The Schopenhauer Cure Read Online Free PDF Page A

thirteen--compulsive masturbation throughout adolescence continuing till present day--sometimes four, five times daily--
    obsessed with sex continually, masturbates to give himself peace. Huge hunk of life spent on obsessing about sex--he says "the time I've wasted chasing women--I could have gotten Ph.D.s in philosophy, Mandarin Chinese, and astrophysics."
    RELATIONSHIPS: A loner. Lives with his dog in a small flat. No male friends. Zero. Nor any contacts with acquaintances from past--from high school, college, grad school.
    Extraordinarily isolated. Never had a long-term relationship with a woman--consciously avoids ongoing relationships--prefers one-night stands--occasionally sees a woman as long as a month--usually woman breaks it off--either she wants more from him, or she gets angry at being used or gets upset about his seeing other women. Desires novelty--
    wants the sexual chase--but never satiated--sometimes when he travels he picks up a woman, has sex, gets rid of her, and an hour later leaves his hotel room on the prowl again. Keeps a record of partners, a score sheet, and in past twelve months has had sex with ninety different women. Tells all this with flat affect--no shame, no boasting. Feels anxious if he is alone for an evening. Usually sex acts like Valium. Once he has sex, he feels peaceful for the rest of the evening and can read comfortably. No homosexual activities or fantasies.
    HIS PERFECT EVENING? Out early, picks up woman in bar, gets laid (preferably before dinner), dumps woman as quickly as possible, preferably without having to buy her dinner but usually ends up having to feed her. Important to have as much evening time as possible for reading before going to bed. No TV, no movies, no social life, no sports. Only recreation is reading and classical music. Voracious reader of classics, history, and philosophy--no fiction, nothing current. Wanted to talk about Zeno and Aristarchus, his current interests.
    PAST HISTORY: Grew up in Connecticut, only child, upper middle class. Father investment banker who committed suicide when Philip was thirteen. He knows nothing about circumstances or reasons behind father's suicide, some vague ideas that it was aggravated by mother's continual criticism. Blanket childhood amnesia--remembers little of his first several years and nothing about his father's funeral. Mother remarried when he was 24. A loner in school, fanatically immersed in studies, never had close friends, and since starting Yale at 17, has cut himself off from family. Phone contact with mother once or twice a year. Has never met stepfather.
    WORK: Successful chemist--develops new hormonal-based pesticides for DuPont.
    Strictly an eight-to-five job, no passion about field, recently growing bored with his work.
    Keeps current with the research in field but never during his off hours. High income plus valuable stock options. A hoarder: enjoys tabulating his assets and managing his investments and spends every lunch hour alone, studying stock market research.
    IMPRESSION: Schizoid, sexually compulsive--very distant--refused to look at me--not once did he meet my gaze--no sense of anything personal between us--clueless about interpersonal relations, responded to my here-and-now question about his first impressions of me with a look of bewilderment--as though I were speaking Catalan or Swahili. He seemed edgy, and I felt uncomfortable with him. Absolutely no humor. Zero.
    Highly intelligent, articulate but stingy with words--makes me work hard. Tenaciously concerned about therapy cost (though he can easily afford it). Requested fee reduction, which I refused. Seemed unhappy about my starting a couple minutes late and did not hesitate to inquire whether we'd make up this time at end of session to get full value.
    Questioned me twice about precisely how much advance notice he needed to give to cancel a session and avoid being charged.
     
    Closing the chart, Julius thought: Now, twenty-five years later,