The girls are back in town

Hold onto your hats (your little Philip Treacy numbers, naturally): it's not long now until the Sex and the City girls make their comeback, this time on the on the big screen, with the release of Sex and the City: The Movie taking place in the UK on May 28. Yes, Carrie and co will be brunching and shopping again after a four-year absence. Hurrah.

The movie, however, may be more thought-provoking than some people are anticipating, with SJP herself having recently hinted that those who have been lucky enough to have seen previews were surprised by its complexity. But let's face it, SATC was never all about Jimmy Choos and raunchy encounters: even before the movie, the series highlighted a range of serious issues that affect women everywhere, including love and sex addiction.

According to Annie Bennett, author of The Love Trap – breaking free from love addiction (Hammersmith Press, £11.99) and a self-confessed former love addict herself, love addicts typically put their partner on a pedestal and fantasise or obsess over them, only to find they can never get close enough to them or be reassured of their commitment towards them. Love addicts, she adds, mistake sex for intimacy and often look for sex when what they really want is closeness. And Carrie Bradshaw, says Annie, is a typical love addict.

"Carrie is obsessive in her behaviours using shopping and overeating to soothe and calm her emotional turbulence," says Annie. "She is a very friendly and overly caring character – both of which are good signs that indicate co-dependent relating. Carrie sees herself as the victim in her relationships, and often blames the other person for making her be the person she's not.

"In the final episode of the TV series, Carrie states that she has given up her life for older lover Alexander Petrofsky, and that all she truly wants is to have an all-consuming and intense love. Finally taking ownership of herself, she literally bumps back into her original love relationship with Big.

"Now, as the date for the movie release gets ever-closer, we can only wait to see what happens next. Will Carrie and Big's relationship begin the same old cycle again?"

It's shaping up to be the will-they-won't-they of the year. However, fans of the TV series will be just as anxious to find out what fate has in store for Samantha, who Annie describes as "a sex-addicted, mature and sassy woman."

At the end of the TV series, Samantha realises that she can need a man and depend upon him. "Samantha began to see that sex does not mean love, and that Smith was a man who could love her without having to have sex with her, he could be with her to support her and love her at the same time – that was a pivotal turning point for the character, who takes a step towards trust," explains Annie.

Breaking the cycle

For anyone who has love addiction issues, The Love Trap is the perfect guide to understanding what it is and how to end it. It recalls Annie's own love addiction experiences, including a six-month relationship that ended when her partner died unexpectedly. A counsellor therapist with a private practice in Central London, Annie has turned her jaw-dropping experiences into a tale that will help other people recognise their own love addiction problems.

“The Love Trap is my way of addressing my own life issues and putting them forward as an example to help others gain some insight as to how they too may be affected,” she explains. “One of the most important issues is being very aware and recognising your hooks – the things that you find appealing that lead you into love addiction in the first place.”

The Love Trap – breaking free from love addiction by Annie Bennett - Price £11.99 – available: Hammersmithpress.co.uk.