April 23

“We found in each other what we could find nowhere else: people who knew the depth of our pain.”

Sex Addicts Anonymous, page 2

How could anyone possibly understand the pain of wanting with all my heart to be with my family and friends and yet repeating the sexual behaviors that destroy my relationships? Or the pain of feeling like a pervert? Or the pain of withdrawal during early recovery?

Simply put, only a fellow sex addict knows. And helping each other pass through such pain into a better life creates a bond that I, quite frankly, rarely find outside our fellowship. Whether it’s the knowing nods as I speak the truth of my pain in meetings, the sighs of recognition from old-timers as they listen to a first step, or the one-on-one phone conversations between struggling addicts, our common pain binds us in a community that sets us free.

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With the support of those who know the depth of my pain, I can accept that pain as a valuable teacher.