A House Interrupted: A Wife’s Story of Recovering from Her Husband’s Sex Addiction

Author: Maurita Corcoran
Website: www.mauritacorcoran.com/
Reviewed by: Anne Holmes for the NABBW

This is a fascinating story. A personal narrative augmented by journal articles that chronicle author Maurita Corcoran’s experiences learning of and dealing with her husband’s sex addiction, it is above all a story of forgiveness, Resilience, and hope. Bottom line: It is a must read for anyone affected by the devastating impact of sexual addiction.

Filled with actual journal entries, this first-hand account is a can’t-put-it-down read about a wife’s devastating discovery that her physician husband is a sex addict. “A House Interrupted” is Ms. Corcoran’s honest, raw expression of the internal struggle she experienced during her early years of recovery. She ends her memoir with practical, realistic advice for all those seeking to make peace with themselves and their spouse.

Maurita Corcoran\’s world collapsed when she learned that her husband, a successful physician, was a sex addict. She was suddenly submerged in a world of painful choices about how to rebuild a life for herself and her four children.

Sex addiction is perhaps not as well publicized as other addictions, so this book answers the questions that spouses must face in rebuilding their lives. Corcoran says that to her knowledge, it is the first book on the subject which addresses the needs of the spouse and family of a sex addict.

“A House Interrupted” takes you through Corcoran’s experiences and concludes with a discussion of what she sees as the “Eight Challenges” most women face in dealing with sex addiction. They are:

How much detail do you really need to know?
What to do about your wedding ring
How do you forgive one of life’s ultimate betrayals?
How do you handle holidays, anniversaries and birthdays?
How a father impacts a woman’s life
What impact does sexual addition have on the children?
How do you ever trust your husband again?
How to find a spiritual mentor?

In living through this experience, author Corcoran developed a passion for encouraging other women in similar situations. In addition to writing the book, she has been instrumental in establishing the first S-Anon group in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and has chaired SOSA at Celebrate Recovery. She has led women through the Twelve Steps of S-Anon and is the founder of the Women’s Life Recovery Network, a monthly group that allows women in her region the opportunity to hear one woman’s life story. She says she’d like to see this concept expand across the country.

Corcoran and her husband have been in recovery for more than a dozen years. Through this time they have raised four children, and remain happily married.