Psychopath Love Obsession: Everything You Need to Know

Feeling and falling in love is probably one of the most beautiful feelings in the entire world. But love can be traumatizing and feel like a nightmare as well if you are dealing with a psychopath love obsession. 

So, if you have come this far to dig deep into this topic maybe you have found yourself in a relationship with someone who seemed loving and charming at first, but then turned possessive, jealous, and even violent. Sadly, this type of behavior is not uncommon in cases of psychopathic love obsession. But if you think that everybody who develops such possessive, jealous, & violent behavior is a psychopath, you would be wrong. And most importantly all psychopaths do not even develop such a love obsession.

But what exactly is psychopathy? Well, it is basically a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy, impulsiveness, and a disregard for social norms and moral standards. When combined with love obsession, it can result in a destructive and even life-altering situation for the victim. 

Don’t freak out, if you have come this far and landed on my page, I can assure you that you are going to get equipped with some solutions at least, no matter whether you are the victim or someone who thinks to be love-obsessed. 

In this article, we will explore various dimensions of psychopathic love obsession including emotional and physical damage that can result from being in a relationship with someone who has a psychopathic love obsession. We'll also look at the warning signs and the potential for isolation and control, which can have a significant impact on mental health. In the end, you will also understand how you can deal with such complicated situations. 

And to see the other side of the coin, we will touch on the underlying reasons behind such behavior, along with some potential solutions that might help. 

Overall, I aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of this complex and important issue through this write-up. So, if you're ready to gain a deeper understanding of psychopathic love obsession, let's get started!

10 symptoms & warning signs of psychopathic love obsession

In the course of understanding psychopathic love obsession, here comes the first and maybe the most important step to understanding this phenomenon. Because people often tend to confuse psychopathic love obsession with normally obsessed love. 

But at this very initial phase, I want to make it quite clear that there is a fine line through which you need to distinguish between love obsession and psychopathic love obsession. The first one is very common and mostly temporary that could be dealt with casually, but the latter one is not only rare but needs grave clinical concerns to be dealt with. 

So, thus the symptoms and warning signs become so important and specific to identifying psychopathic love obsession. But even before getting into the symptoms, I want you to know what exactly defines psychopathic love obsession. Psychopathic love obsession is characterized by an intense and obsessive preoccupation with a romantic partner, coupled with a disregard for the partner's feelings, needs, and boundaries.

Now, let’s see some common symptoms & warning signs. 

#1 Constant Contact

In the very beginning of all relationships, people get pretty obsessed about staying in touch with their loved ones. But with time, things get settled, and the couple builds a strong bond and again reengages with their normal life.

But what if someone does not get settled even after years? What if they still want to stay in touch with their partner? Maybe without constant contact, they tend to freak out, and several psychological phenomena like an inferiority complex, fear, and insecurity start working within them. Due to this, once they get in contact with their partners, they often start fighting and blame their partner for not giving enough time to them.

In such cases, it can indicate psychopathic love obsession if such things happen repeatedly.

#2 Unusual jealousy

If our partners hang out too often with their friends or get along with someone who belongs to the opposite sex, it makes us feel jealous. And this kind of jealousy is very normal and healthy for meaningful relationships. Even small fights out of such jealousy are also OK. 

But, in day-to-day life, people necessarily have to encounter others and most evidently many of them would belong to the opposite gender. A few of them can also be close friends or acquaintances. Both partners have to be mature enough to digest this reality. 

But if one person in no way likes their partner encountering other people, or seeing them hang out with their friends, it could be a sign of psychopath love obsession. 

#3 Extreme manipulation

When we are with someone emotionally, it becomes very natural to get motivated by their words, actions, and desires. But natural things should not come due to any pressure. 

If a person constantly tries to manipulate several decisions of their partner through the usage of guilt, shame, and blaming, it might indicate psychopathic love obsession.
Confused? Well, suppose someone is constantly blaming their partner for not giving time, or maybe questioning their dedication to the relationship constantly, it can fall in the mentioned category.

#4 Lacking empathy

Empathy is the most natural and spontaneous thing that comes very first when we get into a relationship. Here we start caring genuinely for our partner’s emotional well-being, their needs and try to connect to the issues they are going through.

But in psychopathic love obsession, this basic quality seems absent. These people keep claiming that they love their partner like anything, but actually, they do not bother to care about their partners’ emotional well-being, feelings, as well as needs. 

The most dangerous thing is, in their mind, they don't even understand exactly what is wrong exactly. What these people often do is fight with their partners whenever the partner points out their issues and goes into further depression.

#5 Severe impulsiveness

Impulsiveness is a major symptom when it comes to psychopathic love obsession. This means that the person in the relationship may act without thinking about the consequences of their actions. This can show up in different ways, such as spending money recklessly, engaging in risky sexual behavior, or turning to drugs or alcohol to cope with their emotions. These behaviors can seriously impact the relationship and the people involved. 

#6 Denying responsibility 

A person suffering from psychopathic love obsession may often tend to deny taking the responsibility for their behavior. This is because they are not aware of the mistakes they are making and don’t consider themselves responsible for the sufferings that their partners are going through.

Instead what they do is blame their partner for their behavior and accuse their partner of having some problem. 

#7 Tremendous inconsistency

 A serious lack of consistency can be noticed in such people’s behavior. They can’t often stick to their words and actions. Like they might behave extremely well with you in the morning, you might have to encounter a devastating fight with them by that night itself. 

This happens because people with clinical psychopathy have to deal with frequent mood swings due to very small factors that might not even impact normal people.

#8 Isolation

People with clinical psychopathy often tend to isolate themselves from their family, friends, and colleagues. They create an imaginary world where they live a life centering on their partners only. They term this attitude as an expression of extreme love for their partner and keep nourishing them. 

In such cases, these people want to control and depend on their partner at the same time. But if someway they feel mistreated by their partners, go into severe depression and might not talk to anyone for days.

#9 Not caring about the schedule

Psychopathically love-obsessed people often don’t care about their schedule and compromise on many important things just to pursue their obsession. Here they might skip their work just to pursue a silly argument with their partner, and expect their partner to do so. 

Due to this behavior, they tend to develop a bad reputation in their workplaces, which might lead to further mess up in their life. 

#10 Violence

It is probably the most dangerous symptom or warning sign of psychopathic love obsession. A report from clinical psychologists says that the highest number of domestic violence, sexual abuse, self-harm, and a significant number of suicide attempts are results of psychopathic love obsession.

When talking about domestic violence, it can come from both sides due to such love obsession. One person who is not even suffering from clinical psychopathy can get involved in domestic violence out of the frustration of dealing with their psychopath partner. 

However, things sexual abuse of their partners, self-harm, or suicide attempts if get depressed are pretty common among people with clinical psychopathy. Sometimes, they might even feel like doing this just to blackmail their partners emotionally. 

Causes behind psychopath love obsession

You might want to deal with psychopathic love obsession right after you get to know its symptoms. But dealing with this complex clinical phenomenon requires a certain level of expertise that you can’t achieve unless you know the cause that resulted in this psychopathic love obsession.

Psychopathic love obsession can have various underlying causes, and it's important to note that it's not just one thing that leads to this behavior. Here are some common factors that may contribute to the development of this type of relationship.

#1 Childhood trauma

Childhood trauma is likely the most common reason for the development of psychopathic love obsession. It can have the most significant impact on an individual's psychological and emotional development and can contribute to the development of a range of issues, including clinical psychopathy. 

When individuals experience trauma during childhood, it can affect the way they form emotional connections with others and may lead to attachment issues or difficulty regulating their emotions. This can create a pattern of seeking out intense, obsessive relationships as a way of coping with unresolved childhood trauma. However, it's important to remember that not everyone who experiences childhood trauma will develop psychopathic love obsession.

#2 Past relationship experience

Psychopathic obsession might get developed from bad experiences in past relationships. Individuals who have a history of unhealthy or abusive relationships may be more likely to seek out intense and possessive relationships in the future. This can be due to a range of factors, such as low self-esteem, insecurity, or a need for control.

For example, an individual who has been in a relationship where they were constantly gaslighted or made to feel inferior may seek out a relationship where they have more control over their partner. Alternatively, someone who has experienced repeated rejection in past relationships may become fixated on someone who is initially interested in them, even if that interest is not genuine or healthy.

#3 Brain abnormality

Well, here things are going to be a bit technical. So buckle up.

Brain abnormality is one of the physiological reasons that might lead to the development of psychopathic love obsession. An area related to psychopathic behavior known as the prefrontal cortex is responsible for decision-making and impulse control. Studies have shown that this area may be underactive in individuals with psychopathic traits, which may contribute to impulsive and reckless behavior.

Individuals with psychopathic traits have been found to have lower levels of activity in this area, which may contribute to a lack of empathy and difficulty forming emotional connections with others.

While brain abnormalities are not the sole cause of psychopathic love obsession, understanding how they contribute to the condition can help inform treatment approaches.

#4 Substance abuse

Psychopathic love obsession is not always a result of some inborn brain abnormality. In fact, most of the time people develop such phenomena much later in the course of their life. In this process, substance abuse can be a major contributor to psychopathic love obsession. When people abuse drugs or alcohol, it can change the way their brains work and make them more prone to impulsive and aggressive behavior. It can also make it harder for them to control their emotions and make good decisions.

Unfortunately, substance abuse can often go hand-in-hand with unhealthy relationships and risky behavior, which can further exacerbate psychopathic tendencies. And for those struggling with psychopathic love obsession, drugs or alcohol can sometimes provide a temporary escape from their feelings of loneliness or rejection. 

#5 Genetic Predisposition

Have you ever heard the saying "It runs in the family"? Well, when it comes to psychopathic love obsession, there may be some truth to that. Genetic predisposition refers to the idea that certain genetic factors can make an individual more susceptible to certain behaviors or conditions, including psychopathic behavior.

Research has shown that genetic factors can contribute to traits commonly associated with psychopathic behavior, such as impulsivity and a lack of empathy. However, genetics alone do not determine behavior, and environmental factors also play a significant role.

While genetic testing is not typically used to diagnose psychopathic love obsession or other personality disorders, being aware of any family history of mental health issues can help identify potential risk factors.

#6 Maltreatment from partner

If a person gets treated in bad ways by their partners in the long run, they might develop a situation of clinical psychopathy. In such cases, their love obsession can be considered a psychopathic love obsession.

Maybe their partner has cheated on them. Perhaps their partners tend to abuse them both verbally and non-verbally, or maybe they get maltreatment in other ways. Due to all this behavior, they have developed some chronic insecurity about their partners and also suffer from an inferiority complex. 

#7 Low self-esteem

Self-esteem is one thing that helps develop a person’s vibrant personality through which they become able to hold their ground in all relationships. But if due to various factors, someone develops low self-esteem, that might lead to psychopath love obsession. 

It is because people with low self-esteem often suffer from an inferiority complex and keep looking for validation and affirmation from their partners. In some cases, the abuser may intentionally manipulate the victim's self-esteem, making them feel dependent on the abuser for love and validation.

It's important for individuals with low self-esteem to work on building their self-worth and self-esteem so that they are less likely to fall into a cycle of abusive relationships.

#8 Societal factors

Relationship experts have found that apart from physical factors, socio-cultural factors impact peoples’ minds so severely that might lead to the development of psychopathic love obsession. 

Some cultures may place a higher value on relationships and may encourage individuals to prioritize romantic partnerships over their own needs and well-being. This can create a sense of pressure to stay in a relationship, even if it is unhealthy or abusive.

In addition, cultural norms may perpetuate harmful gender stereotypes that can make individuals more vulnerable to abusive relationships. For example, traditional gender roles may lead women to believe that they need to be subservient to their partners, which can make them more likely to tolerate abusive behavior.

Effect of psychopath love obsession on the victim

Psychopathic love obsession is indeed tremendously difficult for the person who suffers from this phenomenon. But facing that love obsession from a psychopath is more difficult and might seem like nothing but a literal nightmare. So, in short, here I want to talk a little about the effects of psychopath love obsession on the victim. Because everybody should be aware of these effects way before they have to deal with something like it. 

• As the victims of psychopath love obsession have to face constant manipulation, emotional abuse, and attempts to control, they may feel like walking on eggshells around their partners. They get afraid of doing or saying something to their partner, just because they fear triggering their partner's anger or aggression.
• There are certain chances that the victims of psychopath love obsession have to face physical violence along with emotional abuse. In such cases, numerous health issues like pain, body ache, migraine, nausea, drowsiness, etc. could develop within the victim and their right to have a healthy lifestyle gets seriously disrupted. 
• Love-obsessed psychopath often abuses their partner sexually. That is why instead of a thrill, after some time, the victims develop trauma around having sex and even about intimacy with other people too.
• Victims of psychopathic love obsession might develop an introverted nature and will hesitate a lot to open up about them and eventually goes deep down into depression. 
• Anxiety and other psychological issues could emerge due to this phenomenon as the victims have to constantly deal with a dangerous emotional tussle with their partner. 
• The emergence of trust issues is probably the biggest thing that can often be noticed among the victims of psychopath love obsession. With all those signs and tussles I mentioned, the relationship becomes so toxic that the victim often judges other people through the same prism of psychopathy. This is why they have to struggle a lot to trust a person again in the future. 
• In the end, with all this extreme turmoil, suicidal thoughts might also get developed among victims just to find relief from the toxic relationship. 

How to deal with yourself if you have some symptoms?

Dealing with psychopathic love obsession could truly be a nightmare, but if you are someone who understands that you might be suffering from psychopathic love obsession, yet you can hardly do anything about it, I understand how terrible your current state is.

That is why in this write-up, I decided to dedicate an entire column exclusively to such mature folks who understand that they might be suffering from psychopathic phenomena and know its effects on their loved ones and literally want to work on it. 

Besides, people who are facing such love obsession in their relationship also might find some ways to help their partners out and console them in the right direction.

#1 Accept your situation

Experts say that more than half of the problem is solved once you stop escaping from the problem itself. So, if you are having severe issues related to psychopathy and most of those are similar to the symptoms I mentioned earlier, now it is time for you to accept that there is something seriously wrong with you and you can deal with it. 

Otherwise, if you keep yourself in denial, your subconscious mind would try to blame your partner for all those things going on within your head. 

#2 Recognize & fix a way out

Now that you have accepted your problem, it is time to recognize the exact issue and figure out ways to deal with it. Not while tempted and in a vulnerable state, but when you are in a normal situation, try to recall what exactly you do with your partner, and how you feel before and after that. I know it is much more difficult than said, but recognizing the trait is pretty important to figure out a solution. 

Once the traits are clear to you, you can fix a way out of this at your convenience. Remember, there is no template solution for everyone, and for the same problem, different solutions work depending on people. Just never be too harsh on yourself and never fix a strict goal to reach a certain point. 

#3 Self-care is key

As I said, there is no template solution for this issue depending on different problems and people. But in that course of dealing with the problems, you must care for yourself a lot. No matter how lovingly other people treat you, healing and caring must come from within. This self-care involves physical, emotional, and mental care that includes exercise, meditation, and engaging in activities that bring you joy and relaxation. For medication purposes, you can take the help of yoga and aromatherapy as well.

#4 Create & maintain boundaries

The primary problem of all relationships starts when either of the people starts disrespecting the other’s boundaries. Love-obsessed people do this very frequently due to the various feelings they go through. But you must understand that infiltrating your partner’s boundary is not gonna make you calm, rather your mind will always keep looking for a loophole if it is psychopathically obsessed. 

So, before your partner sets a boundary for you, better you create your own. Now you have to be strict with yourself in this single thing so that you will never violate this boundary no matter what comes to mind. 

Initially, it might feel pretty difficult to you, but within a week you will witness a more peaceful, less bothered, and more productive version of yourself. 

#5 Avoid self-medication of drugs & alcohol

You might feel that some sleeping pill is helping you to have better sleep, or maybe regular consumption of some specific drugs or alcohol is helping you release some of your stress and reduce your emotional suffering. But in the long run, these narcotic substances will lead to the development of chronic paranoia and make you completely dependent on them. Thus Substance abuse can worsen the symptoms of psychopath love obsession and can lead to other problems. 

#6 Develop a support ecosystem

If you often have thoughts like there is no purpose in your life, being violent, and hurting yourself physically, I want to mention that you are suffering from severe symptoms of psychopath love obsession. In such cases, it becomes very important to create an ecosystem around you that will be there to support you emotionally. It can be your family, close friends, some mobile app, or anything. They must be those people whom you won’t hesitate to share any of your thoughts with, who won’t judge you, and who support you unconditionally. 

#7 Seek professional help

Psychopathic love obsession is such a severe psychological phenomenon that is not self-treatable. So, all those things I mentioned earlier will work effectively only when you are consulting and getting yourself treated by some professional. So never hesitate to seek help from a psychiatrist and follow their advice with the combination of mine as mentioned in the previous points.

How to deal with love-obsessed psychopaths?

As I kept saying from the very beginning, for a normal human being, dealing with love-obsessed psychopaths is an absolute nightmare. It doesn’t only exhaust a normal person, but might also develop severe trauma within them. Besides, one has to be pretty careful while dealing with such psychopaths, because these people might have various dangerous tendencies like being violent, harming themselves, etc.

So, in this part of our article, I would like to talk about ideal ways through which you can not only deal with such people but can also when while keeping yourself safe. 

• With psychopathically love-obsessed people it becomes very important to set up clear boundaries about both of your lives. In this context, you need to clearly communicate the areas where neither of you can interfere. Once you are done with setting up boundaries, now you have to be strict with them. Never let your psychopath partner cross the boundary you have set up. 
• Choose your words carefully. As such love-obsessed people tend to be very sensitive emotionally, you must not say something too harsh that might push them towards violence or any kind of self-harm. 
• Console them. Here you have to understand that you are the person whom your partner depends on, no matter if they are psychopaths. So, if in the very first place you decided to fall in love with this person, taking care of them should also be your responsibility. So, if they are facing any emotional difficulty and seeking help even subconsciously, if not consciously, you should console them. Just sit beside your partner and tell them that you are always there to help. Convince them to seek professional help. Go with them to the expert and explain things about them that they are unable to explain. 
• Don’t let them isolate and don’t spend time in isolation with them. Due to high levels of emotional vulnerability, such people tend to think abnormal things whenever they stay alone or alone with their partner. It might be about being violent, finding flaws, abnormal sexual practices, and even suicide. So, always try to engage them with various activities, take them to movies, and indulge your partner in some outdoor games.
• Physical violence is a big NO. I understand how much angry you get when your psychopathically love-obsessed partner keeps irritating you. But never let your anger control you so much that you lead yourself toward physical violence. So, the mantra is clear: never do it, and never entertain it. 
• Recognize your red flag & cutoff. If it has become a long time that you have kept trying but nothing improved between you two, then start identifying the red flags and gradually try to come out of the relationship. No matter how much it hurts you, always remember being single is a thousand times better than being in a toxic relationship. 

To sum up…

So, we've covered a lot of ground here. We've talked about the symptoms of love obsession in psychopaths and the potential causes behind it, from childhood trauma to substance abuse. We've also explored the impact that this kind of obsession can have on victims, from emotional distress to physical harm.

But let's not forget that love-obsessed psychopaths are also suffering. They may be dealing with their own internal demons and struggles, which can be just as difficult to confront and overcome as the aftermath of their actions.

If you or someone you know is dealing with these kinds of issues, it's important to seek professional help. Whether you're the victim or the sufferer, you don't have to go through this alone. With the right support and resources, it's possible to heal and move forward toward a healthier, happier future.

Remember, love, should never come at the cost of someone else's well-being. Let's all work towards building relationships that are based on respect, empathy, and genuine care for one another.

Ultimately, the only way to truly combat psychopath love obsession is through education, awareness, and a commitment to taking action. By working together to address this issue, we can help create a safer, healthier, and more loving world for all.