Obsessive Love Disorder- Symptoms and Causes. Author. Hayk S. Arakelyan. Full Professor in Medicine, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Ph.D , Grand Ph.D . Senior Expert of Interactive Clinical Pharmacology , Drug Safety, Treatment Tactics, General Medicine and Clinical Research. President of Rare and Incurable Diseases Association. Yerevan-Armenia, Tokyo-Japan. “It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche. Introduction. Obsessive love or Obsessive love disorder is a condition in which one person feels an overwhelming obsessive desire to possess and protect another person, sometimes with an inability to accept failure or rejection. “Obsessive love disorder” (OLD) refers to a condition where you become obsessed with one person you think you may be in love with. You might feel the need to protect your loved one obsessively, or even become controlling of them as if they were a possession. While no separate medical or psychological classification exists for OLD, it can often accompany other types of mental health illnesses. Talk to your doctor if you think you or a loved one may have the disorder. Treatment can help decrease the symptoms while also preventing complications with relationships. Symptoms of Obsessive Love Disorder. Symptoms of OLD may include: an overwhelming attraction to one person. obsessive thoughts about the person. feeling the need to “protect” the person you’re in love with. possessive thoughts and actions. extreme jealousy over other interpersonal interactions. low self-esteem. People who have OLD may also not take rejection easily. In some cases, the symptoms could worsen at the end of a relationship or if the other person rejects you. There are other signs of this disorder, such as: repeated texts, emails, and phone calls to the person they’re interested in.