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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Health
Adrienne Matei

Is love addiction real – and what does it look like?

an illustration of two hands holding a card with hearts printed on it
Many researchers use the concept of ‘love addiction’ as a shorthand for exploring maladaptive romances. Illustration: Rita Liu/The Guardian

Elizabeth Gilbert was using people like drugs: a point she emphasizes throughout her memoir All the Way to the River, released in September.

In the book, Gilbert describes falling in love with her friend Rayya Elias. Elias’s terminal cancer diagnosis compelled Gilbert to reveal her feelings, despite being married at the time. She admits to enabling Elias, a self-described “ex-junkie”, to access hard drugs and alcohol during her final months as a warped act of care.

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