1. We Become Totally Obsessed with That Person

When we fall in love for the first time, we become totally obsessed with that person. They're all we think about, and we want to spend all our time with them. It's such an intense experience and takes over our lives. We want to know everything about them and when we're not with them we're messaging them or looking at their photo.

2. Feeling That We'll Never Fall in Love Again

You also think that this is it, and you'll never fall out of love with them or in love with someone else. How can this ever happen again? Maybe you won't fall in love the same way again, but it will happen. So don't worry that you'll never find love again if you split with your first love - you will!

3. We're Convinced That We Can't Live without Them

First love generally happens when we're quite young and haven't yet learned that love is a bonus, not an absolute necessity. Later on, you realize that you can be happy on your own, and that makes you a better partner when you do find someone. But that first love experience leaves you convinced that you can't live without them and you desperately need to be with them.

4. The Pain when It Goes Wrong

It's painful when any relationship goes wrong, but there's something especially wounding about the end of a first love. It's the first time you've experienced the rush of falling in love, and so it hits you particularly hard when you lose that love. It's tough, but you will fall in love again and be happy, even though it feels as though you'll never be happy again.

5. It's with Someone Unsuitable

It's quite common for your first love to be someone who your family and friends might consider unsuitable. Think of the classic scenario of falling in love with a bad boy! Perhaps their appeal is because you know that people wouldn't approve; it's the draw of the forbidden.

6. You're Taken by Surprise

First love can also catch you by surprise. You might not even be looking for a partner, but then you meet someone and boom! Your first love might also be someone you'd never thought you'd fall in love with, such as a guy you've been friends with for ages.

7. You Never Forget Them

None of us ever forget our first love, and there's often a lot of regrets that we lost them. But perhaps we wouldn't have been so keen on them if we'd stayed together; with time, you start to become aware of your partner's less appealing traits! There's also the fact that the passage of time makes us remember only the good things so that we have an image of our first love that isn't quite accurate.

It's an amazing experience falling in love for the first time, and really hurts when we lose that love. But fear not - there is plenty more love and happiness in your future! If you haven't yet fallen in love, what would you like your partner to be like?