Our last and only previous issue of Member Stories came out in 1989, over six years ago. In the intervening years, our fledgling fellowship has grown in numbers, sobriety, and recovery. Our sobriety definition has been challenged and resoundingly reaffirmed. While some of the members from that time are no longer seen in the rooms of SA, shaky newcomers they sponsored now step forward confidently to take their place. For some of us, the incredible journey is just beginning.

Men and women with a wide spectrum of sexaholic symptoms, coming from a diversity of walks of life and from different parts of the world, are now part of our fellowship. Singles are discovering a life they never thought possible, and marrieds are beginning to discover the incredible reality of what marriage and family can be. Those from same-sex backgrounds are discovering freedom from lust, and more women are discovering release from the addiction and relational misconnection. God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves!

The story of our recovery continues to be rewritten. We’re still in the process of discovering, not only what the real problem is, but what recovery is. Each recovering member is a part of that story, and his or her recovery adds to that of the whole. For, as we are reminded, in a spiritual fellowship, “that which each has goes to increase the possession of the rest” (White Book, p. 171).

It’s time for another sampling. What are our stories like today? To give of ourselves in recovery is the essence of our program; to carry the message, our greatest joy.

Send in your success stories: victory over the deadly power of Lust; release from the tyranny of sexual, romance, and relationship addiction; the awakening and progressive healing of our misconnection with God and others; progressive discovery of the defective self; getting to know the One who is keeping us sober…. What is your recovery story today? We want stories to represent the wide spectrum of sexaholic symptoms and experience.

Guidelines for Story Submissions

1. The writer must be an active participant in the fellowship of Sexaholics Anonymous.

2. The member must have three or more years of current uninterrupted sexual sobriety as described in the SA literature; see pages 3-4, 191-193 in Sexaholics Anonymous (the White Book). If the submitting group thinks circumstances warrant an exception, state reasons on the cover letter for submitting the story of a member with less than three years of sobriety (see item 3, below).

3. Individuals submit stories through their group. Quality of the member’s sobriety and recovery must be recognized and validated by fellow SA members. It is the group or intergroup that then submits the member’s story, by group conscience to the International Central Office. (Loners may submit stories through their sponsors in like manner.)

4. Stories should be typed (or printed) double-spaced on 8 1/2 x 11-inch paper (3 1/2-inch computer disk optional in “text-only” format, but submit hard copy also). Suggested length is 4-10 pages. Stories may be subject to editing and condensation. The time-tested format is that we tell “What we used to be like, what happened, and what we are like now.”

1. Include progress in recovery in your spiritual life, relations with others, and the Higher Power, as applicable.

5. No name should appear on manuscripts so they can be read “blind” by the Literature Committee. However, authors should be identified by name and sobriety date in a cover letter to the SA International Central Office in Nashville from the submitting group or intergroup.

1. Please include on the cover letter means of contacting the authors (via the Central Office) for questions or to facilitate editing.

6. Target deadline for receipt of story manuscripts at Central Office is 1 June 1996. Please send story, together with cover letter, to SA, P.O. Box 111910, Nashville, TN, 37222, ATTN: MEMBER STORIES.

Additional Suggestions in Writing Your Story

1. How you came to identify your problem. When/how did it begin? How did it progress? What did it finally develop into? When did you sense you were powerless?

2. Your efforts to find a solution. When/why did you try to stop? How did you find SA? How did you get sober?

3. Your experience in working the Steps. Your adventures in recovery: sexual, personal, relational, spiritual…. What is your life like today? Is sobriety leading to deeper recovery? If so, how? How do you practice your program today? What have you learned in recovery that can help others?