On addictive sexuality: A Psychoanalytic gaze brought to Arthur Dreyfus’ Journal sexuel d’un garçon d’aujourd’hui
摘要
In his 2,304 page autobiographical work Journal sexuel d’un garçon d’aujourd’hui, the young author Arthur Dreyfus gives an account of his intense sexual life. This is a life that not only leads to his ‘overdose on sex’, but also propels him into chemsex – a practice that has spread considerably in recent years within the gay community. This article focuses on the singular narrative of this young man, who tells the reader of his ‘frenetic quest for flesh’ and his furious desire to enjoy, which seems principally encouraged by dating apps. Here, I discuss the subject’s relationship to the drive based on current social data, in such a way as to highlight how contemporary setups appear to encourage a frantic search for an unattainable object and an alienating surplus enjoyment (plus-de-jouir). The question of the transgenerational transmission of trauma is considered, bringing to light the deathly fantasies that assail Arthur and lead him to offer himself up to the other’s jouissance. Also discussed is the concept of sexual alienation versus sexual addiction. Finally, I consider how sublimation as an outcome, in so far as it is an alternative to compulsive repetition, can foster the process of resubjectivation through language and the work of analysis.