Love addiction and social media stalking could be frying your brain, study finds
Folks who obsess over their romantic partners — also known as 'love addiction' — were more likely to report brain fog, memory problems and trouble focusing, a new study conducted by a group of Italian researchers found.
Even the mildly lovesick felt scrambled, especially when social media was involved.
'It can certainly be psychologically, emotionally and neurologically draining,' said Dr. Marisa Cohen, a New York-based marriage and family therapist. 'They may start to experience withdrawal symptoms when removed from that person or relationship.'
The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Behavioural Brain Research, surveyed 600 Italian adults between July 2022 and May 2023, more than 70% of whom were women, using validated, self-reported questionnaires on anxiety, depression, resilience, memory ability, attention and social media use.
Most participants were between 26 and 35 years old, and over two-thirds held a university degree.
The researchers found a clear pattern: the more someone clung to their crush, the worse their attention span became. Higher love addiction scores were linked to increased anxiety, depression and mental fatigue.
Heavy Instagram and TikTok use worsened symptoms.
'People have much easier access to this window into their [partner's] life,' Cohen said.
Scroll-happy users fueled jealousy by constantly stalking their partners online, sparking obsessive thoughts and wrecking their focus at work. Many said they felt mentally and emotionally 'off,' even while still in relationships.
Dr. Sheri Meyers, Los Angeles-based relationship expert and therapist, calls it emotional sex — a psychological 'affair of the heart' that messes with your mind.
'You begin to channel the bulk of your emotions, hopes and desires onto the other person,' Meyers said. '[It] feels like romantic love but can lead us to act in ways that are contrary to our ideals, values and relationship goals and better judgment.'
The emotional rollercoaster, from longing to jealousy to withdrawal, can throw off the brain's reward system and lead to mood swings, obsessive thinking and mental burnout, she added.
Dr. Ryan Rahm-Knigge, a Minnesota psychologist who researches compulsive sexual behavior, said while 'love addiction' isn't an official diagnosis, the study's findings echo clinical issues he sees in therapy.
'My experience is that these issues are more than heartbreak or desire,' he said. 'We see people suffering with feelings like their love pursuits or sexual behaviors or urges are out of control or in control of them.'
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