LECTURES:

I speak nationally on a variety of topics, including addiction, youth culture, and sex and sexuality. I have appeared on Anderson Cooper 360, The O’Reilly Factor, Good Morning America, NPR’s Face the Nation, and many other programs. I’ve also been a guest speaker at more than a dozen universities, including Harvard, the University of Oregon, Northwestern, and Rhodes College. 

In our “Sex & Love Junkies: An Addiction Dialogue” lecture, acclaimed memoirist Rachel Resnick and I engage in a lively dialogue about sex and love addiction. Whether it’s Internet porn or online dating and hookups, the modern opportunities to escape into fantasy are everywhere—and the ensuing problems often start young. In college, the freedom to explore can be liberating. But it can also kickstart a lifelong pattern of destructive relationships and damaging sexual behaviors. When do love and sex tip from natural expression into full-blown addiction? How do you know when you’re using a relationship as a drug? Rachel and I answer those questions, painting a fascinating portrait of this complex and pervasive addiction.

In my “America Anonymous” lecture, I blow open the doors on our culture of addiction, exposing the extraordinary broadness of the problem, the gripping stories of those it tears apart, and the political and scientific battles that shape and distort it. Addiction is our costliest and most misunderstood public health crisis, triggering and exacerbating many of our biggest social problems—crime, poverty, broken families, skyrocketing health care costs, and the spread of HIV. Are we the most addicted country in the world? Can sex or food be as addictive as alcohol or drugs? And will we ever cure addiction with a pill? I tackle those questions in this engaging lecture based on the findings from my book, America Anonymous.

To learn more, or to inquire about a booking, contact George Greenfield at CreativeWell. 

Here are three reviews of recent speaking engagements:

“Benoit was a hit at our annual conference. He is an amazing speaker with a deep and nuanced understanding of addiction, particularly as it relates to high-school and college culture. He helped the teachers and educators at our conference better understand addictions that don’t always get talked about–including pornography and sex addiction.”
– Andrew Finch, co-founder, Association of Recovery Schools.

“Benoit’s presentation of his compelling writing and intriguing subject matter connected immediately with his audience, and whether he was offering information, challenging beliefs, or telling a story, he had his audience fully engaged for his entire reading and Q&A.”
–Andy Dehnart, English Professor, Stetson University

“Benoit is a thoroughly engaging speaker who connects with the audience through his passionate, his wit, and his intelligence. He delivered an unforgettable lecture.”
– Lauren Kessler, director of graduate program in Literary Nonfiction, the University of Oregon.