Will you love me if I suffer for you?

That is the title of one of the chapters in Robin Norwoods' book Women who love too much (2001).

Is being loved the same thing as being needed?
"She/he needs me, then I must be loved"

The sacrifices for being loved might become endless. 
What if this view of love is a misinterpretation?

People who have grown up in dysfunctional families often think that "if I suffer, then it must be true love. If it's painful and if it hurts a lot, then I love". But is this true? Is it really love, or is it a misinterpretation, actually coming from pain? A pain that originates in early childhood. If a child connects suffering and pain to love, then it is very easy to pick up these feelings and this pattern when becoming an adult. The person will constantly end up in relationships where him/her will feel pain and hurt.

What if love is not the same as suffering, pain and betrayal? What if it is really about respect, trust and enjoying each others company?

Think about love; how you want to love and how you want to be loved.