Romantic Love and Breakups: Helping Clients Who Feel Addicted to An Ex

Going through an excruciatingly painful breakup is a common yet heart-wrenching experience that often leads people to seek mental health treatment. The end of some romantic relationships can be so difficult that clients become hyper-focused on their ex as if they were an addictive stimulus. For example, clients struggling through love-addicted breakups often report obsessively thinking about their ex, craving contact with them, feeling emotionally labile and distressed, and acting in harmful compulsive and impulsive ways. These symptoms can adversely impact day to day functioning, disrupting their overall quality of life.

When working with clients who can’t seem to get over their ex, conceptualizing and treating their symptoms through an addictive framework can not only be helpful in understanding your clients experience but can lead to better outcomes. This beginner-level Lunch and Learn webinar is a brief introduction to the latest research on romantic love and breakups as an addictive process. Specifically, you’ll learn to describe how and why falling in love can be addictive, and identify the primary symptoms of a love-addicted breakup. You’ll also learn a few basic strategies to use with clients to stop unwanted symptoms. For those who enjoy this webinar and are interested in a deeper dive into this topic, a longer course will be available later in the year.