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
Saturday Aug 06, 2022
Saturday Aug 06, 2022
EMER returns to face to face convention—in Armenia
Following a three-year break due to the pandemic, the Europe and Middle East Region (EMER) will hold its annual Regional Convention face-to-face from October 7 to 9, 2022 in the Republic of Armenia, located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and the Middle East. We are planning on having S-Anon participation as well.
Wednesday Aug 03, 2022
Wednesday Aug 03, 2022
Doing It Like the Camel Just For Today
Dear Essay, thank you for the June edition on Emotional Sobriety.
The little camel on my golden necklace reminds me how to live up to emotional sobriety in the following poem an oldtimer recited when he saw it:
A camel each day goes twice on his knees
He carries his load with the greatest of ease
He goes through the desert with his head held high
And stays this day completely dry.
Tuesday Aug 02, 2022
Tuesday Aug 02, 2022
The Slogans are snippets of wisdom designed to be short and memorable enough to lodge in our forgetful and stubborn minds as we trudge the road of recovery.
They are little lozenges of wisdom and are sure to inspire us whenever we are doubtful and agitated. One member shared: “My initial contempt for the slogans reminds me just how closed my mind really was one time. I particularly bristled at ‘Keep It Simple’, but now I know that my best days in recovery are when I keep things as simple as possible.”
Tuesday Aug 02, 2022
Tuesday Aug 02, 2022
When I returned from a local SA convention yesterday, I felt reasonably happy, connected and peaceful—though not fully. The presence of one fellow had disturbed my serenity to such an extent that I had been struggling with obsessing about him and his behavior throughout the whole weekend. Even more, when I had heard of his registering for the event three months ago, I had already been in fear and disturbed. Upon coming home, I wrote an inventory on it in order to share it with my sponsor in the evening.
Tuesday Aug 02, 2022
Tuesday Aug 02, 2022
This is one of the program slogans that stuck in my mind after I attended my first SA virtual meeting here in the Philippines. I was afraid and hesitant to attend an SA meeting because I was in denial and doubtful that I am a sex addict, but still forced myself to join that meeting as I was afraid to lose my wife and kids. I convinced myself that I needed help and maybe SA can offer something that I am looking for. That first SA meeting in February of 2021 was quite memorable to me. When I heard the sharing among the members, I immediately identified myself that I am, indeed, a sexaholic. It was also the first time that I heard that lust is the core of my sex addiction.
Tuesday Aug 02, 2022
Tuesday Aug 02, 2022
Before coming into SA, I didn’t believe that lust was a big deal for me. I had masturbated all my life, sometimes using pornography. When my addiction was in full swing, I was acting out with other men four to six times a month. I was living what I thought was a successful double life—on one hand a successful educator, father, husband, and church leader, and on the other a committed sex addict. I could lean into the stressors of career, family or church, and seem to others to be wise and a courageous leader. But later, I would relieve the emotional pressure by acting out sexually. Except for the burdensome guilt and shame, the pattern seemed to be working.
Tuesday Aug 02, 2022
Tuesday Aug 02, 2022
I love slogans. For my addled brain with the memory of a goldfish, they are pithy, easy to remember and when I receive the willingness, actionable. There are so many that readily come to mind, such as “One Day At A Time”, “Good Orderly Direction”, “Let Go and Let God”, and “Go Easy On Yourself”. While these slogans are terrific, there are two slogans that have become foundational to my recovery and intertwined in my increasingly 12 step way of living. The first is “Doing The Next Right Thing” with the added twist of “Particularly, When No One Is Watching”. The second I cobbled together following years of meetings, listening to speakers in both SA and AA, doing the steps, working with my sponsor/sponsees and general fellowship which I call the “G.A.S.H.” Principle.
Monday Aug 01, 2022
Monday Aug 01, 2022
I have a fond history with the slogans—you might say that they have saved my life. In early AA recovery, my home group was “old school,” no sharing in meetings until you had 1 year of sobriety. (We could ask questions.) So I was bored, same old shares, so I read the walls: The 12 Steps, The 12 Traditions, and SLOGANS! I came to enjoy meditating on them, applying them to the most important person in the room- ME.