186: Is It Lovebombing? Or Were They Genuinely Interested?

33 snips

Feb 6, 2026

They unpack why intense early chemistry often feels like intimacy but is driven by dopamine and attachment wounds. They define love bombing, future faking, and the common red flags to watch for in fast-moving connections. They explain why hot-cold dynamics hook people and offer a simple Reality Check Pause to help slow down and evaluate whether a connection is truly sustainable.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Dopamine Fuels Chase, Not Stability

Dopamine drives pursuit and novelty, not long-term stability or bond formation.
Oxytocin builds through consistent, safe interactions and creates real attachment over time.

ANECDOTE

Friend's Two-Week Whirlwind

Sabrina shared a friend's two-week whirlwind that ended when real emotions surfaced.
They built no foundation, so the relationship crashed once ordinary emotions appeared.

ANECDOTE

Giving Everything To Avoid Discomfort

Sabrina recounts giving too much early to create safety and bypass discomfort.
She realized skipping the vetting phase left her without a foundation when things ended.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

When someone comes on strong early, it can feel like intimacy—but it’s often just intensity. In this episode, Sabrina breaks down love bombing, future faking, and why fast-moving connections activate dopamine and attachment wounds rather than real emotional safety. She explains what’s actually happening in your brain when chemistry feels overwhelming and why those relationships tend to crash just as fast.

You’ll learn the most common signs of love bombing, why stable connection can feel boring at first, and how anxious attachment keeps people hooked on the high. Sabrina also shares the Reality Check Pause, a practical tool to slow down, spot red flags early, and build relationships based on consistency, trust, and choice—not urgency or fear of being alone.

If you’re struggling with breakups or repeating unhealthy relationship cycles, this episode breaks down why heartbreak hurts so deeply and how healing actually begins.

If you’re ready to slow down, trust your instincts, and break your old dating patterns, the Healthy Relationship Foundations Course walks you through it step-by-step HERE!

If you’re serious about changing your dating patterns instead of repeating them, the Art of Going Slow course helps you unlearn urgency, regulate your nervous system, and build real connection without rushing, chasing, or abandoning yourself HERE!

Get Ad free HERE!
Want to work with Sabrina? HERE!
Get merch for The Sabrina Zohar Show HERE!
Don't forget to follow Sabrina and The Sabrina Zohar Show on Instagram and Sabrina on TikTok! Video now available on YOUTUBE!

Please support our sponsors!

Text SABRINA to 64000 to get 20% off all IQBAR products, plus FREE shipping. Message and data rates may apply.
This episode is sponsored by Betterhelp. Get 10% off your first month of Betterhelp at betterhelp.com/sabrina
Right now, Momentous is offering our listeners up to 35% off your first order with promo code SABRINA. Head to livemomentous.com
Download Cash App Today: https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/mlzhc53l #CashAppPod. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. See terms and conditions at https://cash.app/legal/us/en-us/card-agreement. Cash App Green, overdraft coverage, borrow, cash back offers and promotions provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit http://cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures.

=============================

Chapters

0:00 Love Bombing vs Real Intimacy

3:10 Intensity Feels Like Connection

6:05 Dopamine and Dating Chemistry

9:30 Why Fast Relationships Crash

12:40 Texting, Attention, and Control

16:05 Future Faking Red Flags

19:20 Intermittent Reinforcement Explained

23:10 Why Healthy Love Feels Boring

27:00 The Reality Check Pause Tool

31:00 How to Slow Down Without Losing Them

Disclaimer: The Sabrina Zohar Show, formerly known as Do The Work, is not affiliated with A.Z & associates LLC in any capacity.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices