How do you think a normal person does it? Whenever a person thinks they're really unusual, the bulk of it is generally just that they don't understand what other people mean when they describe the same thing in different words.

If you could clarify and provide more detail it will be a lot easier to offer advice.

At the moment it sounds like you don't have any contact with the object of your affection; it doesn't sound like love; and it sounds like it's easier to live in your head rather than in the world.

>>2765
If love is defined as that feeling with the butterflies in your stomach and the outburst of dopamine, then yes, what I am experiencing absolutely is love.

While I have fallen in love with people before having talked to them a great deal, I have had successful relationships despite my tendency to worship my partner and my tendency to obsess. By obsession, I mean that I think about my partner 24/7 and I find everything about them (including most flaws) to be beautiful and fascinating. I want to see their baby pictures, I want to know how they cut their sandwiches, I want to know everything about them. I want to taste their soul. I get the impression that most folks don't think about their significant other quite as much as I do, hence why I question the normalcy of my feelings.

>If love is defined as that feeling with the butterflies in your stomach and the outburst of dopamine, then yes, what I am experiencing absolutely is love.

It's not, dude. That's limerence. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limerence

I think this is like the fifth thread this month where that was the answer to the OP's question. I think maybe we should have a sticky.

For the record, limerence is much more common than love as it is understood by those who have been in stable, long-term relationships, and people in it often can't tell the difference between the two, or think that they're not in love anymore when the drugs wear off. So, you're still normal.

>>2770
After the drug wears off, how do you deal with craving it again?

>>2770
How odd. Most people seem to equate limerence with the first stage of falling in love. Even when reading about the biology of love, the effects of limerence are often called love. Is there a term for what one feels in a stable, long term relationship? Is it just attachment..?

>>2775

It sort of depends on how you look at it. Love can mean the whole relationship, from limerence through building commitment to inertial comfort. It can also mean the more stable feelings that are left after limerence has worn off and a pair of people still care about each other. Since those don't always exist, it confuses people. Hence threads like these over and over again and people who go most of their lives without ever knowing whether they've really been in love or not, because what we learn about it from our popular culture is kind of a broken model.

>>2768

Do you burn out quite quickly? It sounds quite intense.

>>2778
It usually takes me roughly two years to burn out if my limerence is reciprocated.

If it is not, it generally takes me several painful months.

>>2781

OK it's really good that you've noticed patterns in your behaviour. Is there anything you want to change about this?

If we're using words like 'obsess' 'drug' and 'addiction' then I daresay it's someone unhelpful, maybe you feel stuck in a rut or unable to change the 'way things are'.

>>2783
The only thing I want to change is the feeling that intense limerence is creepy. I sort of believe that it is: but at the same time, I think some of us have no choice in how we limerate.

But maybe I experience limerence just like everyone else. I was under the impression that I was more obsessive than most, but maybe >>2783 is right.

Another question:
What is one supposed to do when he begins limerencing towards someone who does not reciprocate or someone with whom there is no hope for happiness? Getting rid of crushes that were clearly idiotic has always been hard for me.

Aw, come on guys. No advice on how to stop cases of limerence that will clearly end poorly or on how to stop craving the irrational joy limerence temporarily provides? I do not have any limerating problems at the moment, but if the past is any indication, I'll probably get a case of retard limerence sometimes in the future.

Limerating really is like being high... Ah, if only the feeling could be replicated by smoking a plant or snorting a powder.

I think having a crush on someone is one of the most wonderful experiences a person can have, I don't know why you'd want to avoid it.

If it's not something that could ever work out, then be proactive about meeting other people and in time you'll find someone else on whom to limerate and with whom you may have better chances of actually pursuing something of substance.

You're alive, you have emotions, you feel attraction to people. Embrace it.

>>2786
We can't choose who we're attracted to but we can choose how we deal with it.

>>2790
And how we interact with the person we're attracted to and how we set boundaries for how they treat us, how we interact with them, and what we do when we are with them.

>>2791
That was a super redundant post but please cut me some slack; I should be in bed right now.