How to Turn Drug-Based Love Into Medicine-Based Love

The Angry Therapist Podcast

John Kim

Health & Fitness, Mental Health

4.6 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 25 May 2026

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Love often starts as a drug. But what happens when the high wears off? In this episode, John Kim explores the difference between “drug-based love” and “medicine-based love,” and why most relationships struggle when chemistry begins to settle. He talks about projection, love addiction, emotional growth, and how real healing begins when relationships stop being a place to escape yourself and become a place to return to yourself. John also shares personal reflections on rebuilding life in Costa Rica after losing his home in Altadena, and how reinvention is shaping this new season of his life. Key points covered: • Why love feels intoxicating in the beginning • The difference between chemistry and healing • How projection shapes modern dating • “Recess love” vs mature relational work • Why repair matters more than avoiding conflict • How healthy love can rewire old patterns and fears Resources & mentions: • John discusses his new book, Love Hard on Purpose • Listeners who purchase the book get access to his private WhatsApp community If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who’s learning the difference between chemistry and healing. Follow the podcast for more conversations on love, growth, and relationships. 🎙️ More about John: 📘 Pre order my new book, Love Hard On Purpose. Toss the blueprints. Build something honest. https://a.co/d/031PzkW4 John’s book publishing company: Soulprint https://www.soulprintmedia.co 📘 Read John’s book in progress Sh*t Your Therapist Would Never Tell You on John’s SubStack ⁠HERE⁠ If you’re ready for deeper work, the Secure Self course is available HERE Order John's new book, Break Up. On Purpose,⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow John on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find out more about John⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Take this Holland and Barrett ad break to listen to your body.
0:03.0	Is your body after some energy support from Solgars magnesium citrate?
0:07.0	Or maybe it's after a kick of applied nutrition critical weight protein for leg day.
0:12.0	Is it looking to iron out tiredness with Vitobiotics Ferroglobin?
0:16.0	Or is your body simply saying,
0:18.0	You got to show me love.
0:20.0	Find the brands that help you back your body at Holland and Barrett. Magnesium contributes to normal energy, yielding, metabolism, protein contributes to the growth of maintenance and muscle mass, iron contributes to a reduction of tightness and fatigue. It is a drug. Love is a drug. Even if it's healthy, it still is a drug. It's literally chemicals firing in your brain. the same chemicals that when you do take drugs, right, are still firing when you, you know,
0:42.3	fall in love.
0:43.8	Well, I wouldn't say fall in love, but when you meet someone in the early stages of love.
0:57.3	My name is John Kim.
0:59.6	You're listening to the Angry Therapist podcast.
1:04.6	And on today's episode, usually love starts as a drug.
1:09.5	But before we begin, this is an important episode for me. It marks my first episode of doing it inside our new house.
1:15.5	So if you don't know, 11 months ago, we came here to Costa Rica after our house burned down in Altadena.
1:22.6	And I can't believe it's only been 11 months. I mean, I'm living a completely different life.
1:29.7	But we built a home here in about five months.
1:33.4	And as you can see if you're watching on Spotify or YouTube, the giant windows behind me,
1:39.1	we wanted high ceilings.
1:40.8	And I wanted something that felt like a studio.
1:46.3	Like, because you know how people say the kitchen is the heart of this house well I kind of I agree with that the kitchen is kind of
1:50.2	where everyone gathers that's where the food's made but for me it's the garage there's a song by
1:55.7	weezer and there's a lyric that says in my garage is where something where I feel the most like home or
	...

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