March 5

“Sex Addicts Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the SAA name ought never be drawn into public controversy. …When we carry our message, or present SAA to the public, that is the one subject on which we are qualified to provide information.”

Sex Addicts Anonymous, page 92

Before I got sober, I had an opinion about everything, and I believed my opinions to be the correct ones. Slowly, over time, I am learning to apply this tradition to my own personal life, focusing on my experience rather than throwing around opinions to hear myself talk.

It strikes me as deeply humble for SAA to say we only have one subject on which we are qualified to have an opinion, and I am grateful for this tradition. It means that, at a meeting, I will not be subject to people’s political or religious views, or even people’s views on something like sex addiction research. These are all outside issues. We are together to share our experience, strength and hope to the still-suffering addict—our unifying message that we can be relieved of our sexual addiction one day at a time, sometimes one moment at a time, by working the Twelve Steps of recovery.

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Today I stop sharing so many opinions and focus on how my experience, strength and hope can benefit others.