What disorders cause limerence? We read 408 first-person accounts. Only 44 name a condition themselves.

How did we get these numbers? We read 408 first-person accounts

The numbers come from the accounts.

• Read the accounts from r/limerence. Each writer described their limerent experience in their own words.
• Counted condition mentions in two passes. First pass: any mention of OCD, ADHD, autism, BPD, bipolar, or narcissism. Second pass: only accounts where the writer named a condition about themselves.

The sorting reached 92 percent accuracy in both checks.

• Hand-checked quality at 92 percent accuracy. We tested on 12 calibration accounts before the run, and 12 fresh accounts after. Both reached 92%, confirming stable sorting.

Is limerence a mental disorder? It has no DSM listing

There is no official checklist for comparing limerence against.

• Limerence has no DSM entry. The DSM (the manual doctors use to define mental health diagnoses) lists no criteria for limerence as a mental disorder.

Most accounts name no condition, and a label is not a cause.

• Most accounts name no condition at all. The accounts describe limerence without naming OCD, ADHD, autism, BPD, bipolar, or narcissism.
• 44 writers named a condition about themselves. That is 11 percent of the accounts we read.
• The count is about what people wrote. It does not say that a condition explains every case of limerence, or that every person with a condition has limerence.
• A label is not a cause. When a writer names a condition, that account alone does not show that the condition caused limerence.

Is limerence OCD? Only 6 of 408 accounts self-identify with OCD

Six of 408 accounts named OCD about themselves.

• Six writers named OCD about themselves. One writer connected OCD with limerence in their own account.
• These are personal descriptions. They show that some writers placed OCD and limerence in the same story, but they do not show that the two are the same thing.

Accounts and research do not show that OCD explains or causes limerence.

• Seven accounts mention OCD in any framing. This count includes mentions about another person, not only the writer.
• The broad count is different from the writer count. A mention of OCD is not the same as saying that the writer has OCD.
• Europe PMC (a free library of medical research papers) lists six results for limerence and OCD. The papers do not test which one causes the other.
• One paper directly compares the ideas. It argues that limerence is in many ways distinct from OCD.
• The research question remains open. A comparison between two ideas is not proof that one causes the other.

If you want more detail on the OCD question, see the related article, Is limerence OCD or a personality issue?. It covers the nearby question without turning a personal account into a diagnosis.

"going off SSRIs, which caused my OCD-like obsessive thinking to increase"

Is it ADHD then? 19 of 408 self-identify, the most of any condition

ADHD ranks highest, with 19 of these accounts naming it about themselves.

• ADHD ranks highest. 19 accounts name ADHD about the writer.
• Broader mentions include 23 accounts. This count includes any mention, whether about the writer or another person.
• Personal views do not prove cause. One account says, "I think my brain's mishandling of dopamine is the reason I am prone to both ADHD and limerence." This is one person's idea, not proof.

Being named most often does not prove ADHD is the cause.

• Compare to other conditions. Autism reaches 17 named-it-about-themselves accounts, OCD reaches 6, BPD reaches 3, bipolar reaches 2, and narcissism reaches 0.
• The counts can add up to more than the total. Three accounts name more than one condition about themselves, so the condition counts add to 47 instead of the 44 total accounts.

What about autism? 17 of 408, nearly as many as ADHD

Autism appears in 17 accounts that name it about themselves.

• Autism appears in 17 accounts. These accounts name autism about the writer.
• Broader mentions reach 19 accounts. This count includes mentions about another person, not only the writer.
• Personal accounts do not prove cause. One writer described being diagnosed as autistic at age 49 and being 51 at the time of writing. This is one person's experience, not proof that autism causes limerence.

Autism in these accounts does not prove it causes limerence.

• Compare with ADHD. ADHD reaches 19 accounts that name it about themselves, while autism reaches 17.

"I'm autistic and socially anxious/awkward so I don't know how to talk to people."

Does BPD explain it? Just 3 of 408

Three writers named BPD about themselves.

• Three writers named BPD about themselves. Their accounts describe BPD alongside limerence.
• Personal accounts do not prove cause or diagnose the reader. One writer asked whether BPD could affect why their limerence was so intense and took so long to let go. Diagnosis needs professional assessment.
• The picture stays small. BPD appears in three self-identifications, not a measure of risk, severity, or outcome.

Three self-identifications are too few to show that BPD explains or causes limerence.

So what do the other 338 say? Most name no condition at all

Most people who describe limerence name none of the six conditions.

• Most accounts name no condition. 338 of 408 describe limerence without naming any of the six conditions.
• Absence of naming does not prove a link or a cause. These figures show words in first-person accounts, not what caused limerence.

Narcissism has zero self-identifications in these accounts.

• Narcissism is different. Narcissism appears in 20 broader mentions, but every mention concerns the loved object or ex, not the writer. Zero accounts named narcissism about themselves.

Could OCD still cause limerence? 6 papers exist, none tests direction

Europe PMC indexes 6 results for limerence and OCD.

• Europe PMC indexes 6 results. The search string limerence AND (OCD OR obsessive-compulsive) returns exactly 6 results.
• No study tests the direction of cause. None tests whether OCD leads to limerence, whether limerence leads to OCD, or whether another factor explains both.

The comparison remains theoretical, and one paper describes limerence as distinct from OCD.

• The comparison is theoretical since 1998. Experimental evidence is ambiguous, and a 2025 study found no association between SSRI use and obsessive thinking about a loved one.
• One paper argues they are distinct. It says limerence "is in many ways distinct" from OCD. See Is limerence OCD or a personality issue? for more.

Would ADHD medication help? No trial exists

Without a trial, no one can say ADHD medication helps limerence.

• No trial has tested ADHD medication for limerence. The evidence does not exist.
• A few accounts describe feeling calmer on medication. These are personal reports, not trial results.

Personal accounts are not medication trials.

• Personal reports cannot show how medication affects limerence. They do not provide trial evidence.
• For more, read [Does ADHD medication help limerence?](/articles/does-adhd-medication-help-limerence). That page gives full context.

"I've had to do a lot of internal work and some therapy and adhd meds which all helped."

My personal take: what do I make of these accounts?

I read these accounts, and what strikes me is that limerence has no entry in the DSM, while most writers did not name a condition. I do not take a label in an account as evidence that it caused limerence.

I noticed that ADHD is the condition named most often in these accounts, but I see that as a count of mentions. I take the quoted explanation as one person's idea, not proof of cause.

I also found that six writers named OCD about themselves, and seven accounts mentioned it in any framing. I see that the accounts and the research record do not establish OCD as a cause of limerence.

I do not see these accounts pointing to one label that explains limerence for everyone. I'd tell you that a qualified professional can help with diagnosis questions, while support can also focus on your experience and goals when no label fits.

What if no label fits you? You are with the majority

Your next step can focus on your experience, not a label.

• A label may not fit every experience. Most accounts were in the group with no named condition, so you are not alone if no label fits what you feel.
• Narcissism shows a different pattern. 20 accounts mentioned narcissism, but none named it about themselves; every mention was about an LO or ex.

Limerence may stand on its own, and support can focus on your goals.

• A diagnostic label is not required to talk about your experience. A qualified professional can help you explore what is happening, what you want to change, and what support may fit.
• These account counts show mentions, not causes. They also cannot tell whether any condition is present in your life, so seek a professional assessment for diagnosis questions; hypnotherapy is not a diagnosis or a substitute for professional care.

A guided next step can help you reflect on your pattern.

• You can begin with clear questions. Note what draws your attention, what makes the thoughts stronger, and what helps you return to daily life.
• You can use the site’s [guided program](/program) if it fits your goals. It is one optional way to review your experience without forcing it into a condition label.