Based on our literature and from other group members experience, to help you with starting your recovery from sex and love addiction we suggest that you:
- Whatever your type of sex and love addiction: Don’t act out – just for today, this hour, this minute. The urge will pass.
- Attend as many SLAA meetings as possible. The SLAA meetings will help you shed light on your problems within an understanding and anonymous environment
- Get a Sponsor as fast as you can so you can and define your bottom line behaviours (the addictive behaviours that you need to stop) and start working 12 Steps, the roadmap of our recovery
- Get active in service in your meetings and in S.L.A.A. – it helps in many ways
- Be open to spirituality – prayer and meditation can help us
- At the beginning of recovery many of us experienced what we call ‘The Withdrawal period’. Maintain close contact with your Sponsor and other members during this period – they can help you
- Read as much as possible on Sex and Love addiction starting from the SLAA Basic text book and the AA Big Book – have an open mind and seek to understand
- Start journaling. This helps you being honest with yourself and is a form of release. Record what you are going through and your feelings, thoughts and insights. If you keep working the program soon you will be able to measure your progress. Journaling can also be a tool of developing an honest relationship with yourself outside secrets
- Make sure you keep away from all situations that can trigger you, whether it is people, places or things
- Replace unhealthy behaviours with healthy ones: We can’t just stop destructive behaviour without replacing it. We have to replace it with healthy new activities
While the first five points in this guide stand as our major resource for recovery (see preamble), the rest of the ideas and tools mentioned here will help you stay on the early recovery path and course to develop a healthier, more peaceful and joyful life. More tools and help are available to you at our weekly meetings.