Addicted to love: What is love addiction and when should it be treated?

Recent research suggests that romantic love can be literally addictive. Although the exact nature of the relationship between love and addiction has been described in inconsistent terms throughout the literature, we offer a framework that distinguishes between a narrow view and a broad view of love...

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Main Authors: Earp, B, Wudarczyk, O, Foddy, B, Savulescu, J
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: Johns Hopkins University Press 2017
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author Earp, B
Wudarczyk, O
Foddy, B
Savulescu, J
author_facet Earp, B
Wudarczyk, O
Foddy, B
Savulescu, J
author_sort Earp, B
collection OXFORD
description Recent research suggests that romantic love can be literally addictive. Although the exact nature of the relationship between love and addiction has been described in inconsistent terms throughout the literature, we offer a framework that distinguishes between a narrow view and a broad view of love addiction. The narrow view counts only the most extreme, harmful forms of love or love-related behaviors as being potentially addictive in nature. The broad view, by contrast, counts even basic social attachment as being on a spectrum of addictive motivations, underwritten by similar neurochemical processes as more conventional addictions. We argue that on either understanding of love-as-addiction, treatment decisions should hinge on considerations of harm and well-being rather than on definitions of disease. Implications for the ethical use of anti-love biotechnology are considered.
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spelling oxford-uuid:308c76e6-a2e1-4cef-8d84-f035c9d0de3e2022-03-26T13:02:03ZAddicted to love: What is love addiction and when should it be treated?Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:308c76e6-a2e1-4cef-8d84-f035c9d0de3eEnglishSymplectic Elements at OxfordJohns Hopkins University Press2017Earp, BWudarczyk, OFoddy, BSavulescu, JRecent research suggests that romantic love can be literally addictive. Although the exact nature of the relationship between love and addiction has been described in inconsistent terms throughout the literature, we offer a framework that distinguishes between a narrow view and a broad view of love addiction. The narrow view counts only the most extreme, harmful forms of love or love-related behaviors as being potentially addictive in nature. The broad view, by contrast, counts even basic social attachment as being on a spectrum of addictive motivations, underwritten by similar neurochemical processes as more conventional addictions. We argue that on either understanding of love-as-addiction, treatment decisions should hinge on considerations of harm and well-being rather than on definitions of disease. Implications for the ethical use of anti-love biotechnology are considered.
spellingShingle Earp, B
Wudarczyk, O
Foddy, B
Savulescu, J
Addicted to love: What is love addiction and when should it be treated?
title Addicted to love: What is love addiction and when should it be treated?
title_full Addicted to love: What is love addiction and when should it be treated?
title_fullStr Addicted to love: What is love addiction and when should it be treated?
title_full_unstemmed Addicted to love: What is love addiction and when should it be treated?
title_short Addicted to love: What is love addiction and when should it be treated?
title_sort addicted to love what is love addiction and when should it be treated
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AT wudarczyko addictedtolovewhatisloveaddictionandwhenshoulditbetreated
AT foddyb addictedtolovewhatisloveaddictionandwhenshoulditbetreated
AT savulescuj addictedtolovewhatisloveaddictionandwhenshoulditbetreated