Perhaps this belongs in the general discussion forum, but because I'm a newbie, I decided I'd post this here, because this definitely could apply to newbies more than veteran hobbyists.

I had the most excellent time with my provider. It was so intimate and worth every penny.  Now that it's over, I have to constantly remind myself that this is not a boyfriend-girlfriend thing.  This was a business transaction and my provider has other clients. Don't get me wrong. I'm under no impression that I'm anything close to a boyfriend for my provider.  

Here's my question.  Is having to constantly remind oneself that his provider is not his girlfriend, but a business associate more typical of newbies? Or do many veteran hobbyists have to remind themselves of the reality of the transaction?

and I'm glad I'm a constant reader of TER because the stories I sometimes read on here help to keep me in the proper frame of mind.

can definitely make it feel like a GF / BF encounter.  

After all, if you are looking for GFE, and that's what they are advertising, that's what you are buying, and that's what they are selling.

The really good ones make you want to just keep "cumming" back for more.  You can't get enough of them.

It will get easier as you hobby more often to separate fantasy from reality. I will say, a great provider can even make a grizzled veteran a little confused. My advice, don't repeat with this provider just yet, see some other providers. This practice will keep you away from the dreaded "I've fallen for a provider and can't get up" syndrome.  Good luck and write a review.

I apologise up front for being BLUNT .........VERY important lesson for you though .

"It was so intimate .................."
"I'm under no impression that I'm anything close to a boyfriend for my provider. "
These 2 statements contridicate themselves and I am sensing an impending doom as I don't think you are leaving your emotions at the door .
"I have to constantly remind myself that this is not a boyfriend-girlfriend thing." - Again dude , you are NOT leaving your emotions at the door !!!!
You used the word " constantly " - It speaks volumes to me . As soon as she is gone , she is outta my mind and I am back on top of my game until the next hour .
So what is the potential problem of this ..............Are you 100% mentally in the game , at work , at home , at dinner , at lunch , going to sleep at night , OR are your thoughts towards the woman and the incredible sex you just had ? This is how " stalkers " or " obsessed clients " start . Not to say you will  , but hopefully you see my point . It will destroy you mentally , and will over time , creep into aspects of your life in a negative way .
She is an actor , plain and simple . She is there to perform a service for a mutually agreed upon price . She does this every day , every month , to every client .
Learn to treat it as a buisness transaction or you are really NOT going to enjoy this like it was intended !

It is the sex hormones, designed to protect the women & children from marauding dinos!   The GF illusion can be very strong...  you must keep it under control.  Every time, I fall "a little" for my provider of the moment.  Over time, I have gotten a few Fav ladies which I rotate...   Serial meetings with one lady, can really push the limits of emotions.  (Been there, done that!)  Good providers have the ability to be "friends" with many people, helps to make it special...  but still when the door closes between you, there is no relationship.
H

Its like that when you first started, its only natural. Hell, I am sure mostly every hobbyist feel that way. Its always a business transaction, you paid her for you to feel that way. If you didn't pay her, then you would not have gotten the experience you expected.

How did you meet her, well, you paid for her. If you met her at the bar or the grocery store, that is different. However, you paid for the service. And, nothing can change that fact.

When I started hobbying, I was blurr between the lines of relationship. And, that cost me financially. I mean, I try to fool myself, but it wasn't no healthy relationship. And, it cost me a shit load of money.

What you are experiencing is blurring the lines between relationships, and that can be very deadly to ones well being.

obviously my girlfriend.  

There's just so many to choose from...............

she is my girlfriend.  Yes, I know it's an illusion, but why spoil it?  Just enjoy the moment.

Swim

When I redress & refill my pocket junk...  the donation is silently left behind on her dresser.  (I learned this one from watching Gunsmoke!  Why did all the guys love "Kitty"?)  No matter how long or short our time...  we might share a snack, meal, refreshments or some fully dressed technical pursuit...    Totally into the illusion.  Then the door closes between us, until next we meet!  No muss, no fuss.  
H

Fortunately you posted this on the newbie board as this would receive a slightly different set of replies on the GD board

As others have told you this IS an illusion...a fantasy.  But even knowing that (and it happens to all of us at some point...really) it sometimes becomes a little too real.  And the gals are being nicely compensated to provide this wonderful fantasy for us.  BUT...it is only a fantasy that you should absolutely love for the hour or two.  Once you leave you need to move on.  But looking forward to the next encounter is not a bad thing either

If your obsession does continue however, there are some surefire ways to be reminded that she is ABSOLUTELY NOT your GF...and probably doesn't even remember your name:

First..start texting her every 30 minutes talking nonsense. That'll get her really revved up for you.

Second (and assuming she hasn't already put you on her ignore and DNS list)...send her an email asking her to meet you for dinner and drinks, as well as hang out for the evening...all for nothing (meaning NO envelope).  And you expect her to perform a BBBJ as part of the festivities.  

Using those two techniques is a guaranteed way to put this game in "clear perspective" for you.

Enjoy the journey...it is a wonderful thing to play here.  Just get ahold of yourself and realize what this is all about!

Sex and intimacy are naturally associated with love, no matter what guys say here. It is how we work, because it bonds us to our mate(s) and helps to perpetuate the species. Every provider and hobbyist has to learn how to dissociate sex from emotional attachment. Some learn it while hobbying/providing, and others learned it before they got here. Some never learn it.

If you cannot separate those two things, you will not survive long in this world. Others have already explained what bad things can happen when you do not dissociate, so I will not go there.

I fell in love with every woman I saw in my early days of hobbying. I was infatuated, obsessed, smitten, thinking about them and wanting to contact them, learn more about them, spend more time with them. It was wonderful, embarassing, and stupid. I miss it. I was pretty disciplined about not seeing the same lady more than once every couple of months back then, to keep myself safe, and that worked. But when I eventually "broke up" with a couple of my regulars (by a strange coincidence, my two favorites both moved in with BFs the same month, and completely changed the rules), I was very sad, even though these were women I had only seen a handful of times, a few hours, over six months. I needed that to happen in order to get past the infatuation, as it turned out.

Funny thing is that both of them moved out within a couple of months. While that may be some sort of a lesson, I could not go back.

Funny how things change - now I see the same few ladies over and over, no real concern about how often, because the rapport we build, the experiences we share, are something I need to keep it interesting. But I rarely think about them when I am not with them, or when scheduling something. I like them, care about them, but I am not attached to them. If one of them moved in with a BF, changed everything, I suppose it would still upset me, just not so much.

Not saying that is how it will progress for you, just what happened for me. The dissociation thing is absolutely real, and necessary.

enjoy,
zig

Seriously, I really mean that.  These are very helpful and insightful responses.  Because I know the temptation is there to fall for her, I really do my best to not text her any more than I have to, and as much  I would love to receive a text from her, I realize it is for the best that she rarely texts me.  I just saw her two days ago, so my excellent time is still fresh in my memory.  It will die down eventually.  It always does.  In the heat of the moment, my stupid ass asked her if I cold friend her on facebook. She plainly said that she likes to keep that part of her life away from facebook, so the answer was no, and she was right to say no. It's for the best.  Again, it was stupid, but sometimes we do and say stupid things in the heat of the moment.  

She's on the expensive side, so the good news is it will be a while before I see her again.  I need to do some saving.  It will probably be august when I can see her again....hopefully.

Wow.  I was under the wrong impression that men were able to separate sex from love.  I had two clients "fall" for me.  One became a stalker, somehow got into my locked apt. building and tried to break my door down when I wouldn't answer.  I didn't want to call the police.  I wrote him an email telling him to leave me alone or else I would file a restraining order.  The other is a much older married man whom I became friends with, then he fell for me.  I have to keep my distance from him, because I don't want to hurt him.

I think that as men we for the most part can tell the difference between the escorts we have a sexual connection and the ones we have a real connection. If you are leading the married man on to get him to see you more often then you are playing with fire. The bond of friendship changes the escort agreement into a relationship. The lines start to get foggy. My guess is the married guy likes the lines in place although he may have fallen for you also. Not impossible to love more than one woman.