Lucy is always on the hunt for Mr. Right. She desperately looks for him everywhere – online, at the Laundromat and in the grocery store. She always looks the part, made up and ready for a date no matter where she is, even if it means starving herself or binging and purging to drop a few pounds. Once she finds him, she just knows everything will be okay.

Obsessed with finding “the one” who will complete her, she doesn’t realize that her neediness and intensity turn men off. No matter how hard she tries, her relationships rarely last beyond the first few dates. Her obsession with boys is also a turn-off to women, who struggle to form close friendships with her because she drops them at the first sign of interest from a boy.

Lucy’s moods rise and fall depending on the state of her romantic life. She feels good about herself when she has the attention of a boy, but anxious and depressed when single. While waiting for love she may invite casual sex as a substitute, hoping that just maybe one of these will “work out.”

Why She Seeks Treatment

Lucy’s obsession with her appearance may develop into a full-blown eating disorder. She may seek treatment for eating issues or depression first and, in the course of therapy, realize how closely tied in her romantic obsessions have been.

To avoid being alone, Lucy may hook up with a married man. She secretly thinks he’ll choose her over his wife, but he never does. When the affair is revealed, she is humiliated and ashamed. She seeks treatment for her depression, where she begins to explore her obsessions with love and relationships.