Unreciprocated or unrequited love is when you long for someone who doesn't share your sentiments. Perhaps you have romantic feelings, sexual attraction, or an intense desire to be close to someone, but they don't express or acknowledge the same interest.
Less than a relationship, but more than a casual encounter or booty call, a situationship refers to a romantic relationship that is, and remains, undefined. "A situationship is that space between a committed relationship and something that is more than a friendship," explains psychotherapist and author Jonathan Alpert.
"Limerence is a term that was coined by [psychologist] Dorothy Tennov in the '70s," relationship therapist Eliza Boquin, LMFT, tells mbg. "It refers to the exciting feelings you get when you first meet someone. During this time we often just want more of that person—more time, more affection, etc.
According to Helen Fisher and her colleagues, the reason romantic rejection gets us hooked is that this sort of rejection stimulates parts of the brain associated with motivation, reward, addiction, and cravings.
Unrequited love or one-sided love is love that is not openly reciprocated or understood as such by the beloved. The beloved may not be aware of the admirer's deep and pure affection, or may consciously reject it. Merriam-Webster defines unrequited as "not reciprocated or returned in kind".
Being attracted to a person who does not share the affection shown to him or her is not uncommon. This situation can be very hurtful and stressful. However, feelings cannot be forced. Therefore, you should let go of one-sided love.
The answer is Dopamine. A drug like chemical that pulsates the body in search of pleasure. The dopamine-driven reward loop triggers a rush of euphoric drug-like highs when chasing a crush and the desire to experience them repeatedly.
When you are truly like someone, you really look forward to any connection you may have. You constantly check your phone for texts, calls, emails, etc. Just thinking about your next conversation makes you smile ear to ear. If you are dating them just to kill time you might be too lazy to reply to their messages.
Cupioromantic: describes a person who wants a romantic relationship, but does not feel romantic attraction. Cupiosexual: describes a person who wants to have sex, but does not feel sexual attraction.
Emotional invalidation is the act of dismissing or rejecting someone's thoughts, feelings, or behaviors. It says to someone: “Your feelings don't matter. Your feelings are wrong.” Emotional invalidation can make you feel unimportant or irrational. It can take many forms and happen at any time.
As she says, “in situationships, there's often a lack of clear boundaries, commitment, and labels, making it difficult to know where each person stands”. This lack of clarity can mean you don't always get closure or an official breakup, and this in itself can make it harder to move on.
According to Jessica Alderson, relationship expert and founder of So Synced, a textationship is a term used to describe a connection between two people that has primarily developed through text messaging.
In Layman's terms, platonic crushes mean having intense feelings of love, attraction, and affection for someone without the urge to make it romantic or sexual.
Scientifically, having a crush and falling for someone releases feel-good hormones like dopamine and adrenaline. Part of the chase is a chase for those brain chemicals, to feel those euphoric feelings again.
Ignoring a guy is one of the smartest and savviest tricks to get them to chase you. It makes them want you more and is a surefire way to get him right where you want him. If your curiosity is piqued, and you want to find out more on how to go about it, you're in the right place.
In reality, it's not uncommon in long-term relationships for attraction amongst partners to dissipate. There was once sexual attraction but the spark has died. If you've noticed that your feelings of attraction for your partner have faded, you're certainly not alone.
Ultimately, it's best not to commit to a relationship with someone until you feel attracted to the person completely. That said, it's totally OK to date and see if connection and physical chemistry grow. Initial attraction is like the first chapter of a book. It's the start of a story.
The amount of time needed will usually depend on how long you've been in unrequited love. For those who've been crushing hard for multiple years, Burns estimates "you'll likely need at least three months to get to a more neutral place."