Dr. Alok Kanuja (Dr. K)

So like these people, like, you know, there's a big tradition at the program that I trained at about being like really like philosophical and thinking about like, why does illness happen?

And then also these people are neuroscientists.

So they sort of approach it from a couple of different angles.

And I think attachment theory is a great way to start.

But I sort of lean heavily into sort of this neuroscience approach.

And if we look at limerence, there are some features of it that are basically very similar to OCD.

So if we look at OCD, OCD is obsessive compulsive disorder and is characterized by intrusive thoughts.

You don't want to think these things.

You don't like to think these things and you can't control thinking these things.

We also know that OCD is highly inheritable.

So there's like a large genetic component to OCD.

So there's one really interesting specific attachment pattern which separates limerence from

from a standard anxious attachment.

So when we think about normal anxious attachment, we're talking about your primary caregivers being unavailable to make you feel safe and loved part of the time.

So that there's some of the time if you cry loud enough, they will show up and love you.

So in people with limerence, there's a really interesting, I don't know if it's unique.

I don't know exactly how common it is.

We don't have a great data about this, but there's one really interesting pattern.

It's that when your primary caregiver

was unable to meet your emotional needs, there is a third party who is distantly connected who for a brief period of time gives you everything that you want, right?