Even men and women who have been verbally or physically abused by their partners refuse to leave those relationships, just as Murray couldn’t leave his relationship with drugs. They rationalize their choice to stay, for example, by focusing on positive traits their partner might possess. Those who remain, but then do manage to leave later, often look back on their former mental state as being “brainwashed” or confused. When Murray uses phrases like “My disease told me…,” he’s reflecting the same state of mind.
