Here’s How To Tell You’re Getting Love-Bombed And Exactly What To Do About It
Have you ever heard the term “love bombing?” It may sound kind of lovely like someone’s unending love crashing in on you as powerfully as a bomb, but when you learn more about it, you begin to realize it’s actually pretty toxic.
Don’t stress, though – by learning more about love bombing, how it works, and how it can be a sign of manipulation, you can know how to overcome it.
Love bombing is a technique often used by people with narcissistic and controlling tendencies. They try to control or get you to do whatever they want by showering you with intense, unwavering love and affection.
Some toxic people usually bring on love bombing a bit early in a relationship to sort of seal the deal and lock someone in.
If you’ve ever been in a relationship where you felt things were moving too fast because your new partner was overly affectionate, there’s a good chance they were love-bombing.
So, why is love bombing dangerous?
It typically is a manipulation technique, as once you’ve been shown all this powerful love and affection, your mind is tricked into feeling guilty or ashamed anytime you can’t offer it back.
Plus, after bombs land, there is a major fallout, and in the case of a love bombing, once someone has stopped showing all that love, you may not like the real personality behind it.
Hopefully, now you should be beginning to understand what love bombing is, but if you’re still a bit confused, here are some examples of how it presents itself in everyday life.
WDnet Studio – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual people
Things are progressing too quickly
As I mentioned earlier, if you feel as though your relationship is moving too quickly, you may be experiencing love bombing.
If you find yourself learning your partner’s deepest, darkest secrets only a few weeks in or hear the words “I love you” way too soon, it’s not necessarily a good thing. Don’t ignore a relationship dynamic that feels a little too fast-paced.
They’re constantly providing acts of service or giving you gifts
Sure, it’s amazing to have your partner do something for you on occasion, like bring you breakfast in bed or complete an errand you were dreading. It’s even better to get the occasional surprise gift, like a piece of jewelry. However, when this is happening constantly and gets overwhelming, it could be a sign of love bombing.
After all, how can you be expected to keep up with all those gifts and services? How does your partner expect you to ‘repay’ them?
They want to be in constant contact with you
This is a pretty obvious sign of love bombing, as most people would agree that having a partner who demands to hear from you several times a day and expects to know where you are all the time is unsettling.
Sure, it may seem sweet that your partner always wants to hear from you at first, but everyone needs personal space, and you shouldn’t feel pressured to contact them constantly.
They make you feel as though they can’t be without you
You know how it always seems so romantic in movies when one of the leads tells their love interest that they can’t live without them, they’d die if they didn’t have them, they’re soulmates, etc.?
In real life, those phrases aren’t always super romantic or genuine. If they’re used quite frequently and used as a way to get you to do whatever your partner wants, then those are some love-bombing phrases.
When you notice these signs, consider taking a step back, asking your partner to slow down, or getting help from a counselor or trusted friend. It’s great to be in love, but not so great to be love-bombed.
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