- [Amanda] Hey Psych2Goers, welcome back to a channel.
Each of your views, likes, comments and shares
helps us make psychology and mental health
more accessible to everyone.
So thank you, now to the video.
Are you in a relationship?
Do you have a crush on someone right now?
Are you really in love, or are you just emotionally hungry?
Emotional hunger can be caused by deprivation in childhood.
Those who suffer from emotional hunger
usually look to rely on something or someone else,
to fill a void or emptiness in themselves.
SACAC counseling, describes that emotional hunger
can look like love, and is often mistaken for it.
But it has the opposite effect
on the person that's directed toward.
Love nurtures, while emotional hunger drains the others
and leaves them empty.
If you started your relationship in desperation
with only attention and affection in mind,
it's best to evaluate if that desire
is being mistaken as true love.
So how do you know if you're confusing
emotional hunger for love?
Well, here are six signs that you are emotionally hungry.
Number one, you seek approval and adapt to what others want.
Do you jump to conclusions about what others think of you?
Well, if you often determine how others view you,
that is a sign of emotional hunger.
Furthermore, seeking their approval
and adapting to what you think they want is another sign.
In reality, you are simply stressing yourself
by assuming what others want of you.
When in doubt, the best you can do is ask them.
Number two, you give all of yourself.
If you're emotionally hungry for a relationship,
odds are you'll seek it from just about anywhere.
This means you could be giving too much of yourself,
when you finally do get ahead of
what it is you think you need.
Are you always available for your partner?
Do you overly do favors for them
at the risk of your own needs?
You may view that giving all of yourself
will ensure the relationship will last.
In reality, you are needs should be met as well.
Doing so, can give you the confidence needed
to lessen your emotional health.
Number three, you are dependent on social status.
Those who suffer from emotional hunger
may seek out their needs by having many friends.
The more the healthier, or that's what they think.
They may suffer from self-esteem.
So they seek out comfort and validation
from a strong social status.
They may even feel a strong attachment to someone
who has high status as a way to have
validation through them.
If their emotional reserves are not met,
they believe a high social status could be a fix.
While support from friends is helpful,
it's also a great idea to look inwards,
and find what it is you need from yourself first.
If you work towards having a positive self image,
your emotional hunger should lessen over time.
Number four, you don't have boundaries.
Do you struggle with boundaries in your relationships?
This is also a sign.
It's best to learn to respect your partner's boundaries,
and set some healthy ones, if you don't already have them.
Quality time together with your partner is great.
But it's also healthy to be alone sometimes.
Or experience new things with new groups of people.
Number five, you solely use casual sex or substances
to meet your emotional needs.
Some struggling with emotional hunger
may just be looking for a way to numb the pain
of their emotional needs.
They may isolate themselves or turn to drugs
or alcohol as a way to cope.
Avoiding important feelings
by seeking certain numbing or thrilling sensations,
is just another sign of emotional hunger.
Another way this can show itself,
is through using casual sex,
solely as a way to have your emotional needs met.
According to therapist, Markie Keelan,
sex can be the easiest way to trick ourselves
into getting our emotional needs met.
We get validation that we are worthy
of another person's time,
mixed with endorphins and the pleasure centers
of our brain make us feel good.
And number six, you're overly clingy.
Many enjoy some love and attention.
But if you are overly clingy,
your partner may feel suffocated.
Emotionally hungry individuals may show
their devotion and affection early in the relationship.
Similar to giving too much of yourself in a relationship,
some individuals can be overly clingy,
as a way to ensure the relationship lasts.
While attention and defection are of course,
a healthy part of a relationship,
Some can mistake this desire for constant affection
and attention as love.
According to SALAC counseling,
when a person grows up without love or affection as a child,
that manifests itself into a strong need
for emotional closeness as an adult.
To get this need met,
a deprived person may latch onto a romantic partner,
or even their child.
The result is an emotionally draining relationship.
Where the victim is constantly having their
emotional energy drained by the deprived person.
So, did you relate to any of you signs?
If so, what steps do you plan to take next?
Share with us in the comments.
The first that to lessening that emotional craving
is to look at your needs, and how you can satisfy them.
Self-reflection is key to having a healthy mind.
And with a positive self image,
you can wave a strong goodbye to that emotional hunger
that's just eating at you.
If you found this video helpful,
don't forget to click the like button
and share this video with someone who might
be struggling with emotional hunger.
Subscribe to Psych2Go and hit the notification bell icon
for more content like this.
And as always, thanks for watching.