To think love bombing is just the socially acceptable version of grooming?

[VividPlumSeal]

All praise and presents until you’re trapped, then it flips.

I’m not sure love bombing is socially acceptable.

Who says that love-bombing is socially acceptable?

It’s not that people explicitly condone it but in practice, it often goes unchallenged because it looks like affection, romance, or even chivalry. When someone showers a partner with attention, gifts, praise early on, people might say “wow, they’re so into you!” rather than “that’s a red flag.” It’s socially accepted in the sense that early intensity is romanticised, not always seen for what it can be - a tactic some people use to disarm or emotionally trap others.

Grooming centres around a power imbalance, with a more powerful person manipulating a vulnerable person for their own ends. They might use love bombing to groom, so it isn't entirely separate.

Love bombing is not really socially acceptable (adult to adult would make you cringe) but you learn that through having relationships. I think a lot of teens are naturally intense and learning not to be OTT is part of learning how to have functioning relationships. No need to pathologies it as a whole.

Basically, I'm loathe to group socially clumsy and enthusiastic people in with manipulative, exploitative groomers.

I was wondering about the damage of love bombing the other day.

My friend was saying how he went on a couple of dates with a woman he met OLD and all seemed to be going well. But soon she was wanting almost constant contact. When he tried to relax the conversation to a couple of times a day she had a go at him and then blocked him. I totally acknowledge that I only have his side of the story and this is just 1 example, but it did make me wonder if this woman has been love bombed so much that now normal, healthy communication looks to her like apathy!