Escape from Intimacy

February 1, 1989
Sexual addiction, in Schaef's diagnosis, comes in many guises: an obsession with erotic activities, lust, child molesting, incest or an ``anorexic'' distaste for matters sexual. Besides sex addicts, Schaef ( Women's Reality ) here profiles two other types of addicts: ``romance junkies,'' who seek escape from true intimacy through pseudo-relationships, and ``relationship addicts''preoccupied with a particular person or with the need to have a relationship, real or fantasied. A former psychotherapist, Schaef insists that addictive ties are reinforced by underlying sick tendencies in our frantic, competitive culture. Romance addicts, for example, mesh with society's illusionary focus, which reinforces their avoidance of life's hard realities. The author outlines a 12-step program for recovery from self-destructive personal addictions. Her levelheaded yet powerful analysis holds up a startling mirror in which many readers will see themselves. Author tour.