ESSAY Magazine (An International Journal of Sexaholics Anonymous)
The mission of ESSAY is to serve as a source of information, experience, strength and hope to sexaholics, both inside and outside the rooms of Sexaholics Anonymous. Our vision is to provide a high-quality “meeting in print” that gathers together members from around the world. It can serve as a portable “extra meeting” especially for loners and for members who don’t have access to many meetings. In addition, Essay serves as an outreach tool to carry the message to those who have not yet found SA. We strive to include a mix of stories and shares from a wide variety of members, including men and women, prisoners, and international members. In addition, ESSAY provides Fellowship announcements and information on subjects such as new meetings, Fellowship events, and our service structure. We hope that all of the articles we publish will offer useful information and provide experience, strength, and hope to all who suffer from the disease of sexaholism. Fellowship actvities such as international conventions, regional events and local events appear in the Calendar section. Each issue has a theme and various sections to share sexaholic stories and practical tools. In addition to letters and group news, ESSAY offers short, edited articles written by members about recovery and our solution. The Practical Recovery Tools section features members sharing on the topic, “Exactly how I did it.” Submissions may also include meditations, poetry, and humor. ESSAY is guided by the principles of the Twelve Steps, Twelve Traditions and Twelve Concepts. Each issue contains the following statement:
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Episodes
Episodes
Monday Dec 12, 2022
Monday Dec 12, 2022
Cuando comencé mi viaje de recuperación, estaba plagado del habitual zumbido incesante dentro de mi cabeza con el que solo los adictos y los neuróticos compulsivos pueden identificarse:
Tengo que mejorar RÁPIDAMENTE antes de perder la cabeza¿Cuándo salgo aquí? Me siento bien y no necesito esto¿Quién es ese tipo y por qué me mira raro?¿Pueden notarme cuando los miro raro?¡Qué feliz estoy!Estoy tan triste ...Una vez que esté sobrio voy a ayudar a todos los que pueda encontrar, ¡es mi misión!¿Por qué yo, Dios? ¿Por qué yo?
Sunday Dec 11, 2022
Sunday Dec 11, 2022
I have always worked a simple program because that is the only way I'm able to do it. I wasn't able to write my inventory like the AA Big Book recommends with the columns system. But on page 109 in the SA White Book the directions were simple which allowed me to do my inventories.
I think in pictures so when I read in the White Book, “Work the Steps, work the Steps, work the Steps,” I pictured myself at a desk doing inventories and I get overwhelmed. I'm much more comfortable with the term applying the steps than working them.
Sunday Dec 11, 2022
Sunday Dec 11, 2022
Your thoughts and prayers are greatly appreciated. Your letter was not anticipated so receiving it made it all the more special. I am grateful to have had 18 months between being “busted” and being arrested in which time I was able to become sexually sober, attend SA meetings, work the Steps with a sponsor, reunite with old friends in AA, and receive professional therapy. I was even able to make some critical 9th Step amends before going to prison. By the Grace of God and the fellowships of AA and SA, I marked four years’ sexual sobriety this past June, and twenty-four years sobriety from alcohol.
Sunday Dec 11, 2022
Sunday Dec 11, 2022
I will try to share my experience, strength and hope as it touches upon the role my father Roy K. played in both my addiction and recovery. It's been a bumpy road for us both, thanks to our addiction and character defects.
Of course our conflicts and issues were not the real problem. We just didn't see that at the time. We were caught in the grip of the blame game, one looking to fix the other instead of looking inward to fix ourselves. We tried to clean up each other's yard instead of cleaning up our own. It's hard enough to change myself, but impossible to change others. In fact I've found it impossible to change myself without practicing the spiritual principles found in SA. Principles such as forgiveness and accepting others as they are. "Live and let live"—the path to peace.
Sunday Dec 11, 2022
Sunday Dec 11, 2022
Before joining SA, I did activities with a hidden agenda- to spot or be spotted by a “potential husband”. I cringe when I think about these crazy motives. As I was doing Step Four, my sponsor asked me if I would accept life if I never got married. It was a very tough question and I felt justified in my dream of getting married some day; however, she opened my eyes to see that I could still live and enjoy life as a single woman. It is in SA that I learned to pursue fun activities with no hidden lust motives.
Sunday Dec 04, 2022
Sunday Dec 04, 2022
Fun in recovery was the last thing on my mind when I first stepped into the rooms. I was at rock bottom and thought my life would never see joy again, much less fun again. I had been found out and subsequently destroyed my marriage and the relationships with my teenage children. I never thought that fast forward 6 years I would rediscover joy in my life and have fun in my recovery. By applying the principles of this program in all my affairs, I have been able to reestablish joy and fun in all aspects of my life including with my wife, my family and the fellowship of Sexaholics Anonymous.
Sunday Dec 04, 2022
Sunday Dec 04, 2022
When I first started my recovery journey I was plagued with the usual incessant buzz inside my head that only addicts and compulsive neurotics can identify with:
Saturday Oct 01, 2022
Saturday Oct 01, 2022
Моя работа состоит в том, чтобы ухаживать за большим владением с фруктовым садом, огородом и домом. Несколько недель назад я оказался в совершенно новой для себя ситуации. Люди, с которыми я живу и работаю, уехали в летний отпуск на два месяца. Я остался один, и с тех пор почти ни с кем не встречаюсь лично. Ключевой момент заключается в том, что у меня есть полный доступ к Интернету. Я могу смотреть всё, что захочу, и никто об этом не узнает. Для такого сексуально зависимого, как я, у которого за время в АС было много срывов, это была бы идеальная ситуация, чтобы полностью погрузиться в зависимость. Однако, слава Богу, прошло уже шесть недель, как я живу один и я всё ещё трезв. В день, когда я пишу эту статью, исполняется шесть месяцев моей трезвости. Когда я рассказал об этой ситуации на собрании АС в Zoom, один мой друг попросил написать, что фактически помогает мне не сорваться. Итак, я составил список инструментов из шести пунктов.