Limerence.

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Holy crap! That's happened to me! It's nearly ruined my life on more than one occasion!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limerence

How do you prevent it? How do you stop it in its tracks?

Edited to add: Longest I ever had it last was about two years, give or take. But I've had it rear its head and then flame out at the end of a mere few months.

Also, I'm not attached to anybody at all right now, but I think I'm experiencing an ongoing, somewhat mild variant of this condition. It has to do with not having a girlfriend and wanting one really, really bad. It robs me of far, far more energy than it ought to... and it feels like I'm being mentally murdered.

Wildman, I nearly leapt out of my chair when I saw your post.
I read about limerence a while back and I recognised everything about it that had driven me crazy over the years,
to experience it is to feel the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.
I have tried to talk myself out of it so many times, to tell myself I am a mature woman with a family what is the matter with me, but it is so hard.
It is difficult to stop in its tracks because at first it feels so good and gives you a wonderrful dimension to your life. Then the frustration creeps in and the emptyness. Next thing, woosh, you're back again in the land of the truly fortunate, you wouldnt change a thing, its all marvellous and he/she is the most fascinating creature on earth, hey you're pretty fascinating yourself, then down you plummet, theyre not around, do they actually notice you etc etc. Oh yes, its a rollercoaster ride and no mistake!
I dont know the answer apart from a lot more self discipline than I could ever possess, but you have my sympathy, Wildman and I wish you well.

There must be some cognitive strategy to preempt it, or to squelch it.

I do not think it is a good thing at all. I do not want to ever experience it, ever again.

It just sucked... in the big picture, it was just horrible.

I have a very strong desire to overcome it forever.

How?

IMO this is just another variant of AS obsessions, but instead of being a thing it is focussed on a person.

It helped me very much to view it from that persepctive... to realize this is "just" obsessive thinking.

So what is the wrongplanet.net consensus on how to thwart aspie obsession?

Was there a 10 page super-thread on that topic that ran its course long before I got here?

From the info (though I haven't read any critiques), it sounds like you don't have to be an aspie to experience it.

But I'm sure there's a definite tie-in in our case.

I don't really remember any good advice the last time this was brought up. None that worked too well for me, anyway.