Feeling that you love that person beyond what you could have imagined, to the point that from the moment you wake up until you go to sleep you want to be by their side, as if you had an addiction. This is called “passionate love” and, according to psychology experts, it is what is normally experienced at the beginning of a relationship before moving on to “romantic love,” which is more stable. How do you know if you and your better half have passionate love? With these 7 signs you can determine it and even verify if they are on the healthy side of passion or there are red flags that you should take into account. In the end, some tips to keep this stage alive for longer.
1. Their intimacy and chemistry is incredible
Passion and sex commonly go hand in hand, so in the stage of passionate love, intimacy is wonderful. The intensity with which they love each other means they enjoy everything from foreplay to cuddling afterward, and they never seem to get tired. It’s like they share a special chemistry that makes them have an incredible sexual connection. This, on the one hand, can help strengthen the bond and help you grow and evolve as a couple; But, if sex is the only thing that maintains the relationship and takes priority over everything else, be careful, because it will be very difficult to last over time based on this alone.
2. It changes you
In passionate love, your partner motivates you to grow and be your best version. These are changes that make coexistence and connection advance. For example, you are now more patient or more tolerant of certain things, or you now show better self-esteem because you feel that someone loves you. But if these changes are not positive or force you to become ANOTHER person, then this is a big red flag. It is not the same that you are motivated to exercise more because your better half likes to have an active lifestyle, than that you undergo crazy diets and want to modify your entire body just to like it. Your individuality must be maintained and respected.
3. There is mutual respect
There is a misconception that passion means letting yourself go completely, that those heated fights that we see in soap operas, in which screams and even blows go from nothing to an intense kiss and declarations of eternal love, are an ideal of what a relationship should be. Nothing further from reality. This is a representation of a toxic relationship. Disagreements should not lead to disrespect, because this rather kills passion. Passionate love values both points of view and debates without causing harm. The conversations are healthy and seek to reach a solution.
4. Influences your logical thinking
This is a double-edged sword. Because passionate love is intense, it can cause you to not always think rationally. On the one hand, this can help you experience new and exciting things and let yourself go a little, which is not a bad thing. Almost all couples need a little spontaneity in their lives. But, on the other hand, ignoring all your logic can cause you to fall into inappropriate behaviors, or not see the red flags that are in front of you. This is why there are so many toxic relationships: people fall madly and passionately in love with someone who is not good for them. Again, you need to pay attention, because if it makes you feel bad, it’s probably bad.
5. It makes you long for your partner
Almost all relationships stop at that initial stage in which it almost hurts to separate. From the moment you wake up you think about your sweetheart and throughout the day there are dozens of text messages. You wonder what he does all the time and you can’t wait to see him anymore. This is part of passionate love that, little by little, gives way to more individuality, respecting that everyone has things to do but knowing that, when they see each other, there will be sparks. But if either party feels this more intensely, or that desire to see each other reaches the point of negatively affecting their daily lives and even their work or relationships with friends and family, the longing is no longer positive.
6. It makes everything more fun
Or, rather, it makes you happy. You no longer spend your nights with the only company of your television; Now you have long, deep conversations and find joy even in making dinner. They make each other laugh, accompany each other in their hobbies and help each other avoid monotony. Passionate love helps you find more joy in life, because truly falling in love is what can ensure that that passion is well directed and used, creating an emotional connection that will help strengthen the bond you share.
7. Unleash your vulnerability
Passion and love make you vulnerable. They tear down those barriers that you had built to protect yourself, perhaps due to bad experiences in the past. Now you are more willing to do new things, to talk about things that you previously hid. And all because someone makes you feel so intensely that your vulnerability is no longer a weakness, but a strength. Healthy passionate love creates an environment of trust in which you can reveal your insecurities and dreams because you will find support. But when this passion is unhealthy and has developed with the wrong person, this vulnerability can hurt you. Therefore, being alert for red flags even within falling in love is essential.
Tips for a lasting passion
Taking into account the previous signs, we can affirm the following: a passionate relationship will not last if this passion is based solely on the physical and sexual, because the flame will eventually go out; if the couple cannot communicate and there is no mutual respect, giving way to misunderstandings and conflicts; and if there is a resistance to change and evolution. So, for passionate love to last in a relationship beyond that exciting initial stage, there must be mutual respect and admiration that creates a solid foundation that is not just that initial attraction, there must be effective communication, the parties must balance their individualities with their time as a couple and must evolve over time, because by growing hand in hand and adapting to life’s changes, they will be able to keep the passion alive.
