People can be addicted to sex and/or love and recovery is possible. More than ten years ago the National Institute of Health identified sexual addiction as a research priority. Experts now conservatively estimate a prevalence rate of 5 percent of the American population. Eric Griffin-Shelley provides a detailed definition of sex and love addiction as well as an outline of treatment and recovery. Unique to this work, Griffin-Shelley integrates sex and love in its formulation and also presents a two-level approach to recovery. This presentation provides in-depth examples and suggestions for change and supports the growing involvement of Twelve-Step programs in mental health. Professionals can use this resource in their clinical practice to identify and assist sex and love addicts.

Griffin-Shelley clearly describes the behavior of sex and love addicts and the emotions they may be experiencing. Problems such as multiple addictions (to drugs, alcohol, food, work) are examined. The book's two-layer approach to recovery focuses initially on the establishment of sobriety and then outlines an outer layer of protection that the sex and love addict can develop to sustain long-term recovery. Griffin-Shelley's meticulous description of the role of psychotherapy in aiding the recovery process is clearer than any book published to date on either sex or love addiction.

Of those which deal with sex and love addiction, this work is alone in that it examines adolescents as a specific population. The number of case histories presented in the text are a prominent feature. The work should be of interest to clinicians and clients both. The book addresses the case of adolescent sex and love addicts as was done with adolescent chemical dependents 20 years ago.

Many treatment programs and professional training efforts have been developed in the past five years for sexual compulsiveness and love dependencies. This work includes a description of an intensive outpatient therapy program that is designed to treat the sexually addicted patient. Initially, these patients had been treated with individual psychotherapy and attendance at Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous meetings. While this approach seemed to work for some, many needed a more intensive therapeutic intervention to help them identify and maintain bottom line behaviors and to begin the recovery process from this difficult addiction.

A program was designed with the following elements: psychoeducational groups, same-sex group psychotherapy, and 12-Step meetings. Some of these educational sessions have covered: adult sexuality, self-esteem, communication skills, shame, depression, cross addictions, healthy relationships, the addiction cycle, and so on. In addition to lectures there are group and dyad/triad discussions, role playing, and psychodrama. This is followed by traditional group therapy, although groups are limited to the same sex. At the end of the intensive evening program, there is a meeting of Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous (SLAA) that is open to the public. This is the only book that addresses diagnostic, neurochemical, and treatment issues of sexual compulsivity in such depth.