Lust hates the light and flees from it; it loves the dark secret recesses of my being. And once I let it lodge there, it’s like a fungus and starts flourishing—the athlete’s foot of the soul (SA 160).

As a biologist, I have studied several different types of fungi (e.g. yeast, ringworm, mushrooms, mold, athlete’s foot, etc.). Recently, I discovered an unfamiliar form of fungus: fantasy. Fantasy grows quietly in the mind. Like the other fungi, fantasy flourishes in dark, damp, undisturbed places.

Like other fungal infections, fantasy itches. As a sexaholic, I feel the itch often. It calls on me to scratch using a vivid image of lust. The more I scratch (fantasize), the more my mind itches. Again as a biologist, I can tell you that scratching is not a cure for a fungal infection. Likewise, fantasizing is not a cure for lust. The more I attempt to feed my hunger for lust with fantasy, the stronger the lust becomes. As with any unwanted growth, feeding it causes it to grow more. The solution is to cut off the food supply and change the conditions so that growth is inhibited, followed by regular application of an anti-fungal medication.

The SA program is a powerful treatment for fantasy. First of all, the Steps call on us to stop feeding the lust by turning over the itch to God. When we feel the itch, we do not scratch. Instead we pray, call our sponsors or fellow members, or simply surrender the lustful itch. By contacting someone else in the program for support or verbalizing our itch at a meeting, we change the conditions for the fantasy fungus. Rather than allow the fantasy to flourish in the deep, dark, hidden corners of our minds, we turn on the lights and air out our thoughts. The light of honest disclosure rushes in and stifles the growth of our lust. Finally, we treat the infection with the strongest anti-fungal medication available: reliance on the One who can and will, if and when He is sought. The powerful treatment of Step Three begins to alleviate the painful itch, and we experience a newfound freedom from the burning itch of lust.