Sunday, October 4th
I dreaded attending that first meeting. I was sure that nobody could relate to my problems.
Many of us sought to conceal our acting out behaviors from others, sometimes even from ourselves. We used sex to escape negative feelings, especially shame, but our sexually compulsive activities often led to further shame and the need for concealment.
When we attend our first SCA meeting, we hear others share their experiences. We may soon realize that sharing is not a roundtable of confessions and humiliation. People tend to speak openly and honestly about their problems and their work on the solutions.
We may learn to relate to the feelings, not the facts, of another member’s share, noticing when their feelings mirror our own. It can help us to hear how that person dealt with their situation: the awareness they gained, the acceptance they experienced, and the actions they took.
Hearing others share can give us hope that we can break the cycle of sexual compulsion or fantasy. As we attend meetings and use the Tools of Recovery, we may begin to trust our Higher Power and this community of recovering sexual compulsives. In recovery, we gain strength and learn to share our stories and our hopes.
I heard someone else tell my story; I was not alone — I had found my home.