The goal of our recovery is a spiritual healing which restores us to sanity. Abstinence is one step along the way. "Abstinence is living without doing one or more specific sexual behaviors. We mark progress in abstinence with chips at monthly and yearly milestones.
The specific behaviors to avoid are personal and should be worked out with a sponsor. We recommend focusing on specific behaviors instead of mental desires or states. No matter how much we want freedom from them, the lusts of the mind can take years to drain away. We celebrate our progress, not perfection in our recovery.
Tonight can be the start of this new life. By using the resources of this group, it is possible to identify our most harmful behavior and never do that again.
We learn from working the steps that we have even more ways to stop our compulsive sexual behavior. We find new and healthier behaviors to follow while learning about other damaging behaviors from which to abstain. Our abstinence may start at one level and progress over time with many positive changes in our lives.
With abstinence, we clear our minds of the addictive thinking.
We become able to see what used to start us on an addictive cycle and learn to avoid those situations.
Through working the 12 steps, we gain not only freedom from harmful sexual practices, but a whole new way of living and outlook on life.
The promise is that
"We will comprehend the word serenity, and we will know peace."
Revised 13 Jan 2020