Extramarital Affair

by Strean, Herbert S.

• ISBN13: 9780765702470
• ISBN10: 0765702479
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-06-01
• Publisher: Jason Aronson, Inc.

Summary

An extramarital affair is, according to Dr. Herbert Stream, a form of neurotic behavior that reflects the person's unresolved chlidhood conflicts and present level of maturity. Using numerous case histories that provide excellent illustrations, he describes conflicted marriages and the expectations, dissapointments, and frustrations of those who use affairs as a means of escape. Issues such as mate choice, types of marriages, spouses' reactions, and unconsious compliance add depth and complexity to this important and often provocative subject.

Table of Contents

Preface to the Second Edition	xi
Prologue	xiii
I. Marriage, Sex, and Mate Choice
Modern Marriage and Its Discontents	3	(17)
The Agony and the Ecstasy: A Psychoanalytic View of Psychosexual Development	20	(26)
Great Expectations: On Choosing a Mate	46	(13)
II. Types of Marriage and the Extramarital Affair
The Winter of Discontent: The Trust-Mistrust Marriage	59	(21)
The Grapes of Wrath: The Sadomasochistic Marriage	80	(18)
Oedipus: The Royal Road to the Extramarital Affair	98	(18)
``Latent Heterosexuals'': Their Marriages and Affairs	116	(22)
Midscummer Night's Dream: Adult Adolescents and Their Extramarital Affairs	138	(21)
III. Responses of the ``Injured Party''
After the Fall: The Spouse's Reactions	159	(26)
IV. The Professionals' Response
Can an Extramarital Affair Ever Be a Mature Form of Behavior?	185	(21)
Bibliography	206	(9)
Index	215	(8)
Acknowledgments	223