Red Flags vs. Butterflies

Learn to distinguish between healthy excitement and warning signals:

• Love-bombing (excessive attention early on) is not romance — it is a control tactic
• Jealousy is not proof of love — it is proof of insecurity
• Intermittent reinforcement (hot and cold behavior) creates addiction, not attachment
• "I've never felt this way before" in week one is a red flag, not a compliment

The hardest truth: red flags feel exciting when your nervous system is wired for chaos. You are not stupid for being attracted to them. Rewiring takes awareness and practice.