Family-of-Origin Characteristics among Women Married to Sexually Addicted Men

Abstract

Two groups of women (one group married to sexually addicted men and the other group married to nonsexually addicted men) were compared to examine differences in family-of-origin characteristics. It was found that women married to sexually addicted men were significantly more likely to come from families-of-origin where they experienced abuse, abandonment, chaos, physical punishment, crisis, and depression. Further, these women were more likely to have families-of-origin that were rigidly disengaged. Women married to men who were not sexually addicted were more likely to come from cohesively connected families-of-origin. Implications for counseling practice are discussed.