A Light in the Dark: The Hidden Legacy of Adult Children of Sex Addicts

A groundbreaking book detailing the unique issues experienced by adult children who grew up with a sexually addicted parent and offering a path to unburden their shameful legacy and embrace sexuality and intimacy without the intrusion or constraints from the past.

Adult children who grew up with a parent who had a sexual addiction are left confused, ashamed, and mistrustful regarding the feelings and boundaries surrounding sex, love, and intimacy. Due to the inappropriate sexual behavior of one parent, and the subsequent impact of betrayal on the other parent, these adults carry sexual secrets, have divided loyalties, and are often caught in the middle of their parents' struggles. Having witnessed (or known of) affairs, walked in on a parent masturbating or viewing pornography, received extreme or shameful messages regarding sexuality or gender, experienced sexualized remarks about their bodies, been neglected as a result of the addiction, or were modeled extreme moral values (either too permissive or shaming), these adult children of sex addicts (ACSAs) struggle with their sexuality and longings for love.

ACSAs have not had their stories told in any significant way in the recovery literature. Intergenerational trauma is transmitted through the legacy of carried sexual shame--the burden of which is not theirs. Their shame and struggle has often been wedged under various umbrellas of identification: adult children of alcoholics, love avoidant, codependent, sex addict, love addict, and others. A Light in the Dark offers hope for unburdening ACSAs by sharing the experiences of others, as well as examining the characteristics, roles and recovery that point toward the freedom and joy they rightfully deserve.


About the Author
Kenneth M. Adams, Ph.D., CSAT-S, is a licensed psychologist and faculty member with the International Institute of Trauma and Addiction Professionals and the clinical director of Kenneth M. Adams and Associates in suburban Detroit and Ann Arbor, Michigan. He is the author of Silently Seduced and When He's Married to Mom as well as co-editor of Clinical Management of Sex Addiction: Second Edition. Dr. Adams is the creator and director of overcomingenmeshment.com workshops. For more on Dr Adams visit www.drkenadams.com or Dr. Ken Adams on YouTube.

Mary E. Meyer, Ph.D., LMFT, is a couples and family therapist and executive director of Full Heart Family Therapy in Ankeny, Iowa. She is a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist and a Developmental and Relational Trauma Therapist. Dr. Meyer is dedicated to helping families heal from the effects of sex addiction and intergenerational family trauma. For more on Dr Meyer visit www.fullheartfamilytherapy.com.

Culle L. Vande Garde, LCSW-S, CSAT-S, is a licensed therapist, author, and speaker in Dallas, Texas. She has spent her 30-year career specializing in the treatment of developmental and relational trauma. She is passionate about assisting adult children of sex addicts and their families heal from the effects of sex addiction and intergenerational trauma. For more information, www.CulleVandeGarde.com.