Psychology In Seattle Podcast Limerence Deep Dive (Chapter 5 - Emotional Symptoms)
Dec 2, 2025
Dr. Kirk Honda takes a fascinating plunge into the world of limerence, exploring its emotional symptoms. He dissects a Reddit anecdote to illustrate the difference between brief infatuation and true limerence disorder. The discussion includes his criteria for diagnosing limerence, emphasizing its long-lasting nature. He also probes why some individuals become trapped in obsessive patterns while others bounce back. This insightful analysis sheds light on a complex emotional experience that many face.
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Reddit Example Of Early Infatuation
- Kirk Honda recounts a Reddit story about a woman who met a man at a bar and felt intense longing after he seemed to blow her off the next day.
- He uses this example to show how people quickly label experiences as limerence without enough detail or clinical criteria.
Reserve 'Limerence' For Pathology
- Kirk argues limerence should be reserved for pathological cases rather than everyday infatuation or crushes.
- He contends the term carries clinical weight and should delineate problematic, impairing patterns from normal romantic feelings.
Limerence Often Persists For Years
- Kirk reports qualitative responses suggesting limerence episodes often last years, with a median anecdotal duration around four years.
- He highlights that many people endure chronic, cyclical obsession unlike short-lived infatuations.