How do I know if I'm emotionally dependent on someone I met online?

Mirabai loved fiercely—her devotion to Krishna was total, consuming, ecstatic. But she also knew the difference between love that expands you and love that requires you to disappear. With someone online, notice: Do you check for their messages before checking in with yourself? Does their absence create panic rather than longing? Real connection, even digital, should leave room for your own life to breathe. The examined heart—which Mirabai practiced constantly—means asking yourself uncomfortable questions. Not "Do I love them?" but "Am I using this connection to avoid being alone with myself?" That's the hard part. Online relationships can feel safer because there's a screen. You can craft your responses, your presentation. But that distance also makes it easier to project who you want them to be rather than see who they actually are. Dependency isn't about how often you talk. It's about whether you've lost the ability to make decisions without their input, to feel okay without their validation. Start small: spend one day not checking your messages. Not as a test of love—as a test of freedom. Notice what comes up. That's where your real work begins.