Lust, Anger, Love: Understanding Sexual Addiction and the Road to Healthy Intimacy

By Maureen Canning

Book Overview

Sexual addiction is a problem that affects millions of people. Maureen Canning, LMFT, who has extensive experience treating sex addicts, explains its roots and how those afflicted can recover.

This book also explains the poisonous childhood seeds that lead to public scandals like the revelations involving former congressman Mark Foley.

Canning shows how compulsions are the product of early childhood abuse and how patterns, from the most violent to the most commonplace, develop. She explains that the overriding emotion sexually addicted people feel towards the partners with whom they seek intimacy is anger turned into sexuality, or "sexualized anger." This yields a false sense of security and power, an "aggressive tendency," which destroys any chance of a healthy relationship. Lust, Anger, Love offers a comprehensive and enlightening look at the origins of these little discussed behaviors and maps out a plan for recovery.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1402208685
• ISBN13: 9781402208683
• Release Date: January 2008
• Publisher: Sourcebooks
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.8" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

INFORMATIVE AND COMPASSIONATE

Wow. I finally understand why I am a sex addict. I was set up by a traumatic past. Maureen Canning does an excellent job of helping us understand this behavioral disorder. It is not everyone who can so empathetically draw the picture of what life as a sex addict is like. As an addict herself, she is able to lend such palpable compassion to her patients. This is a MUST READ for anyone interested in understanding and/or moving through the traumas that keep us stuck in destructive behaviors.

The Best Of It's Kind & More!

I've read several books on addiction, trauma etc.. I am a therapist with a specialty in trauma and this book is by far the best I've read. An excellent and easy to understand read for professionals and laypersons. This book also explains how growing up in dysfunctional homes leads to low self-esteem, shame, anger, relationship issues, etc... which has been said 1,000 times, but her presentation is inspiring, fresh and very beneficial. This book is deep yet practical, which is extremely rare in books of this nature. Highly recommended!!!!

Sex Addictions Can Be Helped!

As a psychotherapist, who works with alcohol and drug addicted folks, as well as those addicted to gambling, shopping, food, and sex, this terrific book targets sex addiction. Written by a clinican, who is in recovery from sex addiction, this item is tackles tough issues!

Educational

This text provides insights into sexual compulsivity, from affairs to internet pornography and why this happens to some. Maureen incorporates the works of Pia Mellody and Patrick Carnes into her book.