The test of our secure being, of our connectedness, is the capacity to enjoy being alone. The person whose relationships are not compulsive is one who values his or her own company. It is easier to be comfortable with a self that is capable of creating satisfying attachments to life. We then welcome periods of solitude where we can exercise and express that self -- both in the real world and in imagination. We can take pride in a self-sustenance which, while never total, can withstand many pressures. This self-sustenance also serves as the bulwark for our relationships.

-- Stanton Peele, Love and Addiction