My name is Keith. I am a grateful sexaholic. My SA sobriety date is 15 July 2012. Thank you for this opportunity to share my indebtedness and gratitude for SA to my SA family worldwide.

I started 12 Step meetings in another program, but my acting out progressed as my obsession and addiction to lust increased. 14 years later, still miserable, still under the spell, the tyranny of lust, I went to SA. But I was reluctant. I did not yet have the gift of despair. I was quietly resigned to a life of addiction and to feeling sorry for myself. And now look where I’ve ended up, with you lot!

You know, at the start, I would not shake hands before or after a meeting, and I let members know that too! Maybe I thought I would catch something from you! I did. Thank God.

Over time, I just brought the body as I’d heard to do, and then the mind followed. I came to believe that it is possible to live free from the obsession of lust. I completely gave myself over to this simple program and let the withdrawal process take its course, surrendering lust, temptations, thoughts, memories, etc. And another miracle happened: the First Step took me – I knew something had happened.

As I stayed sexually sober, the healing began. I began to change by trying to practice the Steps and principles, a day at a time in my life. I was encouraged into service. As my sobriety continued, I discovered something new and wonderful: Serenity. I was becoming a new person, lifting my head up, looking the world in the eye, and standing tall, free.

Today I get access to this flowing Power, by working on myself, the Steps, and reaching out to help others. I discovered that recovery is like a lake that needs an inflow and an outflow. The inflow is attending meetings, phone calls, literature and working the Steps. The outflow is trying to help, reaching out to others, and service in our fellowship. Too much outflow the lake runs dry, too little and the lake goes stagnant and lifeless. With not enough inflow, the lake becomes shallow.

Today I am grateful for this Fellowship of the Spirit; meetings, many chats over cups of tea, welcomed into members’ homes, conventions, phone calls … The After Convention Gatherings are without a doubt the happiest and most connected times of my life.

Just For Today, I am at ease with my disease. Gratitude to me means every moment is a “given moment,” an opportunity to give back.