Addiction in Society

Addiction—the thematic malady for our society—entails every type of psychological and societal problem

by Stanton Peele, Ph.D., J.D.

Once Again: Love is the Worst Addiction

Oksana Grigorieva to Larry King: Mel wasn't drunk - he was in love.

Published on November 18, 2010 by Stanton Peele in Addiction in Society

In the case of Oksana Grigorieva and former lover (and father of her daughter) Mel Gibson, love is more addictive than alcohol.

My post stating, that of all addictions, "Love is the Worst," was met with some skepticism.

Last night, on Larry King, Grigorieva proved me right again. She reviewed Gibson's assaults on her - striking and choking her and brandishing a gun while she held their baby and while her young son watched - as well as playing his clearly insane rantings over the telephone after she left him. (Did I hear someone playing Pat Benatar's Love is a Battlefield?)

Time and again, King asked whether Gibson was drunk - even playing Gibson's "confession" that his earlier anti-Semitic assault on a police officer was due to his recurrent alcoholism, for which he had - and was currently receiving - treatment.

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Grigorieva refused to cooperate, and kept insisting she had never seen Gibson drinking alcohol, let alone drunk.

Unless you count being drunk on love. She told of their deep love, which involved Gibson's total control of her - you know, the standard routine - no friends or family or going out on her own. And she went along with Gibson - going so far as to convert to his brand of Catholicism.

But as she withdrew from this addiction, Gibson struck out with escalating desperation and violence.

There is no withdrawal like love withdrawal - you don't beat your wife and threaten her life while she's holding your infant child because you want a drink or a drug.

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Stanton Peele, Ph.D., J.D., is a pioneering figure who has changed many of our ideas about addiction. He was voted best addiction blogger by All Treatment.

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