Unrequited love is feelings of strong emotional attachment and desire directed towards a person that does not reciprocate these emotions.
The person receiving the unrequited love may be aware or unaware of the feelings of the person that feels love for them. Unrequited love is very common, with approximately 98% of people experiencing it at some time in their lives.
Unrequited love is sometimes called one-sided love.
More About Unrequited Love
Unrequited love may occur when someone desires a person that is significantly more physically attractive, intelligent, witty, charming, powerful, or otherwise desirable than they are. It may also occur when someone finds themselves drawn to another person already in a relationship. Platonic love is also a common base for unrequited love, when one friend starts feeling more romantic feelings than the other.
While any feelings of love, even unrequited love, can feel positive, unrequited love also typically takes an emotional toll. Because people who feel unrequited love cannot adequately express how they feel or get their emotional needs met by the objects of their affection, they may become depressed, anxious, moody, and less confident in themselves.
If other parties become aware of the love directed towards them, they may become uncomfortable, feel guilty or anxious, and reject the person that feels love for them.
The key to successfully managing unrequited love is allowing yourself time to grieve, remembering that you are not unlovable, yet accepting that the relationship is unlikely to become to love you hope it to be. When you accept this, you can open yourself up to the opportunity for reciprocated love in future.
