Many of you have known and received orders for literature from Barbara, the Empress of Shipping here at Central Office. Barbara decided to retire and take a well-earned rest. We wish her the very best.

Dorene S., ESSAY editor for the last year, has decided to turn to other projects.

Need: Often a sponsee will have a problem that does not readily yield to the sponsor’s efforts or that is outside his or her knowledge or recovery experience or ability to deal with it. In such cases, there can be great wisdom and breakthrough by bringing the issue to a small, select group of trusted members, together, under God.

To All My Fellow SA Members,
I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you that has reached into his or her pocket to help the Sexaholics Anonymous Correctional Facilities Committee (SACFC). It may not seem like a lot to you, but believe me, for those of us in prison, it can be the only lifesaver we will ever get.

I woke up this morning thanking God. Then I prayed this simple prayer: “God grant that I may love Thee always and follow Thy will. Do with me according to Thy will.” Then I did my daily readings. It wasn’t always that way. Today I’m enjoying over three years of sexual sobriety. But again, it wasn’t always that way….

Central Office instituted the SEP IRA pension plan recently authorized by delegates and trustees. Central Office employees thank the fellowship for this benefit.

Here are some questions being suggested to help in taking lust inventories. Those involved in coming up with this list are asking for feedback—any additions, deletions, or other comments—to reflect various other manifestations of lust not covered in this list. Please review and send your comments back to the Central Office. Thank you.

1. Have the person formulate their surrender in writing.
Ask them to write out what this means for them specifically. For example, “I surrender unconditionally to God and this group my right to seek out or look at ____________.”

The December 1999 issue of Essay contained the first part of Roy K.’s talk in Cranford, NJ on November 6th titled “A New Look at Lust Recovery—Part One: Stages of Lust Recovery.” This is Part Two, revised to reflect what we’re learning from continuing experience with participants in the surrender.

In 1935-1938, in the midst of a ragtag roundup of woebegotten rummies, something was happening which would turn into the greatest event of the twentieth century. This was the joyous discovery that God was doing for hopeless drunks what they had never been able to do for themselves. Before there was any AA literature, before there were any Steps, Akron Ohio 1935-1938 was where hope for lust-aholics was born.

In January of 2000, our group helped initiate a group at a State Correctional Institution. It has become my weekly meeting, because it is closer than other outside meetings I could attend.

The morning session of the General Delegate Assembly was a workshop on AA’s Twelve Concepts for World Service, presented by AA old-timer and trusted servant, George D. The following notes are adapted for SA from materials handed out at this workshop.

Lawrence M., Essay editor for the last ten years, has decided to turn to other projects.

Thank you very much. It is beautiful to be with you. I have looked for this opportunity for some time and now it is here.

Most of us in Sexaholics Anonymous (SA) were driven to total despair by our destructive sexual behavior. We found as soon as we came here that our lust was the problem. It was hard to believe. How could it be the problem? And, how could we live without its comfort? It didn’t make sense. But we had no choice.

Dear Addiction,
Thank you for being there for all these years, and for being a friend to me when I felt alone. Thank you for being a coping mechanism and a safe place I could go when I felt bad, lonely, upset, or depressed. You always delivered and made things better.

Jesse L. of Bozeman, Montana, died February 24, 2000. Although noted in many fields, he is remembered in SA for his devotion to the SA fellowship.

At the January 1998 International Conference in Daytona Beach, Florida, the Trustees and Delegates of Sexaholics Anonymous created the SACC Literature Fund. The SACC was directed to “implement a plan to encourage donations from intergroups to cover literature costs for prisoners.” No one knew at that time exactly how we would go about doing this or what the response would be. By the end of the year, however, members had contributed $5,342.99 to the fund.

I was born into a large extended family in eastern Canada. My father held down two jobs and operated a mixed farm with his father. My mother was young and overwhelmed with responsibility. When my father was home I would try to talk to him and do things with him but I had little or no success. I realize today he was trying to recapture some much needed sleep.

The whole concept of “sexual anorexia” is an issue for me. Some therapists seem to use the term to describe someone who is sexually shut down from their partner. However, “sexual anorexia” is not an S-Anon approved term. One thing we do know for sure that is supported by both SA and S-Anon is mutual abstinence: 1) it ensures a drying out period for the sexaholic; 2) it allows a period of time to focus on our own recovery and regain other aspects of intimacy and friendship in our lives that were lost or never before experienced. It is a time to learn that, in fact, sex is “optional” (see SA Solution in the “White Book”).