13 years sexually sober

13 years ago I had absolutely no idea what to do to recover from lust. My wife had just found out about my acting out and was devastated. My marriage was in jeopardy and my life was in ruins. I had arrived at this point, in part, by trying to go it alone. I wanted to stop what I was doing. I knew it was wrong. I could go a few days without acting out, but eventually would give in.

I had the good fortune to have been exposed to the 12 Steps earlier in my life through a family member. I thought"maybe there is a 12 Step Programme that will help me stop masturbating". (My goal was pretty limited at that time). I found that there were a few S-groups and found local meetings. My first meetings were in a different S-fellowship. It was great to be around other addicts who talked about the things I had never told anyone. However, no one was sober. Then I went to my first SA meeting and found people who were sober and in recovery. I was home.

I got a sponsor and started working the steps with him. Things slowly started to get better. I wasn't perfect and was scared to death of losing my wife and family. But I was getting better. I was learning how to live life with its ups and downs, without resorting to acting out. My first sponsor died and I got a new sponsor. My new sponsor lost his sobriety so I got another. We're both veterans of the programme now and we sponsor each other - kind of different but it seems to be working.

The key is that I am not doing this alone. I'm doing it with a group of fellow sex drunks who are practicing the 12 Steps of SA. Through the grace of my Higher Power, it's working and I reached 13 years of sexual sobriety yesterday. That is an absolute miracle and only through the grace of my HP and the fellowship of SA.