Sadly devastated about former lover I have difficulty in reading (8)
I believe the answer is:
dyslexia
'difficulty in reading' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both states of affairs as well as being singular nouns.
Perhaps they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'sadly devastated about former lover i' is the wordplay.
'devastated' indicates an anagram (devastate literally means destroy or lay waste to).
'about' is an insertion indicator.
'former lover' becomes 'ex' (an ex-lover).
'sadly' anagrammed gives 'dysla'.
'ex'+'i'='exi'
'dysla' enclosing 'exi' is 'DYSLEXIA'.
'have' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for dyslexia that I've seen before include "Word blindness" , "Impaired ability to learn to read" , "Word-blindness" , "Reading complaint" , "Congenital inability to spell, etc" .)