In my experience, I see sobriety as a calm lake that reflects a blue sky, without clouds, without anxiety. I remember that when I had a relapse it was as if someone (myself) had thrown an immense rock and the waters on the surface of the lake were shaking, leaving my mind, my sensations, confused and altered, with anxiety to consume more and more.
I believe the SA newcomer has three levels of disturbance: temptation, obsession, and compulsion. The last level, compulsion, has to be broken first. This is done by the newcomer following every suggestion of the sponsor. When a sponsor suggests an action, I immediately face a decision: follow the sponsor’s suggestion or do what I want to do.
As with a lot of things in the Program, I grew into sponsorship. First, I had to learn to be a good sponsee and work my own program well. Then when I began sponsoring, I learned from my sponsees. Here is what I have learned so far.
As I sit here in meditation, it is dawning on me the biggest threat lust has on me is it takes the cord of my soul and plugs it into myself, as the White Book suggests. It is absolutely impossible for me to be truly present for my wife, my kids, and real-life significant relationships.
For me this is a Program of action. I use a handful of coins with newcomers as a tool to explain Steps 1 through 3.
Your SA International Central Office continues to grow in personnel and in service to the SA Fellowship. Groups and Intergroups that can donate to SAICO make this possible. Subscribing to the print Essay is a vital outreach tool. Thank you!
In My Story – I Will Be Okay the author describes some tough beginnings and how he fought using our program tools.
Greetings Essay, I am the Chairperson for the Correctional Facilities Committee in the St Louis area. I had a recent experience talking with the Department of Corrections of the State of Illinois. From this interaction, I put down some of my thoughts about the spiritual nature of addiction.
Dear Essay readers: This issue of Essay includes many stories on “Service Work As A Gift.” Our next issue in February will focus on “Sobriety and Relationships;” Please send in any stories or short articles on your experience with Relationships in sobriety. Future topics are listed on the previous page. Let us hear from you at essay@sa.org
A Polish SA meeting suggests that we might work Tradition 5 with a man-on-the-street approach. Słuźby is Polish for “service.”
