IN THE CURRENT MAGAZINE

When I was new to the Fellowship, I heard something that made me laugh: “I’m a self-loathing narcissist.” I thought it was funny, but I also wanted to cry at how true this statement was for me. I’m a sexaholic and have truly earned my seat in these SA rooms. I have a fatal, incurable, progressive disease—a real soul sickness. By an incomprehensible miracle, the Program helped me find my way to a Higher Power who restored me to sanity. Granted, all I have is a daily reprieve contingent on my spiritual condition, but that much is an absolute miracle to me.

I am Oscar, a recovering sexaholic, sober by the grace of my beloved Higher Power since March 6, 2012.

I ask God, as I understand him, for the courage to change. When and how do I do this? Every time I pray the Serenity Prayer, that phrase is there. I have liked the Serenity Prayer ever since the beginning of my recovery. We pray it often, in group meetings, in workshops, and at retreats … It says profound things with simple words, but often I will get distracted and simply recite it automatically.

The Program of Sexaholic Anonymous is still not available in most of the prisons around the world and in Europe. My addiction made me a prisoner of lust. It was horrible and I was thinking that I threw my life out the window in the pursuit of lust. I can not imagine how hard it must be being prisoner of lust and being a real prisoner at the same time.

COURAGE TO CHANGE doesn’t just come about randomly. At least, it never has in my life. I don’t think I have much courage, much less the courage I need in order to change. Changing myself can be scary. Sometimes it terrifies me. But turning my life and will over to the care of God as I understand Him helps me find courage.

Last October, the Seventh Convention of SA Mexico was held in the city of Tuxtla Gutierrez. The convention was attended by 47 SA members and 13 S-Anon members; for several participants this was their first convention and their comments are below. We, the organizers, thank the Higher Power (God as each one conceives Him) for this experience that was so important in our recovery.

“Keep it simple”—how profound and how difficult. When I came to SA I looked for that special something that would knock my socks off and catapult me into sobriety. How disappointed I was when my sponsor said, “I’m not keeping any secret tools from you; the experience I have I have shared with you; there are no bunnies in the hat.”