G543 I Just Wanted Love: Recovery of a codependent, sex and love addict

Title of the book: I Just Wanted Love; Recovery of a Codependent, Sex and Love Addict

Author: D.J Burr

Publisher: self published?

Publishing Date: 2014

ISBN: 9780692299128

Summary:

D.J. Burr is a man on a mission; successful business owner, highly respected psychotherapist and survivor of a dysfunctional life. At a young age, all he wanted was to be loved, but instead found himself targeted by a sexual predator. D.J. slipped into a life of addiction and clawed his way through broken relationships and seedy sex clubs--looking for love in all the wrong places. D.J. will take readers on a roller coaster of emotions as he details his search for grace and love

Personal Opinion:

In my opinion, this story seems to be a catharsis of sorts, or a cleansing of the soul. Its powerful, addictive and in someways controversial because various addictions are still new to this society and they might be the butt of jokes, unfortunately. Yet despite the probable stigma attached to sex and love addict label, the author marches on forward and covers also diverse issues such as homosexuality in African-American family, molestation, life as a homosexual man with a partner and what's admirable as well is that he humanizes homosexual people. What I mean is that he goes beyond the stereotype and portrays them as ordinary instead of something "special."

The author is also not judging of his addiction and gives reasons as to why it turned out like this; citing his background, relationship with parents and so on. He also lays himself bare (pun not intended) and exposes the not-so pleasant aspects of himself that will make various readers cringe. I will mention that if you are suffering from an addiction of some sort, then I will say to read the book in order to get help and understanding for it.

Before I sign off from the review, I leave this very important quote from the book:  "Sex, like other behaviors, can serve as a means of escape. The truth is, it's not about sex in and of itself. The pursuit of sex provided me the same "high" that I would get as if I were shooting up a hard core substance like heroin. I learned to manipulate the chemicals in my own brain, without a needle, to reach a level of "bliss", I will never again achieve that initial high...but fruitless attempts to get my "bliss" back kept me preoccupied for years." (11)

This is for Pump Up Your Book

4 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)