Love Bombing

Love bombing is an abuse tactic used to lure or keep someone in a relationship. It often involves intense displays of affection, admiration, and grand gestures. Love bombing can happen at any relationship stage but is more common when two people first meet. While all this attention may seem flattering, it can be dangerously manipulative.

Love bombing is defined as the continuous “bombing” of a person with flattery, compliments, and affection.1 It comes in various forms–gift-giving, long-winded messages, social media interactions, and passionate declarations of love–and is often used by those with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD).

 

Typically, a person being loved bombed will be flooded early in a relationship with their partner’s desire to discuss their future together. The love bomber may be overly communicative about their feelings for the person. The partner may even claim they love the person or the person is their “soul mate” However, this behavior is rarely altruistic as the partner seeks to make gains for their hopelessly romantic expressions, whether control, success, or unwavering admiration.