YOU ARE NOT ALONE - A companion online community discussion board for The Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast with Paul Gilmartin

The author (Lesbian Love Addiction: Understanding the Urge to Merge and How to Heal When Things Go Wrong) and therapist talks about love addiction especially in the lesbian community, what coming out what like for her, myths about lesbians and what makes a good therapist.

For more about her or her book go to www.lesbianloveaddiction.com

Follow her on Twitter @DrLaurenCostine

This episode is sponsored by BlueApron. Get your first three meals free (with free shipping) by going to www.BlueApron.com/mental

This episode is sponsored by SquareSpace. For 10% off your first purchase go to www.SquareSpace.com and use offer code MENTAL.

For tickets to Paul's upcoming live podcasts in Oakland July 20 or 21 click here.

Wow. There's a lot of stuff that hit close to the bone in this episode. I guess I've always convinced myself that my love and fantasy addictions aren't really addictions. It's not that I didn't realize they are problems, that I definitely knew. What I mean is that I've always just chided myself for it. I've dismissed it as me being melodramatic and stupid. But Lauren talking about it like drug addiction...it's like I finally have permission for the pain I'm feeling. Does that make sense? The pain is there and it's real and it sucks, but I don't have to compound it by yelling at myself for being stupid for feeling that pain.

E is for Elephant wrote:the pain I'm feeling

Do you mean the pain of withdrawal, or the original pain you're covering up with the love addiction?