We all know certain people that are so head over heels for their boyfriend or girlfriend that friendships seem to take a back seat. Shoot! You may even relate to this from your current or past romantic relationship. For some people, this is a common train of thought: “I’m with my special someone, so I need to spend every waking moment with that person”. Yet, the question to be asked is whether or not this train of thought references love or infatuation.

In our culture, we have one word for ‘love’ and use it for everything we like, enjoy, and cherish: “I love pizza!”; “I love the dog!”; “I love you!” According to the Greeks, there are actually four kinds of love: affection, friendship, desire, & unconditional. Each word references a type of love, but it’s not the same word used in different situations. When considering the feelings that one might have for their special someone how do these four definitions of love resonate with that relationship?

The Love Test

Try going 30 days without any physical contact and see if your relationship lasts.  Is it love or infatuation?

If you want to know if it’s love, set a boundary.  Say, “I don’t want you to cross this line”.  Love = respect.  If they love you, they will respect your boundaries and not only care about what’s best for them but also what’s best for YOU!

Don’t want to deal with depression and looking for real love?  You may want to Avoid the Risk.