Al recordar mi vida en el mundo de la lujuria, todavía siento terror y desesperación, los sentimientos con los que había estado viviendo todos los días, antes de venir al programa. Durante muchos años, ser adicto a comportamientos y pensamientos sexuales compulsivos fue el peor y más grande problema de mi vida. Un hecho que hizo de mi vida un auténtico desastre. Algunas noches soñaba que tendría una vida feliz sin este problema, pero por la mañana cuando me daba cuenta de que solo era un sueño, sentía una pena enorme. Era un hecho triste de mi vida para el que parecía no haber remedio. Si trataba de aceptar esto, las emociones se volvían más severas de lo que podía tolerar y tenía que adormecerlas volviendo a mi adicción. No podía imaginar nada peor que el infierno en el que estaba viviendo.

Hace poco me pidieron que escribiera un artículo para Essay sobre la sobriedad emocional. Mi primera reacción fue un no rotundo. Quería negarme porque sé, en el fondo de mi corazón, que la mayoría de las personas en SA tienen dificultad para alcanzar la sobriedad emocional dado que a duras penas pueden alcanzar la sobriedad de la lujuria. En ese momento me di cuenta de que, en vez de negarme, necesitaba compartir mi experiencia, fortaleza y esperanza desde otra perspectiva. Necesitaba escribir sobre los obstáculos que he visto los últimos 38 años en nuestra fraternidad.

La vida de un adicto al sexo puede ser muy difícil y estresante, especialmente cuando se está produciendo una guerra a gran escala en mi país. Es muy difícil mantenerse sexual y emocionalmente sobrio. Pero es posible. Así que creé para mí algunas reglas simples, basadas en los principios espirituales del programa de 12 pasos.

Hace 27 años entré en una sala llena de hombres: ¿Qué esperaba? Pensé que encontraría gente sucia y callada. Afortunadamente me equivoqué completamente con mis expectativas. Vi una sala llena de hombres normales y corrientes como los que podía ver en mi trabajo o en un grupo de amigos.

۲۷ سال پیش وارد اتاقی پر از مرد شدم… چه انتظاری داشتم؟ پیش خودم فکر می کردم افرادی را ببینم که کثیف و مرموز به نظر می رسند. اما خوشبختانه انتظارات من کاملاً اشتباه بود. من اتاقی را دیدم که پر از مردان معمولی بود، درست مانند آنچه که ممکن است در محل کار یا بیرون، زمانی که با دوستانم هستم، ببینم.

Reading “What makes meetings strong?“ in Essay May 2021 got me thinking. For me strong meetings are welcoming places, offering full participation to all members; they provide opportunities for service and they encourage fellowship after meetings.

These past few months, we’ve been able to welcome two new members from Iraq. Although I wasn’t involved in carrying the message to them, I’m part of their solution.

I practice no organized religion, but I may refer to specific religious traditions here because of their being examples related to my journey. In November 1985 I stopped acting out by means of chemical castration. This was because of life-threatening behaviors that were occurring as a part of my acting out. There was no emotional or spiritual treatment combined with it.

A few weeks ago, I heard someone from my faith tradition tell a story that really resonated with me, and that I have thought about every day since. I shared it at a meeting and it appeared to touch others as well. Therefore, I am very happy to share it with you.

I have a recovery buddy who recently adopted a dog. Having been without a dog for several months, he was so excited when he was finally able to bring “Leroy Brown” home with him. That excitement was quickly joined by frustration.

I’m Nicholas and I’m a sexaholic. I acted out with pornography, masturbation, prostitution, adultery, promiscuity, sexualizing men, women, children, animals and objects, voyeurism and exhibitionism, romantic fantasy, sexual intrigue, and emotional affairs. And by the grace of God and the program of Sexaholics Anonymous, I haven’t had to do any of that stuff for over 27 years and for that I am incredibly grateful.

I’m driving. My son is beside me in the passenger seat. 80% of his body is covered in rash. He’s having trouble breathing. He is going into anaphylactic shock and may stop breathing within the hour, unless he gets medical attention.

In my addiction, lust took over my life. Indulging lust in some way was constantly in my mind. Every day, all day, lustful thoughts were occupying me. I was always looking for opportunities. This preoccupation was driving me crazy.

When you get what you want in your struggle for self…

I was recently asked to write an article for the Essay on Emotional Sobriety. At first my reaction was to say “No.” I wanted to say No because I felt, deep down, that most people in SA have difficulty reaching Emotional Sobriety since they can barely reach “lust sobriety.”

A sexaholic’s life can be very difficult and stressful, especially when a full scale war is going on in my country. It’s so hard to keep sexually and emotionally sober. But it’s possible. So I created a few simple rules for myself, based on 12 step program spiritual principles.

I was blessed with the opportunity to join the SA Fellowship of the Spirit more than eight years ago. When I then joined my first meeting, my sole motive was breaking free from the prison of lust, in the shade of which I had been living since my early teenage years.

I am Samar G. from Egypt. I am a sexaholic. My active addiction has a long history. I tried so many things in my life. My suffering started when I was young. I was abused by one of my relatives.

27 years ago I walked into a room full of men … what did I expect? I thought I would see people that looked dirty and secretive. Thankfully my expectations were completely wrong. I saw a room full of ordinary men just like I might see at work or out with friends.

Remembering my life in the lust world, I still feel terror and despair—the feelings which I had been living with everyday—before coming to the program. For many years, being addicted to compulsive sexual behaviors and thoughts was the biggest and worst problem in my life.