Love Addiction: From Attachment Theory to Affective Dependency. A Transactional Analysis Perspective and Treatment Protocol

Abstract

AbstractThe authors briefly describe the etiopathogenetic origins of love addiction, including how they relate to the concepts of script protocol, symbiosis, and the stroke economy. They also consider the connection between attachment and love addiction and the various forms of love addiction. Finally, they propose a protocol for working with love addiction using transactional analysis.Keywords: Love addictionattachmentego statesgamesstrokesminiscriptscripttransactional analysis treatment Disclosure statementThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.Additional informationNotes on contributorsAntonella LiveranoAntonella Liverano is a medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analyst (psychotherapy). She lives in Rome, Italy, where she works in private practice as a psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and supervisor. She is also a teacher and supervisor at Università Pontificia Salesiana, Scuola Superiore di Specializzazione in Psicologia Clinica (SSSPC-UPS) and a trainer and supervisor at Istituto di Formazione e Ricerca per Educatori e Psicoterapeuti (IFREP). She is specialized in psychopathology with an emphasis on personality disorders and psychosis according to the TA model. Antonella is a teacher and supervisor at the Sophos Formazione AT. She is member of EATA, the Istituto di Ricerca sui Processi Intrapsichici e Relazionali (IRPIR) (an Italian TA association affiliated with EATA), and the ITAA. Antonella can be reached at Via dei Colli Albani 18, 00179 Rome, Italy; email: liveranoantonella@gmail.com.Tiziana AcetiTiziana Aceti is a psychologist and psychotherapist, a Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analyst (psychotherapy), and professional counselor. She is qualified in EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) Levels I and II. Tiziana lives in Rome, Italy, where she works in private practice as a psychotherapist. She is also Educational Director and a teacher and supervisor at Sophos Formazione AT, Rome. She is member of EATA, the Istituto di Ricerca sui Processi Intrapsichici e Relazionali (IRPIR) (an Italian TA association affiliated with EATA), and the ITAA. Tiziana can be reached at Via Colle Sangiovese, 26, 00043 Ciampino, Rome, Italy; email: tiziana.aceti@alice.it.Rosanna GiacomettoRosanna Giacometto is a psychologist, psychotherapist, and Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analyst (psychotherapy). She lives in Rome where she works in private practice as a psychotherapist. She is also a trainer and supervisor at Università Pontificia Salesiana, Scuola Superiore di Specializzazione in Psicologia Clinica (SSSPC-UPS), a trainer for the 2-year course for educators at Istituto di Formazione e Ricerca per Educatori e Psicoterapeuti, and a member of the Laboratorio di Ricerca sul Sé e sull’Identità (LaRSI) of IFREP. She is member of EATA, the Istituto di Ricerca sui Processi Intrapsichici e Relazionali (IRPIR) (an Italian TA association affiliated with EATA), and the ITAA. Rosanna can be reached at Via Riccardo Grazioli Lante 15/a, 00193 Rome, Italy; email: rgiacometto@gmail.com.