ESSAY Magazine (An International Journal of Sexaholics Anonymous)

Alla mia prima riunione dei Sexaholics Anonymous ho sentito qualcuno leggere “Il problema” e ho capito che ero nel posto giusto. Nel Libro Bianco Roy scrisse:   Utilizzare la letteratura del programma. Il Dodici e Dodici e Alcolisti Anonimi sono stati le mie prime guide nel lavoro sui Passi. Ho trovato sempre quello di cui avevo bisogno in quei documenti originali che hanno lanciato il programma d...

Der Zwölfte Schritt erinnert uns daran, die Botschaft von AS an Sexsüchtige auf der ganzen Welt weiterzugeben. Ein wichtiges Instrument für meine Genesung war die Mitarbeit in Ausschüssen wie dem internationale AS Übersetzungskomitee (TC). Seit 2020 bin ich Verbindungsmann zwischen denjenigen auf weltweiter Ebene, die Material ins Spanische und Portugiesische übersetzen.

Ich wusste von Beginn meiner Reise in AS an, dass unser Gründer Roy K. Sexaholics Anonymous (das „Weiße Buch“) geschrieben hatte, und erfuhr später, dass er auch Recovery Continues (Die Genesung schreitet fort), Discovering the Principles (Entdeckung der Prinzipien) und mehrere AS-Broschüren geschrieben hatte. Viele Jahre lang fragte ich mich jedoch, wer all unsere andere wunderbare AS-Literatur s...

Vor einiger Zeit machte ein Mitglied meiner Stammgruppe eine schwierige Zeit durch und fragte sich, warum Gott dies zuließ. Das erinnerte mich an etwas, das mir vor etwa zwei Jahren widerfuhr.

Bevor ich trocken wurde, war ich kein großer Leser. Tatsächlich hatte ich noch nie ein Buch von Anfang bis Ende gelesen. Ich hätte in der Schule mal fast ein Buch fertig gelesen, weil es mich in eine Fantasiewelt entführte, weit weg von der Realität. Meistens war das Lesen für mich jedoch beunruhigend und sinnlos.

Bei meinem ersten Meeting der Anonymen Sexaholiker hörte ich jemanden „Das Problem“ vorlesen, und ich wusste, dass ich am richtigen Ort war. Im Weißen Buch schrieb Roy:   Nutze die Literatur des Programms. Die Zwölf Schritte und Zwölf Traditionen und das Blaue Buch der Anonymen Alkoholiker waren meine ersten Leitfäden für die Arbeit in den Schritten. Wieder und wieder fand ich, was ich brauchte, i...

Dès le début de mon cheminement dans SA, j'ai su que notre fondateur, Roy K., avait écrit Sexoliques Anonymes (le « Livre Blanc ») et j'ai appris plus tard qu'il avait également écrit Le Rétablissement Se Poursuit, Découvrir les Principes, et plusieurs brochures de SA. Cependant, pendant de nombreuses années, je me suis demandé qui écrivait tous les autres merveilleux ouvrages de SA et ce qu'impli...

Avant de devenir sobre, je n'étais pas une personne de livres. En fait, je n'avais jamais lu un livre d'un bout à l'autre. J'ai failli finir un livre à l'école parce qu'il m'a emmené dans un monde fantastique, loin de la réalité. La plupart de mes lectures, cependant, étaient pénibles et inutiles.

Lors de ma première réunion des Sexoliques anonymes, j'ai entendu quelqu'un lire « Le problème », et j'ai su que j'étais au bon endroit. Dans le Livre blanc, Roy a écrit   Utiliser la littérature du programme. Les Douze et Douze et les Alcooliques Anonymes ont été mes premiers guides dans l'application des Étapes. Encore et encore, j'ai trouvé ce dont j'avais besoin dans ces documents originaux qu...

In the early 1980s, the seeds of SA were sown in Germany, marking the beginning of a transformative journey for many sexaholics. This writing will tell of some pivotal moments and key players that shaped SA in Germany, highlighting its growth and impact.

Without my therapist telling me about SA, I might not be alive today. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all helping professionals understood how effective SA can be?   Did you know that Supporting Institutions and Professionals (SIP) is an official committee of SA? Its purpose is to reach out to helping professionals (therapists, clergy, doctors, etc.) and institutions like rehab centers, hospitals, the...

I’ve had the pleasure of attending quite a few SA meetings since 2020 when I first joined the Fellowship. In some of those meetings, we used ESSAY magazine articles in our literature rotation. I’m writing this to highlight how two articles from the ESSAY were very impactful in meetings I attended.

I sat there all alone one afternoon in a stunning location in Hawaii. And all of a sudden, a realization came over me. I understood that if I didn’t stop acting out now, I would be lost—for the rest of my life. I would never make any meaningful connection with anyone, and I would  descend lower and lower into moodiness, self-centered bitterness, cynicism, and despair.

I didn’t think I could ever get sober. But “God could and [did when I sought Him]” (AA 60), and He does for [me] what [I] could not do for [myself] (AA 84). The White Book assures me, "...we started sharing at meetings, telling our story, bringing the inside out. And we discovered that the way to feel better is not only going to meetings but taking the risk of self-disclosure” (SA 65). This is my...

Knowledge and pride have been big obstacles in my working the Program. “Knowing the Truth,” as mentioned in our White Book (SA 91), has been another obstacle. As I accumulated calendar sobriety, I was unsure why I kept feeling anxious about lust.

Early in recovery, it was instilled in me that, in order to recover, I need to be H.O.W. (Honest, Open-minded, and Willing).  Without honesty, I am left only with OW! [for many English speakers, this is what we say (or yell) when we get hurt]. I am focusing more on honesty now because I’m tired of the pain that results without it (the OW!). Please pray for me, the fellow at the door, and anyone wh...

One of my friends in prison informed me that he is going to be paroled soon. He asked for advice on what he should do upon release. I asked him where he plans to live and sent him a list of meetings in his area with contact phone numbers. I asked if he had transportation to his location. If not, I suggested that he find a local bus service or transportation service. 

Different forces propelled us to the first-ever SA India Workshop Weekend in Ashirvad, Bangalore. These forces included life-threatening spiritual bankruptcy, absolute failure of moderation and self-control, and a serendipitous string of events amidst desperate seeking.

I knew from the start of my journey in SA that our founder, Roy K. wrote Sexaholics Anonymous (the “White Book”) and then later learned that he also wrote Recovery Continues, Discovering the Principles, and several SA pamphlets. However, for many years, I wondered who writes all our other wonderful SA literature and what’s involved in the publication process. Then the opportunity arose to do inter...

Before getting sober, I was not a book person. In fact, I had never read a book cover-to-cover. I almost finished one book in school because it took me into a fantasy world, away from reality. Most reading for me, though, was distressing and pointless.   My religious tradition encouraged me to read, study, and meditate. I sometimes read scripture so as not to incur disapproval or feel left out, bu...

At my first meeting of Sexaholics Anonymous, I heard someone read “The Problem,” and I knew that I was in the right place. In the White Book Roy wrote:   Use the literature of the program. The Twelve and Twelve and Alcoholics Anonymous were my first guides in working the Steps. Again and again, I found what I needed in those original documents that launched the Twelve Step program. Many of us now...

I entered the world of SA through an invitation from a friend of a friend. At the time, I didn’t recognize my own lust addiction. I simply enjoyed the company of women, and I sometimes (read: constantly) indulged in pornography. To me, those explicit images were no different from any movie broadcasted on TV. And when I heard about Sexaholics Anonymous, the word "Anonymous" intrigued me. It seemed...

For me, sexual lust started as a simple game that I played with the kid next door. I never imagined that such a game could develop into a “way of life.” My family paid more attention to my beautiful, smart sister, and to attract their attention, I started stealing from them to get more attention. This didn’t work. I didn’t know how to say, “I’m here! See me! Love me! I need my father to hold me!” 

I just got back from the SA/S-Anon International Conventions in Los Angeles. This was the first International Convention in the United States since 2020, and the final registration count was 664! There were another 70 people around the world who joined sessions via livestream. Eleven countries were represented (including Kenya, Israel, and Belgium), 40 of the U.S. states, plus Puerto Rico and Wash...

Last weekend (early April 2024), about 20 SA members spent about 14 hours together for “Truro Recovery Day” in Cornwall, UK (Truro is a quant cathedral city in southwest England). One of the smallest groups in the UK (the Truro meeting) hosted this annual event of the southwest corner of England.