Thursday, May 1st

I was warmly welcomed at my first meeting, which helped me feel comfortable. After the meeting, the chairperson approached me and invited me to join several group members for fellowship. It meant a lot.

Attending meetings and socializing with fellow members help us break down the isolation in which our sexual compulsion thrives. Whatever our individual stories might be, getting to know others in the program allows us to see the common thread that unites us in our recovery journey.

“My relationship with myself and with my sobriety community grew at the same time.”

Socializing through fellowship before or after meetings and participating in recovery events help affirm our sense of community. Reaching out to welcome newcomers reminds us that SCA is a “we” program. Doing so is as beneficial to us as it is to newcomers. Introducing ourselves and extending a friendly greeting can lessen the isolation many may feel.

If group fellowship happens after a meeting, we invite newcomers and those we do not know well to come along. Once we break down the initial barriers that separate us, we find that what we have in common enhances our recovery.

The welcome and support I found in SCA have helped me in so many ways.

Wednesday, April 30th

For years, I felt defective but didn’t dare to be honest with myself.

Taking a “fearless and moral inventory” in our work on Step Four may help us recognize some of our undesirable behavior patterns.

Facing the prospect of admitting “the exact nature of our wrongs” in Step Five might arouse fear and shame and trigger us to act out compulsively. These feelings can lead to negative self-judgment. We may anticipate that others might harshly judge or ridicule us.

“Listing my resentments, fears, and sexual history was hard enough. I kept putting off revealing them to my sponsor.”

The solidity of our third Step helps us trust the process, even if we fear its outcome. We do not need to take any part of our SCA journey alone. The process of admitting our wrongs to someone else — even to ourselves — begins to unburden us from the wreckage of our past.

When we honestly admit to our Higher Power, ourselves, and another person the exact nature of our wrongs, we begin to develop humility, honesty, and integrity. When we complete Step Five, we feel spiritually lighter and can focus on those character traits that may be holding us back from further growth.

Working the fifth Step may make us feel uncomfortable, but doing so can help lighten our burdens.