 Hey, Psych2Goers, welcome back to our channel. Each of your views, likes, comments, and shares helps us make psychology and mental health more accessible to everyone. So thank you. Now to the video. Are you in a relationship? Do you have a crush on someone right now? Are you really in love? Or are you just emotionally hungry? Emotional hunger can be caused by deprivation and childhood. Those who suffer from emotional hunger usually look to rely on something or someone else to fill a void or emptiness in themselves. SACAC counseling describes that emotional hunger can look like love and is often mistaken for it, but it has the opposite effect on the person it's directed toward. Love nurtures while emotional hunger drains the others and leaves them empty. If you started your relationship in desperation with only attention and affection in mind, it's best to evaluate if that desire is being mistaken as true love. So how do you know if you're confusing emotional hunger for love? Well, here are six signs that you are emotionally hungry. Number one, you seek approval and adapt to what others want. Do you jump to conclusions about what others think of you? Well, if you often determine how others view you, that is a sign of emotional hunger. Furthermore, seeking their approval and adapting to what you think they want is another sign. In reality, you are simply stressing yourself by assuming what others want of you. When in doubt, the best you can do is ask them. Number two, you give all of yourself. If you're emotionally hungry for a relationship, odds are you'll seek it from just about anywhere. This means you could be giving too much of yourself when you finally do get ahead of what it is you think you need. Are you always available for your partner? Do you overly do favors for them at the risk of your own needs? You may view that giving all of yourself will ensure the relationship will last. In reality, your needs should be met as well. Doing so can give you the confidence needed to lessen your emotional hunger. Number three, you are dependent on social status. Those who suffer from emotional hunger may seek out their needs by having many friends, the more the healthier, or that's what they think. They may suffer from low self-esteem, so they seek out comfort and validation from a strong social status. They may even feel a strong attachment to someone who has high status as a way to have validation through them. If their emotional reserves are not met, they believe a high social status could be a fix. While support from friends is helpful, it's also a great idea to look inwards and find what it is you need from yourself first. If you work towards having a positive self-image, your emotional hunger should lessen over time. Number four, you don't have boundaries. Do you struggle with boundaries in your relationships? This is also a sign. It's best to learn to respect your partner's boundaries and set some healthy ones if you don't already have them. Quality time together with your partner is great, but it's also healthy to be alone sometimes or experience new things with new groups of people. Number five, you solely use casual sex or substances to meet your emotional needs. Some struggling with emotional hunger may just be looking for a way to numb the pain of their emotional needs. They may isolate themselves or turn to drugs or alcohol as a way to cope. Avoiding important feelings by seeking certain numbing or thrilling sensations is just another sign of emotional hunger. Another way this can show itself is through using casual sex solely as a way to have your emotional needs met. According to therapist, Margie Keelan, sex can be the easiest way to trick ourselves into getting our emotional needs met. We get validation that we are worthy of another person's time, mixed with endorphins and the pleasure centers of our brain make us feel good. And number six, you're overly clingy. Many enjoy some love and attention, but if you are overly clingy, your partner may feel suffocated. Emotionally hungry individuals may show their devotion and affection early in the relationship. Similar to giving too much of yourself in a relationship, some individuals can be overly clingy as a way to ensure the relationship will last. While attention and affection are of course a healthy part of a relationship, some can mistake this desire for constant affection and attention as love. According to SALAC counseling, when a person grows up without love or affection as a child, that manifests itself into a strong need for emotional closeness as an adult. To get this need met, a deprived person may latch onto a romantic partner or even their child. The result is an emotionally draining relationship where the victim is constantly having their emotional energy drained by the deprived person. So, did you relate to any of these signs? If so, what steps do you plan to take next? Share with us in the comments. The first step to lessening that emotional craving is to look at your needs and how you can satisfy them. Self reflection is key to having a healthy mind. And with a positive self image, you can wave a strong goodbye to that emotional hunger that's just eating at you. If you found this video helpful, don't forget to click the like button and share this video with someone who might be struggling with emotional hunger. Subscribe to Psych2Go and hit the notification bell icon for more content like this. And as always, thanks for watching.