Love bombing
What it is
A flood of attention, gifts, messages, and declarations of love at the start of a relationship — or right after a violent episode. It isn't love. It's a strategy to build emotional dependence fast.
Does this sound familiar?
How it gets justified
“I've never felt this way about anyone — this is special.”
Intensity isn't depth. The flood gets your nervous system used to a level of stimulation only they can deliver. When they pull it back later, the drop is steep enough that you'll need to come back to feel level again.
“I give you all this because you deserve it.”
Nobody gives this much this fast without a function. The early excess isn't generosity — it's an investment. It builds a bond that gets used as leverage later.
Often escalates toward
When a behavior stays unnamed, the nervous system stops registering it as alarm — and the door opens to what comes next.
Related patterns
Something feels off but you can't name it?
An exercise to listen to what the body already knows.