Elizabeth Gilbert’s Untold Story of Love and Addiction episode artwork

EPISODE · Sep 10, 2025 · 1H 2M

Elizabeth Gilbert’s Untold Story of Love and Addiction

from The Midlife Chrysalis · host Chip Conley

How do you survive when the person you can’t live without begins to destroy you?In this powerful episode of Midlife Chrysalis, Elizabeth Gilbert joins Chip Conley to share the raw story behind her new memoir, All the Way to the River. She opens up about walking alongside her partner through addiction and relapse, confronting her own patterns of codependency, and finding healing through recovery and surrender. It’s an honest, unfiltered look at love, loss, and what it really takes to stand on your own two feet.Tune in now to hear Elizabeth Gilbert as you’ve never heard her before. Timestamps:00:00 Intro00:40 Introduction to Elizabeth Gilbert03:06 All the Way to the River book06:06 Why it took 7 years to write07:21 A forensic look at repeating patterns10:36 Love vs. addiction in relationships13:49 How Liz met Raya & their evolving bond19:55 Confessing love during Raya’s illness25:31 Grief, loss, and missing her friend27:18 Writing in solitude & surrendering to truth35:00 Surrender, recovery, and true powerlessness41:21 Dark thoughts & God’s voice45:15 What sex & love addiction means for Liz51:36 12-step practices & six years of abstinence54:35 Reflections on MEA and retreat power58:22 Wisdom bumper stickerLearn more about MEA at ⁠https://www.meawisdom.com/#MidlifeChrysalis #ElizabethGilbert #AllTheWayToTheRiver #GriefJourney #AddictionRecovery #LoveAndLoss #Codependency #HealingFromTrauma #12StepRecovery #SexAndLoveAddiction #SpiritualGrowth #MemoirWriting #MidlifeWisdom #EmotionalSobriety #LifeLessons

How do you survive when the person you can’t live without begins to destroy you?In this powerful episode of Midlife Chrysalis, Elizabeth Gilbert joins Chip Conley to share the raw story behind her new memoir, All the Way to the River. She opens up about walking alongside her partner through addiction and relapse, confronting her own patterns of codependency, and finding healing through recovery and surrender. It’s an honest, unfiltered look at love, loss, and what it really takes to stand on your own two feet.Tune in now to hear Elizabeth Gilbert as you’ve never heard her before. Timestamps:00:00 Intro00:40 Introduction to Elizabeth Gilbert03:06 All the Way to the River book06:06 Why it took 7 years to write07:21 A forensic look at repeating patterns10:36 Love vs. addiction in relationships13:49 How Liz met Raya & their evolving bond19:55 Confessing love during Raya’s illness25:31 Grief, loss, and missing her friend27:18 Writing in solitude & surrendering to truth35:00 Surrender, recovery, and true powerlessness41:21 Dark thoughts & God’s voice45:15 What sex & love addiction means for Liz51:36 12-step practices & six years of abstinence54:35 Reflections on MEA and retreat power58:22 Wisdom bumper stickerLearn more about MEA at ⁠https://www.meawisdom.com/#MidlifeChrysalis #ElizabethGilbert #AllTheWayToTheRiver #GriefJourney #AddictionRecovery #LoveAndLoss #Codependency #HealingFromTrauma #12StepRecovery #SexAndLoveAddiction #SpiritualGrowth #MemoirWriting #MidlifeWisdom #EmotionalSobriety #LifeLessons

NOW PLAYING

Elizabeth Gilbert’s Untold Story of Love and Addiction

0:00 1:02:22

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of The Midlife Chrysalis?

This episode is 1 hour and 2 minutes long.

When was this The Midlife Chrysalis episode published?

This episode was published on September 10, 2025.

What is this episode about?

How do you survive when the person you can’t live without begins to destroy you?In this powerful episode of Midlife Chrysalis, Elizabeth Gilbert joins Chip Conley to share the raw story behind her new memoir, All the Way to the River. She opens up...

Can I download this The Midlife Chrysalis episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!