Signs of Love Bombing (Real vs. Fake)

Love bombing is a way a toxic or narcissistic person will display their “affection” for you in the early stages of dating. It is not genuine or real; it is merely a show to hook you into the relationship. They want you to like/love them so you will trust them and give them what they want, which is someone to adore them in an unhealthy way.

Since this is not real love or interest, it is their way of manipulating you into falling in love with them. You think they are this wonderful person when, in fact, they are just playing a character. They are not real because they do not know who they are. They have developed tactics and things they do to get what they need; love, attention, admiration, etc. This is very similar to codependency, except someone who is codependent will give in order to get, while a narcissist will take in order to get what they need.

People will often ask, “How do I know this is fake?” One thing to remember is that this isn’t a normal part of dating. It is normal for someone to be interested in you, but NOT to an extreme degree. This includes:

• Excessive compliments and words of affirmation — You’ll hear phrases like: you’re amazing, I’ve never met anyone like you, you’re perfect, you’re the one, I love everything about you.
• Gifts, trips, etc. — Nothing says romance like prince charming…