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lovesickness
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lovesickness

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Lovesickness is the mental state brought on by the personal experience of unrequited love, or unrequited limerence (also known as infatuated love or being smitten).: "The English language lacked a noun singular for the state of being love smitten, or having fallen in love, until Dorothy Tennov (1979) coined the term, limerence, to fill the void. It is formally defined as follows:

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  • Scientific research
  • In the arts
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Lovesickness is the mental state brought on by the personal experience of unrequited love, or unrequited limerence (also known as infatuated love or being smitten). Research on the biology of romantic love indicates that the early stage of intense romantic love (also called passionate love) resembles addiction, but academics do not currently agree on how love addiction is defined. Lovesickness is characterized by addictive cravings, depression and intrusive thoughts about a love object.

The term "lovesickness" is rarely used in modern medicine, though new research is emerging on the impact of heartbreak on the body and mind.

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