Waking up to good morning texts and small acts of showing someone you love them can be a great feeling, but when it starts turning into an obsession, then you know that it is not love but love bombing.
According to the information hub Cosmopolitan, licensed therapist Sasha Jackson, LCSW defines love bombing as excessive attention, praise, and devotion aimed at making the victim feel dependent and responsible to that person.
Can you imagine meeting someone for the first time and they are telling you their future plans as a couple? What happened to the talking stage?
According to Elena Welsh, a licensed clinical psychologist, abusers utilise this behaviour to undermine their partner’s sense of authority, control, and strength. Love bombers might use charm, romantic surprises, or jealousy to compel partners into spending less time with others, isolate them, or put pressure on them to fulfil their desires. Understanding these patterns is critical for identifying and managing love bombing in relationships.
The information hub SELF provides signs of love bombing to watch out for:
- They are overly communicative.
- The gifts that you get are extra. For example, buying luxurious items that are not needed.
- They pretend to respect you in front of other people but disrespect you when you are alone.
- They tend to be too clingy and don’t respect boundaries.
- Your bond seems bizarrely intense when they use words like, “You are my soulmate.”
- Your relationship feels like everything is happening too fast. There’s no time to get to know each other.
