Today, we’re lucky to have a newcomer(s) joining us. Welcome! There’s nothing you need to do. You’ll have a chance to share during our meeting if you choose to, but no pressure. Now, we’ll share with you a little about how we got here.
None of us thought: My life is perfect, so I’d better check into Sex and Porn Addicts Anonymous. Some had to be dragged here—figuratively and literally. Others knew they had a problem with their sexual behavior which they wanted to stop but couldn’t. Not on their own. Today, these same members can proudly claim years of sobriety.
We stopped using pornography and sexually acting out. How did we do it? After all, we struggled to stop acting out for years. We wondered: What was wrong with us? Why didn’t we possess the willpower to overcome this awful compulsion? At times, we thought there wasn’t hope. That we would take our secrets to our graves. A solution was beyond our grasp.
To take the first step toward recovery, we had to admit that we couldn’t control our compulsive sexual behavior. We all needed to accept that we were sex and porn addicts. In the process, we learned a very simple principle—the principle of “we.” Meaning we are not alone. That’s how we arrived at SPAA’s door, and how we found a home in SPAA.
Regardless of our race, gender or sexual identity, we learned that the members of this program share a common thread. They understand our problem—from firsthand experience. In other words, they speak our language. They taught us that porn wasn’t the problem. It was the solution—a method to cope with pain and escape reality. Today, we welcome the range of experiences that life offers—its joys and heartaches. We connect with people rather than isolate ourselves with porn and other forms of sexual addiction. We cleared the fog of addiction from our thinking, and in doing so, found a path toward spiritual meaning and fulfillment. We gained self-respect and the respect of our partners, families, and members of this group. These fellow members proved to us that we were not alone. You are not alone!
Updated 5/17/2021