In the beginning, obsession and love look a lot alike. But as your relationship grows,

obsession may rear its ugly head and tear your relationship apart.

So how can you tell with your partner or someone you're interested in, is truly in love or just obsessed with you?

Here are seven signs someone is obsessed with you, and it's not love:

1: They HATE unanswered messages.

Whether you call, text, or video chat, it's normal for couples to communicate on a regular basis.

However, obsessive people want to monitor their partners 24/7.

For example, if a phone call goes to voicemail, an obsessive partner would immediately assume something is wrong.

If you don't respond within minutes, they'll get angry or accuse you of breaking their trust.

In a loving relationship, your partner should respect your time and trust you when they're not around.

On the other hand, when a relationship becomes obsessive,

your partner is only after one thing:

control.

2: They're emotionally immature.

Is your partner emotionally mature?

According to a 2013 study by Ahmadi and others, obsession goes by another name:

"immature love."

Immature love is egocentric, unforgiving and irresponsible.

It stems from deep-rooted insecurities, which signify a general lack of trust.

Since love and emotional maturity are tightly woven together, many young relationships tow the line between love and obsession.

3: They take without giving.

What are the core components of a loving relationship?

In a 1983 study, Curtis explains that there are four pieces of a healthy romantic relationship.

Two of those pieces are "giving" and "needing."

In other words, loving partners should give as much as they take and take as much as they give.

When either of these pieces falls out of place, love can quickly turn into an obsession.

That's why obsessive partners favor one or the other.

Some partners give constantly,

controlling you with pity and guilt.

Others take everything from you, almost like they own you.

Whether your partner is impossibly giving or incredibly demanding, your partner isn't loving you in a healthy way.

Love should be a balance, and should impact you and your partner equally.

4: They romanticize the relationship.

Does your partner exaggerate your relationship?

Many obsessive partners crave a love that doesn't exist.

They want the kind of romance that exists in stories and fantasies,

so they romanticize their own relationships.

An obsessive partner may talk about marriage in the first month, or call you their soulmate after the first date.

If your partner doesn't see a relationship for what it really is, they may be more obsessive than loving.

5: They control you with guilt.

Does your partner use guilt as a weapon?

Do they make you feel bad about spending time with friends or family?

Some partners take over your life.

They're only satisfied when they're the center of your attention.

But that isn't love.

Love is giving your partner their space to live their own lives, not restricting their choices.

If your partner controls you with guilt, you're not dealing with love; you're dealing with obsession.

6: They're obsessed with status.

Is your partner obsessed with your reputation or status?

Sometimes, people fall in love with wealth, authority, or social power.

According to a 2006 study by Jordan and others, this condition is called "erotomania".

Erotomania creates a delusion that someone of higher status is in love with you.

This false belief begins an obsessive, usually one-sided, relationship,

which may last for years, even decades.

If your partner only cares about your status, they're not in love with you. They're obsessed.

And 7: They make false promises.

How often does your partner break their promises?

Does your partner swear they're gonna change, but never do?

If so, your partner may not be in love with you.

When you love someone, you make promises because you intend to keep them.

You're willing to sacrifice your time and effort to improve your partnership.

On the other hand, if your partner is obsessive, they don't want to improve anything.

They're only making promises to gain more control.

Hey guys! It's Yumi here, one of the partners of Psych2Go. I really want to take this time and say thank you for your continuous support.

It's because of you guys we have now hit 3.2 million subscribers!

I also want to take this time and say Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers and single fathers out there!

Take this time and go up to them and remind them that you love them and you appreciate them.

If you want to connect with me, I am going to leave my email in the description box below

and until next time, bye guys!

Have you ever experienced obsessive love before?

Have you ever dated someone who became attached to you in an unhealthy way?

Tell us about your experiences in the comments section below.

Don't forget to click the like button and subscribe for more psychology content.

And as always, thanks for watching!