Is your relationship medicine or addiction?

Is your relationship medicine or addiction?

From The Angry Therapist Podcast by The Angry Therapist

April 15, 2026 · 18 min

About this episode

John Kim explores the distinction between addictive love and healing love in relationships.

Love can feel intoxicating. The chemistry, the obsession, the constant thinking about someone, the emotional highs and lows. But just because love feels intense does not mean it is healthy. In this episode, John Kim explores one of the most important relationship questions you can ask yourself: Is your love acting like a drug, or is it becoming medicine? He breaks down how love can become something you use to regulate your worth, soothe your anxiety, or escape yourself. He also explains how healthy love, while not always comfortable, can become a powerful place for self-awareness, healing, and growth. John unpacks the difference between addictive love and healing love, why intensity is not always intimacy, and how attachment wounds can disguise themselves as chemistry. He also shares what needs to happen for love to shift from something that destabilizes you to something that helps you become more grounded, honest, and self-connected. If you have ever confused passion with pain, chased reassurance, or lost yourself trying to hold onto a relationship, this episode will help you look at love more clearly. A self-check for your relationship Your internal state Do I feel anxious more…

People in this episode

Host: John Kim

Topics covered

  • relationship dynamics
  • addictive love
  • healing love
  • self-awareness
  • emotional regulation

Keywords

  • relationship
  • love
  • addiction
  • self-awareness
  • emotional highs and lows

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