Available Now
Untangling the Web: Sex, Porn and Fantasy Obsession in the Internet Age
by Robert Weiss, LCSW, CSAT
Alyson Publications , 2005
The defining new book about the emerging problem of pornography addition and sex on the Internet. A must have for the person wondering if they might have a problem and also for the people who care about them.
Cruise Control: Understanding Sex Addiction in Gay Men
by Robert Weiss, LCSW, CSAT
Alyson Publications , 2005
Robert Weiss, Founding Director of the Sexual Recovery Institute in Santa Monica, California, avoids political and moral arguments and instead focuses on the clinical approach, asking the question, “Is your sexual behavior causing problems in other areas of your life?” Cruise Control leads men to a better understanding of the difference between sexual compulsion and non-addictive sexual behavior within the gay experience, and it explains what resources are available for recovery. A timely and important contribution to the body of recovery literature, Cruise Control provides understanding, empathy and encouragement to gay men seeking healthy sexual expression.
Cybersex Exposed: Simple Fantasy or Obsession?
by Jennifer Schneider, M.D., Ph.D. and Robert Weiss, LCSW, CSAT
Hazelden Information Education, 2001
A timely and telling look at the powerfully addictive mix of Internet use, sexuality, and romantic fantasy, Cybersex Exposed both defines and addresses this emerging problem.
Coming Soon
CRUISE CONTROL 2: UNDERSTANDING ADDICTION IN GAY MEN
By Robert Weiss LCSW, CSAT-S
Publisher: Gentle Path Press
Tentative Release Date: Winter 2012/2013 (month not yet available)
The original version of Cruise Control was published in 2005. Needless to say, a lot has happened since then in terms of how technology is used to facilitate interpersonal relationships. This extensive revision rewrites and updates all of the existing material and adds a completely new chapter on technology and the changing face of sex addiction. The updates and new chapter cover things like social media, Grindr, etc., as well as advancements in sex addiction research. Cruise control is the book for gay men dealing with sex addiction. It is written specifically for them, by a therapist incredibly knowledgeable about their issues.
The idea for the book grew from an article written by Rob in the 1990s called “Treatment Concerns for Gay Male Sex Addicts,” published in Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity: The Journal of Treatment and Prevention. In the article Rob spoke to the need for therapists who treat sex addicts to understand the specific language and experiences of gay men who compulsively sexually act out. Rob felt that although the underlying psychological dynamic that drives men to act out sexually is pretty much the same regardless of sexual orientation, therapists needed to better understand gay men’s distinct patterns of behavior and modes of expression if they were to help gay sex addicts confront their denial and begin to build healthier ways of coping. He wrote the article hoping to make the point that in sex addiction, as in so much else, it’s a mistake to think of heterosexual experience as “normal” or “normative.”
Prior to Cruise Control, the book Out of the Shadows, along with other extraordinary work by Dr. Patrick Carnes, served as the primary gateway to truth and healing for nearly every male sex addict-though when reading Carnes’s work gay men had to interpret their experiences through a heterosexual lens. Cruise Control was written to directly address this shortcoming, helping gay and bisexual sex addicts and their partners to truly see themselves, begin to understand their experience, and take their first steps on the road to recovery. Since its publication, Cruise Control has been called: the most sincere, scientific, experimental, and holistic guide to all those affected by sex addiction; a great service; and, a wonderful guidebook to lead you down the path to a richer, fuller, more enjoyable life.
CLOSER TOGETHER, FURTHER APART: THE EFFECT OF TECHNOLOGY AND THE INTERNET ON SEX, INTIMACY AND RELATIONSHIPS
By Robert Weiss LCSW, CSAT-S and Jennifer Schneider MD, PhD
Publisher: Gentle Path Press
Release Date: August 13, 2013
Pre-order on Amazon Now!
Closer Together, Further Apart is an examination of how recent technological developments-particularly the Internet-have affected human interpersonal relationships, in particular sex and intimacy (though all aspects of human life are open for examination). The book takes neither a “good” nor “bad” stance in terms of technology. Instead it looks at both sides of the coin, allowing the reader to ultimately make up his or her own mind.
The book opens with a chapter examining the historical impact of technology on relationships, sex, and intimacy-everything from the advent of language to the invention of the automobile, the motion picture camera, radio, the telephone, and television. This is followed by a chapter on how people currently experience other people via technology. Basically, we pick up the same narrative, starting with the advent of the Internet and moving forward, discussing everything from email, chat rooms, and dating sites to sex locator smartphone apps, webcams, and teledildonic devices. The chapter also provides a brief overview of where technology is headed.
The next chapter looks at the good-finding connection, intimacy, and relationships through technology. For instance, social media sites like Facebook and Twitter allow millions of people to not only keep in touch with existing friends and family who are thousands of miles away, but to share ideas and information-without censorship-quickly and efficiently with people just around the corner or on the other side of the world. Of course, with every upside there is a downside, and the next two chapters look at that, with the first focusing on the disconnect, loneliness, and isolation that come with new technologies, and the second focusing on addictive online behaviors-sex, love, gambling, gaming, and similar Internet addictions. (A chapter near the end of the book deals with recovering from technology-based addiction.)
After the “downside” material, the next two chapters examine the generation and gender gaps in terms of technology. Clearly young people (digital natives) use technology differently than older people (digital immigrants), and women use technology different than men. The book’s remaining chapters look at how technology is changing the face and definition of sexuality and intimacy, what technology is doing to the human brain (particularly the brains of young people), and what the future might bring.
