Have you ever experienced the turbulent side of love, the feeling of falling in love with someone? The wonderful feeling of fluttering, the passion you feel, the feeling of falling in love—right? But what if I told you that behind this seemingly perfect facade lies something dark and sinister? What if I told you that these are warning signs of love bombing?
Welcome to the dark world of love bombing; a psychological tactic used by manipulators to control your mind and heart. In this article, we’ll talk about what love bombing means and the signs you’re experiencing it. Let’s start with what love bombing means, right?
What Does Love Bombing Mean?
Love bombing is a form of psychological and emotional abuse where someone goes to great lengths to win you over and show you how much they “love” you. They try to convince you that they’re in love with you and want nothing more than to be in a serious and exclusive relationship with you. Love bombing can happen intentionally or unintentionally. One of the most interesting things about love bombing is that, although most people who do it are romantic partners, in some cases, family members or friends may also do it.
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Warning Signs of Love Bombing: Now that we’ve discussed what love bombing means, let’s talk about the signs you’re being love bombed.
10 Warning Signs of Love Bombing
- They Spoil You with Expensive Gifts.
Because they want to be recognized for their generosity and care, love bombers often shower their partners with expensive gifts.
At first, this may seem like a dream, and you’ll feel loved and pampered, but eventually, this will develop into control, criticism, insults, or even withdrawal if they feel they aren’t receiving enough appreciation for their actions. Most importantly, the gifts they give you aren’t meant to make you feel happy and special, but rather to make you feel like you owe them something.
- They try to play the hero or savior if something happens to you.
Love bombers aren’t heroes, and always remember that they don’t even understand what it means to try to save someone or do good for someone else. In fact, they will go out of their way to help you, and they may have ulterior motives.
A common delusion among these people is to be a “hero” to those going through difficult circumstances, just to receive a flood of praise and admiration. This is one of the main warning signs of love bombers, and it’s best to be mindful of this and avoid these “helpful” people.
- They call and text you constantly.
How often does your new partner call or text you? Is the relationship one-sided, where they seem to contact you much more than you respond?
And when you do finally respond, do they respond immediately? Someone who constantly puts you first and spends all day calling and texting you is one of the most subtle signs of love bombers.
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They want to make you feel special and loved, but at the same time, they are obsessed with you. So, he continues to reach out to you, hoping you’ll feel the same and pamper yourself.
- They constantly compliment you.
“You’re so beautiful.” “You’re truly amazing. I’ve never met anyone like you in my life.” “You’re my soulmate.” “You complete me.” “I’m nothing without you.”
Compliments are a beautiful feeling, but they can also be exhausting. Because, in the end, there’s a small part of you whispering, “You don’t know me that well yet!” Emotional bombardment is a form of emotional abuse that manipulators often use to get close to you, because they know that flattery means love and is an easy way to win your heart and trust.
- They try to make you feel guilty for setting boundaries.
What does it mean to be love bombed in a relationship? To feel bad for setting boundaries! Yes, you heard that right, friend. A relationship bomber will always try to make you feel bad for setting boundaries and will make you feel guilty for breaking them.
They might say things like, “You love me, right? Why don’t you want to spend time with me?” or “We love each other. Why do you need space from me?” Every relationship needs healthy boundaries; but if someone starts testing your boundaries and tries to make you feel bad for being independent and wanting space, run away and don’t look back.
- They badmouth all their exes.
What does it mean to be love bombed in your relationships? That’s what it means. We all have issues with our exes, and that’s why they’re our exes. However, love bombers often go overboard when they complain about their exes. One of the biggest warning signs of love bombing is when they vilify all their exes and act like hapless victims.
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This isn’t a compliment; it’s just another way of saying, “I don’t take responsibility for my actions in my past relationships.” It can also be a subtle way of indulging.
When someone throws shade at their ex, such as by complaining too much, you’ll probably remember to turn a blind eye when they start exhibiting questionable behavior.
- They act like the perfect boyfriend/girlfriend, but you still feel like something’s off.
Don’t ignore this feeling—and I repeat, don’t ignore it; this is one of the clear signs that you’re being love-bombed. Maybe it was because they didn’t take no for an answer when you showed little or no interest in physical intimacy.
Or maybe it was the way they kept complimenting you on every little thing that came to mind, or maybe the smile on their face was insincere. If something feels off, it probably is. Learn to trust your instincts and do what it tells you, and everything will be fine.
- They seem to have countless traumas.
Probably everyone you know has gone through painful and difficult experiences in their past, and this may include the shooter. However, have you ever felt like they’re exaggerating their trauma? Or do you feel like they’re exploiting their past to gain your sympathy? Constantly bringing up their past is one of the shooters’ tactics to get close to you.
If they’re shooting at you at the same time, they’ll say things like, “You’re the only one who understands what I’ve been through,” or, “You’re the only one who knows.” You’ll feel like there’s nothing else you can do but be by their side, always and unconditionally.
- They push you into a serious relationship as soon as possible.
One of the biggest warning signs of a shooter is this. Shooters often try to secure a relationship quickly. They feel insecure if you try to get to know them too closely before committing to them, so they try to manipulate you into committing to them.
This could mean moving in together just two months after you met, or even proposing marriage earlier than you expected.
- They stop love bombing after they’ve “won” you over, but they’ll pick it up again if there are disagreements.
No one can love bombing forever. At some point, your “loving” partner will get bored, annoyed, or detached from you.
Once that happens, they turn their anger on you, blaming you for every little thing that goes wrong in their life. So, if you notice that love bombing only starts after things go wrong or when you seem to be considering ending the relationship, you should definitely do so.
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They’re simply afraid you’ll understand their game, which is why they rely on their “good behavior” to draw you into their drama.
Warning Signs of Love Bombing
Conclusion
True love is never complicated, confusing, or twisted; it’s just the wrong kind of “love” that can make you feel that way.
By identifying these warning signs of love bombing, you can be smart enough to protect yourself from heartbreak and make the right decision for yourself and your future. Always remember that true affection never resorts to manipulation or control. Have you noticed any of these signs of love bombing in your current or past relationships? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
