Perhaps you're wildly attracted to someone and thoughts of that person dominate your mind a good portion of day and night. Perhaps you can't wait until next time two of you will be together again. When you are together you can't keep your hands off one another and when you're apart, you fantasize about next time you can see one another. True love and lust are easily confused because they are so much alike.

As a rule of thumb, if you share few other interests and have nothing in common other than an overwhelming physical desire for one another...it may be lust. If you have nothing of real value to say to one another and have difficulty relating to one another outside sexual arena...it may be lust. If you don't particularly enjoy one another's company unless you're having sex...it may be lust.

On other hand, if your relationship is based on factors other than physical attraction and sex is not necessarily number one priority...it may be love. Most long-term relationships are built on a strong friendship which turns into love over time. Having sex is not driving force behind relationship, but is a nice sideline to it.

There really is such a thing as "love at first sight". It happens to many people and relationship may last for rest of their lives. A budding relationship based on lust feels much same as one which is truly "love at first sight". So how do you tell difference?

Ask yourself following questions. Read each question carefully and really think about it before answering. When answering, try to be as truthful as possible. If you can honestly and sincerely answer "yes" to all or nearly all of questions, it may be safe to assume what you feel for other person is actually love and not merely lust.

I once knew a woman who was epitome of manipulation. Her view of men was that they were a necessary evil to get things out of life she wanted. She would use them, abuse them, and then kick them to curb once they had served their purpose.

In beginning of relationship she always seemed to be a sweet, caring, nurturing woman to men she chose as her prey. Once she'd gotten what she wanted from them she'd turn into a screaming witch of a woman in order to drive man away from her.

For instance, she once decided she needed a new car but was unwilling to foot bill to pay for it herself. Not that she couldn't afford it, because she could. She had a job and earned a very good salary...good enough that she could afford to put 40% of each paycheck into her retirement savings. But to her it was unthinkable to temporarily lower percentage she put away in order to pay for a car herself.