Are Your Butterflies Sending You Relationship Warning Signs?

Infatuation can blur the line between anticipation and anxiety.

Photo by Shot by Cerqueira on Unsplash

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of new love, when simply seeing the object of your affection rounding the corner in your direction can make your heart start pounding with excitement. There is no rollercoaster I’ve ever ridden that feels quite as intense as the stomach-dropping sensation I’ve experienced during romantic infatuation.

Often, the butterflies that accompany the passion-driven early stage of love are simply your body’s way of registering happy anticipation of your next interaction with your crush or partner. After all, it’s a time when everything feels hopeful and brimming with possibility.

But not all butterflies are signaling something positive. When it comes to infatuation, there is a crucial difference between excited jitters that peak and then dissipate relatively quickly, and anxious jitters that will steadily gain strength until they transform into full-blown dread or panic. This is your body telling you that something about the emerging relationship is unsafe — either physically or emotionally, or both — and you’d be wise to pay attention.

If that sounds difficult to accomplish when your brain is love-drunk, you’re right: it is…