I came into SA in May of 2010 and have been gratefully sober since August of that year. At each stage of sobriety and recovery, I feel my vision is changing. Over the past couple of years in SA, I’ve noticed many paradoxes (also called apparent contradictions) that serve as the foundation for my continued growth in recovery. I believe that the potential list of paradoxes is endless, but following are some I’ve come up with so far.

Is my life better today than before I surrendered to God and started working the SA program? Absolutely! Is my life in sobriety what I imagined it would be like? Absolutely not. I certainly did not know the extent of the changes I would need to make when I started working the Steps.

As part of my recovery over the past five years, I’ve made cartoons based on recovery concepts. Translating my recovery into visual terms helps keep me focused on the solution. The cartoon below came to me in May of 2009, while at the house of an old-timer in the UK where I was staying to work the Steps.

I have sponsored and been sponsored. Long-sober members often describe their sponsors with reverence. But if they talk long enough, they sometimes admit that the person who first helped them get sober is no longer sober themselves.

It’s 4:23 a.m. as I write this. Before getting up to write, I had lain in bed for half an hour processing a close call. The close call was not the trip to the emergency room we made the night before, when my daughter needed medical attention.

I came into SA in 1993 with a desire to fix my marriage. I had heard other newcomers share this goal, and it seemed reasonable to me. But placing my marriage relationship before my personal recovery led me to significant danger.

I’m Mike, a sexaholic, and I’ve been sexually sober since June 3, 1984. I’m grateful to the members of my home group, who have helped me stay sober for the past 30 years. I’m also grateful for my wife, who probably should have dumped me many times over the years, but for some reason she has chosen to stay. We have a pretty decent marriage today—but it wasn’t always that way.

Dear SA Fellowship:
I am grateful to the fellowship for stepping forward in your contributions to SAICO this past year. Our net revenues have increased by $29,600 over budget so far this year.

Dear Fellow SA Members:
The General Delegate Assembly (GDA), which meets quarterly, held its annual face-to-face meeting July 10-11, prior to the July convention. All regions were represented except the Persian-Speaking, Russian-speaking, and Australia/Asia regions. Also present were the Trustees, Trustee candidates, representatives from SAICO, and observers.

Last May I attended the Europe and Middle East Region (EMER) Convention and Regional Assembly meeting in Israel. From the time I left my home in Ireland until I returned, I was in fellowship almost the entire time. This was the trip of a lifetime!

I’m George, a sexaholic. I’ve been sexually sober since June 12, 2001. Before I found SA, I spent all of my working hours acting out with my cyber girlfriends in chat rooms across several time zones. I was totally consumed by lust. I had a short affair with one of my customers, and I only wanted more.

Recently, I was driving to a neighboring town to meet my mother and sisters for dinner. I was on a recovery call when my cell phone battery died, and I had lost my car charger. I felt isolated. I like the security and support of having a working cell phone and I thought about stopping to buy a new car charger.

When I arrived at my regular SA Monday night dinner meeting this week, I found that the restaurant where we usually hold the meeting was closed due to a neighborhood electrical outage. One member drove off, while three of us walked next door to a fast-food place to eat. I was feeling a bit distraught over losing my meeting, but as I walked back to my car around 7 p.m., I saw the meeting!

Some years ago, while sitting on a park bench in a university town and reading a book, I saw an old monk walking toward me. He was wearing a medieval-looking dark brown habit, and as he approached me he asked if he could sit beside me and talk.

I would like to share a few thoughts and feelings—strength and hope if you will—because I’ve heard that only by giving it away can I get to keep it. I recently had a magnificent transformation inside of me, and I really want to keep it!

Mine was the first name to be called. As I walked onto the floor of the sports pavilion at our local university and stood before 3,000 spectators, I thought, “I can’t believe I’m doing this!” Then I bowed to the judges and began the first move of the 24-Step Form of Tai Chi. This was a miracle of my SA recovery.

The best thing that ever happened to me was the day that my ex-wife threw me out of the house, near the end of 2006. I had been through rehab and in and out of SA, and yet here I was again, caught looking at porn online. My wife had had it. Thank God she was willing to give up on me.

When I got sober in SA, I had to learn what healthy sexuality is and how to experience true intimacy. I had never experienced either one for any prolonged period in over 30 years of marriage. My relationship was plagued with control and avoidance. My wife knew something was wrong, but for many years I denied it.

My name is Bill W. and I’m a sexaholic. My sobriety date is November 26, 1995. Until I was 73 years old, I was a chronic relapser. My addiction was costly. I ended up a disgrace to myself, my family, my church, and the religious order to which I belong.

My name is Pat and I’m a sexaholic. Last December I celebrated 17 years as a member of the SA Fellowship and 17 years of SA sobriety. I feel so blessed.