Struggling with a Dating Addiction

I was the same exact way. What helped me the most was “dating myself”. Treating myself to meals or other things like a movie alone. Finding out what sort of things I really enjoy and putting more into those hobbies was helpful. Just finding joy in other parts of my personal life and working on the friendships I had so that I felt less lonely during it. But it really is hard waiting for the right person! Better to be waiting than getting your heart broken over and over though. I may have that experience too. Haha

Best advice for this is to date yourself. You may have heard that if you're not well-adjusted alone, you won't be well-adjusted together. It's true. You don't need a relationship. Relationships are not for being whole, they're for spending more time with someone we want in our lives. Be whole with yourself. Be affectionate towards yourself. Compliment yourself, love yourself, take yourself on dates, clean up your looks and wardrobe to impress yourself, and flex your hobbies nd skills and job for yourself. Buy yourself nice things as a present for special occasions. Cook dinner for yourself when you're feeling down, or take yourself out to eat when you don't have the energy to cook, or curl up comfy on the couch for a relaxed night of watching movies when you need some downtime. When you enjoy your own company, your life as both single and partnered will be better. Also... That said... There's nothing wrong with getting in a casual rebound relationship with someone else who's going through the same thing. Me and my wife broke up and I immediately started dating someone else (I had been waiting to for a while), and that person also just got out of a stressful longterm romance. We talked a lot about our individual circumstances and bonded over romance struggles, and have agreed to a super slow, super casual dating scheme where we mostly chat online and send memes, occasionally we get high together or play boardgames or go to the park. We're kind and somewhat affectionate, but with no pressure and no committment. It's been 3 years and we've settled into a mostly friendly arrangement and I feel single again for the first time since high school, and it's finally not stressful. Maybe that kind of arrangement would be good for you. I don't know. Either way, it may be nice talking to someone who knows how you're feeling. tldr, you don't have to date, and you don't have to not date. What is important, is healthy habits and honest communication.

Learn how to love yourself before you go looking for someone else to love you. If you love yourself first & figure out the reason you are afraid of being alone before you get into a relationship, you'll have a much more stable & healthier relationship because then you'll know what you need out of that relationship to make you happy (and you'll be able to recognize when that relationship doesn't serve you/your needs).

I was the same way before I got married. I felt like I needed someone with me all the time. I was afraid of being alone. You will have to convince yourself to stay single if that's what you need. I know it's not easy but stop looking for a relationship, you can do it