📊 Am I Normal?
💣

💑 Relationships

Am I being love-bombed?

Love bombing precedes 75% of narcissistic relationship cycles.

Rate each statement 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Your score updates live.

1My partner said "I love you" within the first few weeks of dating.
2I receive extravagant gifts or grand gestures that feel disproportionate to how long we've been together.
3My partner contacts me constantly throughout the day and expects immediate replies.
4My partner gets visibly upset or guilt-trips me if I don't respond right away.
5The relationship moved extremely fast — meeting family, using pet names, or discussing the future within weeks.
6My partner wants to spend every free moment together and seems hurt when I have other plans.
7The level of affection sometimes feels overwhelming rather than comforting.
8My partner has pushed for major commitments (moving in, trips, shared finances) very early in the relationship.
9I've noticed my friendships fading because my partner's demands take up all my time and energy.
10I feel guilty for wanting personal space or time alone away from my partner.

Try Next

👫

Do I have enough close friends?

💑Relationships
🌹

Am I spending too much on dates?

💑Relationships
🕐

Do we spend enough time together?

💑Relationships
⚔️

Do we fight too much?

💑Relationships
🧒

Is my kid on screens too much?

👨‍👩‍👧Family
🪙

How much allowance is normal?

👨‍👩‍👧Family
🫂

Am I lonelier than most people?

🧠Mental Health
💝

What is your love language?

🧿Psychology

What is love bombing?

Love bombing is a manipulation tactic where someone overwhelms you with excessive affection, attention, and grand gestures early in a relationship. It creates an intense emotional dependency that makes it harder to recognize — and leave — when abusive patterns emerge later. Research links love bombing to narcissistic personality disorder, with studies finding it precedes roughly 75% of narcissistic relationship cycles.

Love bombing vs. genuine affection

The difference is not about intensity alone — it is about pace, reciprocity, and respect for boundaries. Genuine affection grows naturally and respects your autonomy. Love bombing disregards your pace, pressures rapid commitment, and often comes with strings attached.

  • Genuine: Respects your need for space, grows gradually, encourages your independence
  • Love bombing: Ignores boundaries, escalates rapidly, creates guilt when you pull back

Three dimensions this quiz measures

  • Intensity (items 1-3): How quickly and intensely affection and declarations appear — premature "I love you," excessive gifts, constant contact
  • Pace (items 4-7): How fast the relationship accelerates — pressure to respond, meeting family early, wanting all your time, overwhelming affection
  • Control signals (items 8-10): Underlying control — pushing major commitments, isolating you from friends, making you feel guilty for independence

The narcissistic love bombing cycle

Love bombing typically follows a predictable pattern described in clinical literature:

  • Phase 1 — Idealization: You are showered with attention, gifts, and declarations. You feel like the center of their world.
  • Phase 2 — Devaluation: The affection gradually turns into criticism, control, and emotional withdrawal.
  • Phase 3 — Discard/Hoover: They push you away, then pull you back with another round of love bombing to maintain control.

Red flags in early dating

  • Saying "I've never felt this way before" in the first week
  • Wanting to be exclusive before you've had time to evaluate compatibility
  • Getting jealous of your existing friendships or family time
  • Making you feel like you owe them something for their grand gestures
  • Mirroring your interests, values, and personality to seem like a perfect match

Sources: Strutzenberg et al. (2017, love bombing and narcissism), Archer (2000, intimate partner dynamics), Dutton & Painter (1993, traumatic bonding theory).

Note: This quiz is educational, not diagnostic. If you recognize these patterns and feel unsafe, consider speaking with a therapist or contacting the National DV Hotline (1-800-799-7233).