Day of Recovery
Michael's Story
9. It’s like a mini recovery vacation.
8. Drew C. is coming all the way from St. Louis to speak.
7. To see all the other people in your fellowship.
6. As Martha Stewart says, “It’s a good thing.”
5. To attend great workshops, meetings and, of course, lunch.
4. It’s at Unity in Chicago. How cool is a church with an in-house coffee bar?
3. Because you’ve been working on that pesky Step 3 for how long now?
2. It’s on Saturday, October 22nd. What else are you going to do, watch football?
No. 1. Because you’re worth it.
I began “sampling” the idea of recovery from sex addiction in the early 1990’s. I had placed myself in situations that were abusive to me and others. These included cruising for and engaging in anonymous sex with adult men in public places (parks, rest rooms, locker rooms), phone sex and engaging with anonymous partners for sex through phone lines, use of male prostitutes, internet sex related chat rooms and pornography. The abuse over the years has taken place primarily to my own spirit, to my own sense of well-being, safety and purpose in my life. It has also been abusive to many other men. I have exposed myself to physical harm as well. These activities have threatened my work as my career involves a certain level of trust from the public. Obviously, I have threatened myself to illness and/or death.
I have had various periods of sobriety ranging from two and a half years to none. Although I was seriously tempted to despair, I have consciously chosen to “keep coming back” when I failed to achieve my goal of sobriety.
(near Ridge and Devon).
Contact Ken A. or Jarvis to see how you can help.
Open to members of all “S” fellowships and their guests.
1) Meetings, meetings, meetings. I believe that meeting makers make it. I am also alcoholic. I have over six years of sobriety from all alcohol and all drug use. At one time I almost had ten years clean from alcohol but I wasn’t going to any meetings or seeking any help. I relapsed.
2) I work with a sponsor. My sponsors have created a safe space to go into detail and to push me forward.
3) I work the steps. I often read the recovery material to keep my mind focused on the right things. I find that my mind can be wild with fantasy and euphoric recall. It must be trained and focused or it will destroy my life.
4) Social time with recovery friends.
5) Sharing parts of my story with friends and family outside of recovery. I did this as a way live a more open life with the important people in my life. These are carefully chosen people with whom I enjoy a great amount of trust and intimacy. I am blessed with people who affirm, accept and challenge me.
6) Service to others in recovery. This service constantly sharpens my own recovery.
7) Therapy. This has allowed me to deal with a variety of issues that have direct impact on my sobriety. For instance, I have faced childhood sexual abuse, growing up in an alcoholic home, depression, coming out to family, friends and colleagues, issues about honesty and openness about recovery with a partner. Therapy has helped me understand the problem of addiction. But the 12 steps and spirituality of the program have given me the true power for sobriety.
8) Prayer and meditation. Though raised in a Catholic household with much Catholic education, the program has capitalized and expanded my sense of prayer and spirituality to an immense degree. This was not always there for me. I have found truly humble human beings who believe in the power of prayer. They call on God daily, all day long. They believe in this power. I believe in these people. I have seen them struggle with life and come through. They are models for me. Once again, I believe I have been gifted by people whose prayer is a true power in their lives.
I feel truly fortunate to have been brought down this path of recovery. I believe that a power greater than me has been drawing me in this direction throughout my life. I have several friends and family members that lost their lives at an early age due to their addictions. They are sources of strength to me this day. Those who have gone before me are constant reminders of what we say about this addiction: it is “cunning, powerful and baffling”. Each day is a gift and a challenge. Certainly, it has not been easy. By the gift of my higher power, I feel grateful for this journey.
