Have you ever been so consumed by a crush that you couldn't stop thinking about them? Or when you weren't around them, you felt sick to your stomach?

There's a word for that, and it's called "limerence." The term was coined by the psychologist Dorothy Tennov in the 1970s to describe romantic obsession characterized by extreme emotional highs and lows.

Life Kit

Overcoming romantic obsession

Neuroscientist Tom Bellamy explores the condition in Smitten: Romantic Obsession, the Neuroscience of Limerence and How to Make Love Last . The book, published in April, offers a roadmap for those looking to overcome infatuation and foster healthy romantic relationships.

"Limerence is a state that many of us go into in the early stages of love: a profound romantic infatuation with another

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