I think its more that love beings with the self. It cant be given or taken to fill the void where your self-esteem is meant to be. Doing so only created a larger problem by creating a corresponding low to the high. Without the artificial love, there was nothing to sustain him once it was gone. She overflows with love but giving it away doesn't solve the essential problem.
Bit like how anti-depressants only work when you take them. Stop and its oftentimes still there, waiting patiently. There's also the essential assumption of all parties that it would be a cure. Had it been treated differently, like a temporary reprieve to encourage growth and the development of coping skills, it might have turned out better.
Me overthinking a one-shot to a savage degree~