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Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Does anyone know much about limerence or ever experienced it?

669 replies

OneOutOneIn · 29/06/2015 19:26

It's something I've been reading about recently as I suspect I'm experiencing it with a particular evasive ex but I wonder if the truth is just to get a grip?

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brokenhearted55a · 30/06/2015 22:59

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brokenhearted55a · 30/06/2015 23:06

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SelfLoathing · 30/06/2015 23:20

The inability to be strongly interested in, attracted to, or love-involved with anyone but the person one is limerently focused on resulting in neglectful treatment of . . . self

Oh yes. :(

If I must be entirely honest, if my limerent object came and asked me for a relationship, I would be euphoric but to be honest I doubt I'd want him after a time.

Also agree. On some level, he was like a God to me. But at the same time I didn't really like him/could see he was fundamentally quite evil. Still didn't make a difference to the overwhelming obsession.

brokenhearted55a · 30/06/2015 23:34

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SelfLoathing · 30/06/2015 23:47

brokenhearted55

Yup. I think a lot of it is something that triggers an irrational competitive edge. Like if you try hard enough you can "win" and make him want you.
But often men that provoke limerence are narcissist types - good at mirroring the ideal man for that woman, hot and cold, masters of manipulation.

It's very self destructive because you end up thinking there is something wrong with you because the chemistry is so intense, your time together is so perfect - but still he doesn't want you.

It's a form of addiction to something that gives you a high.

I read an interesting thing about men like this that likened them to a narcotic drug.

It was along the lines of:

you know what a drug will do to you. you know you make think you can take it or leave it. but you will become addicted. and each time you take it it becomes harder to break away. eventually you will become a shell of your former self.

but there is no point blaming the drug. it's just a drug. it has no good or bad properties either way any more than a gun just lying there does. it's what you chose to do with that causes the problem.

you knew what the score was but you chose to take it anyway. every time.

SelfLoathing · 30/06/2015 23:48

*you know you may think you can take it or leave it.

brokenhearted55a · 30/06/2015 23:55

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BitOfFun · 30/06/2015 23:56

You should look up the film Take This Waltz (don't be put off by Seth Rogan- he actually gives an excellent performance). It perfectly encapsulates this kind of amour fou, the sort of insecure ennui it comes from, and the inevitable consequences that ensue. I think I caught it on Netflix, but I can't remember. It's really thought-provoking.

SelfLoathing · 01/07/2015 00:05

but why has he never dated me properly.

Well if he was a true narcissist, the answer to that question is simply because it didn't suit him at that time. All he wanted from you was "narcissistic supply" ie. attention and worship.

There are lots of reasons why but the two most likely ones are:

  • in order to maintain supply from you, he was maintaining a particular façade for you at that time. That takes effort and energy - such that an ongoing relationship is not possible as it would take too much effort from him. As someone said to me once, if you saw him at any other time dealing with another person, you probably wouldn't recognise him. So if your type is old school prince charming, that's what he gives you. He may find it easier to be (eg) masculine dominant which is what another woman wants.
  • you didn't have anything to offer immediately that suited him and he wanted over and above sex and attention. Again what "a narcissist wants" varies from person to person. It could be a very high earning partner who can keep him. It could be one who is a total doormat. It could be one who is famous. It could be the daughter of the boss so he gets his promotion etc etc. But whatever it was, some other woman was closer to what he wanted. It's not about you, it's all about him and his needs.

I know he has not been a model boyfriend to anyone really, the least you can do is be faithful, but waht fucks me off is that at least they got to be his girlfriend. I didnt even get that.

True but as you say (a) if you'd had that, you'd have got bored. So on one view enjoy the on/off drama of the rollercoaster. It hurts like hell but makes life more interesting if drama is your thing and (b) at least you knew what you were dealing with and to a degree he was being honest with you, better than that the gf who is at home wondering where he is/suspecting he is cheating/acquiring an STI and no idea how or why. etc.

Everything you have written I totally identify with. It's a grim place. No contact is the only way.

brokenhearted55a · 01/07/2015 00:12

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SelfLoathing · 01/07/2015 00:19

I have / had loads to offer.

I wasn't suggesting you didn't. The point is that whatever he was immediately after wasn't what you had. It doesn't really matter what it was.

As I said, who knows? Could be anything - that she was so doormatty and underconfident that she would totally put up with his shit; that she'd let him move in; that she had children so he could fake looking "normal" with a pseudo family without having kids of his own; that she was into the same sexual fetish as him etc etc etc.

Maybe if you have too much to offer, he felt emasculated and like you were the star (this is never good for a narcissist). It doesn't matter, you'll probably never work it out. It's just what he wants.

brokenhearted55a · 01/07/2015 00:33

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Canyouforgiveher · 01/07/2015 00:46

I've never felt this (have had crushes and been in love) and had never heard about it but it completely resonates with me as my best friend has definitely gone though this. I didn't know it was a thing.

Also I think we feel limerance of a sort when we have a new baby.

I think this is a very interesting comment - might add to the explanations of why we go through PND/PNP after giving birth.

LimCringe · 01/07/2015 07:55

I wish I'd had MN to help me be more self aware when my worst Limerence episode happened. The guy turned out to be an awful narcissist. It was literally only days after I was first finally with him that he first started showing his horrible true self.
I'd invested so much in how perfect he was that I ignored red flag after red flag after that, to try to turn it into my idea of a 'proper' relationship worthy of all I was turning my back on to be with him. (not to mention all the massive red flags before he knowingly let me give up my normal functional life to be with him!)
My narcisstic supply was obviously high quality Grin as when I finally summed up the courage to dump him - after numerous public humiliations and some frightening anger outbursts from him which very nearly turned to physical violence towards me- he kept contacting me constantly, turning up at work etc. It was awful and took me years to ignore his attempts to reel me back in and genuinely get over him.
Now I bump into him occasionally and just feel totally mortified that I ever gave him the time of day. I feel sorry for whichever poor girl he has turned the head of lately. He's a selfish narc though so it never works out.
I am really interested now in working out why and how Limerence works to protect myself in future. My upbringing was very difficult, I have suffered from OCD in various forms for years, with hindsight I can see how it all played out to a very tired old script.

brokenhearted55a · 01/07/2015 16:07

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akaWisey · 01/07/2015 16:22

Maybe it's time to visit your GP broken. You sound like someone who has become a bit depressed over this.

StaircaseAtTheUniversity · 01/07/2015 16:25

I definitely had an abusive relationship/experience that started as limerance (now I know what it is!)

Broken, have you had a relationship with this person? That break up was the worst experience of my life. I had a nervous breakdown. You should go and see your GP

brokenhearted55a · 01/07/2015 17:35

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OneOutOneIn · 01/07/2015 19:00

brokenhearted55a Are you currently NC with him?

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brokenhearted55a · 01/07/2015 21:00

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ChilliAndMint · 01/07/2015 21:52

Broken, he sounds like such a vile twat.
Met a few blokes that get off on playing mind games and doing me down. He's not a nice man, he is perverted, see your GP and ask for counselling. He is the least of your worries, need to look at your own issues because there will be other predatory men than see the chink in your armour.

brokenhearted55a · 01/07/2015 22:28

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BrassRing · 01/07/2015 22:28

Broken I hope you get through this very soon and can get on with the rest of your life Flowers

I've logged on to say that I'm 9 months in to a major limerence phase and it's hell! It's a work colleague so NC is not an option. I'm married (very happily I thought!) and he's single, the only hope I feel I have is he gets himself a girlfriend pronto. The invasive thoughts are just so disruptive to everyday life.

BUT reading this thread and understanding the mixed messages theme has started to help. He can be very off with me at times and yet others I feel the most intense chemistry and he just gives me these looks (cringe I know)... I don't think he's deliberately messing with me but I'm getting some understanding of my need to know one way or the other and why it feeds the limerence beast!

lovethisheat · 01/07/2015 23:07

I can't believe so many of you feel the same way I have felt.

I think I'm just about coming out the other side. It's taken since December 2011. I haven't had any contact with him now for one month. Contact is often sporadic. Sometimes a lot over a week, sometimes not so much. I feel ok. ish.

I think about him daily. But not hourly any more.

I cry about it most days. I feel like I lost my mind for several years. I wished I would not wake up in the morning so many nights.

Not one of my friends knows or knew how I feel/felt.

I neglected my child, and that has had a permanent impact.

I wish I could block him on Facebook. I just can't. Just in case….

Today when I woke up, I realised after about 5 minutes that I hadn't yet thought of him. That was a major thing for me.

I hate feeling this way.

alwaysaskingquestionz · 01/07/2015 23:14

12 out of 12. I know that I do these things and I understand why, but that doesn't stop me feeling the way I do. I have ALWAYS been like this. The actual physical pain in the chest struck a chord, had that very recently. It is a waking nightmare and I've wished to die so many times. Don't know how to control it, it's like an unstoppable wave of pure emotion Sad