence is not the same as actual real love, though I'm not saying it's a bad or wrong feeling.
I should make an article on unrequited love?, but many times someone, especially a young person, can have limerence and not have it be returned, it can be very upsetting. Very unfortunately some people commit suicide? when feelings of love go un-returned. For the love of God, I don't want you young people to die by suicide. I know the feelings can be distressing now, but limerence eventually moves on and more suitable romantic partner will very, very probably appear, too.
See also
Resources
- Love and Limerence: The Experience of Being in Love by Dr. Dorothy Tennov, a 1979 book that coined the term limerence and described it