Limerence is a wonderfully lyrical word for a state of intense, involuntary infatuation with another person. The word was invented by psychologist Dorothy Tennov in 1977 to describe an all-consuming romantic desire that is distinct from love or lust.

Tennov is the author of the 1979 book, Love and Limerence: The Experience of Being in Love, considered a groundbreaking work in the study of love. She said the word “limerance” was her variation on amorance, or the state of being in love. She meant the word to indicate a debilitating, unrequited, often wholly fantasized romantic fixation:

The state was one of madness, but the person undergoing the experience was not (necessarily) mad.

Tennov described limerence as “causing problems” for the individual, such as “inattention to other aspects of life, especially to responsibilities and to other relationships.” She warned that, “When frustrated, limerence may produce such severe distress as to be life threatening.”

Tennev passed in 2007, and research into limerence has trailed off since. One of the most recent studies comes not from pop psychology, but from criminology. The Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology published a “scoping review” of the limerence in April 2024.

The criminal psychologist sees limerence as “part of a precursory stage to stalking.” The authors continue in their attempt to define limerence as:

[A] phenomenon characterised by limited self-awareness and restraint, yet also a state that involves obsession and fixation, sharing cognitive characteristics and behaviours intrinsically tied to stalking behaviours.

Understanding the psychology of obsessive desire, the authors hope, will lead to interventions before limerence escalates into “actively harmful behavior.” During limerence, the researchers say that…

[The] object of interest begins to consume a person’s everyday lives and thoughts become obsessive and/or intrusive.

Unlike stalking, which involves in-person or online surveillance, often in obvious ways, “limerents” often practice their obsessions in clandestine ways over “a prolonged period of time.”

The criminologists do not find much real research on limerence, and they raise more questions than they answer. As far as scientific research, they cite studies showing a similarity in neurotransmitters released between limerants and gambling addicts.

In an article on love addiction for The Guardian, U.S. reporter Adrienne Matei interviews Brian Earp, associate professor of biomedical ethics, philosophy, and psychology at the National University of Singapore. Dr. Earp, a self-described “philosopher, cognitive scientist, and bioethicist,” is also co-editor-in-chief of the Journal of Medical Ethics.

Dr. Earp says, “Partly what we call love is just being addicted to another person,” opening the door for all kinds of inquiries, such as whether limerence is a normal part of every strong relationship.

Love addiction is distinct from limerence in that it is not a focus on an individual object of obsession but a continuous need to be in a romantic relationship. They’re also both distinct from sex addiction, which involves compulsive sexual performance.

None of these conditions are in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), as The Guardian points out. There is no prescribed treatment for limerence. The criminology researchers also came up empty-handed in the “treatment” section of their “scoping review.”

The best place to turn for help today is the website, Living With Limerence, published by self-described “neuroscientist, writer and academic,” Dr. Tom Bellamy. He has gathered what can be found scientifically on limerence into an articles section that includes coping information. Hopefully, research into limerence will attract the funding it deserves.

Written by Steve O’Keefe. First published December 10, 2025.

Sources:

“Is love addiction real — and what does it look like?,” The Guardian, December 2, 2025.

“Limerence, Hidden Obsession, Fixation, and Rumination: A Scoping Review of Human Behaviour,” Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, April 25, 2024.

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