Lovesick, Or Simply In Love?
Published: October 19, 2011 (Issue # 1679)
St. Petersburg experts have decided that love is not an illness, contrary to what the World Health Organization declared earlier this month, Interfax reported.
“There are no documents that define love as an illness. The more complicated problem today is the human disability to establish significant and long-term relationships. Many people have a fear of feelings,” said Anna Vasilyeva, a senior scientist at St. Petersburg’s Bekhterev Science and Research Institute, at a press conference last week.
At the beginning of October, media sources reported that the World Health Organization classified love as an illness and even gave it a code — F63:9.
Eminent city psychotherapist and sexual health doctor Lev Scheglov said, however, that nowadays those unhappy in love often seek medical help.
“In today’s society, it’s now more acceptable to talk about sexual practices instead of feelings,” Scheglov said.
Scheglov said that an attempt to define love as an illness was nothing new.