I'm currently sorting out some behaviors that point toward "love addiction," namely fear of setting boundaries with my lovers, falling obsessively in love with emotionally unavailable people, and feeling personally rejected when my partner isn't in the mood for sex.
One of the stumbling blocks I'm running into when reading about recovery from love addiction is a party line that "recovery is synonymous with monogamy." My predilection for more than one partner seems to be considered a symptom of the addiction rather than a valid and potentially healthy lifestyle choice. Hmmmm....
I, and I'm sure others here, have certainly encountered people using polyamory as a cover for their own emotional unavailability, using the label to indulge their love addict/love avoidant behaviors. However, I also feel that polyamory can be deeply healing to the psyche when successful. I don't want to feel ashamed for wanting more love, passion, sex, intimacy and companionship than the average monogamous marriage can hold. I just stumble a little in figuring out how to get it without hurting myself or anyone else.
So, I wonder if anyone wants to add their 2 cents as to whether polyamory is any more of a breeding ground for dysfunctional romantic entanglements than monogamy. I am interested to hear if anyone else has been able to get a grip on their love-addict behaviors and subsequently achieved successful multiple relationships.
One of the stumbling blocks I'm running into when reading about recovery from love addiction is a party line that "recovery is synonymous with monogamy." My predilection for more than one partner seems to be considered a symptom of the addiction rather than a valid and potentially healthy lifestyle choice. Hmmmm....
I, and I'm sure others here, have certainly encountered people using polyamory as a cover for their own emotional unavailability, using the label to indulge their love addict/love avoidant behaviors. However, I also feel that polyamory can be deeply healing to the psyche when successful. I don't want to feel ashamed for wanting more love, passion, sex, intimacy and companionship than the average monogamous marriage can hold. I just stumble a little in figuring out how to get it without hurting myself or anyone else.
So, I wonder if anyone wants to add their 2 cents as to whether polyamory is any more of a breeding ground for dysfunctional romantic entanglements than monogamy. I am interested to hear if anyone else has been able to get a grip on their love-addict behaviors and subsequently achieved successful multiple relationships.