Addicted to You

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of substance use, addiction, sexual violence, sexual content, and emotional abuse. 

Lily is the story’s protagonist and narrator. She is a university student living with her best friend and later boyfriend, Lo. Lily experiences sex addiction, and her experiences center around a desire to fulfill her compulsion for sex. She puts this craving above all else, sometimes having sex with multiple people in the same day. Lily doesn’t consider her safety and often wakes up feeling unclean. For a long time, she fails to admit to herself just how much she dislikes her addiction and the person it turns her into. Her unwillingness to confront the severity of her compulsion stems from a deep fear of judgment and rejection, even from those closest to her. This avoidance not only perpetuates her behavior but also exacerbates her sense of isolation and self-loathing. Lily distances herself from her family and engages in a co-dependent relationship with Lo that triggers her addiction. She sees this situation as livable, but deep down, she knows that it is unhealthy. Lily has three sisters who love her dearly and who want to see more of her, and she is enrolled in business classes at the University of Pennsylvania.