Example story

12 March - April 2023

BY PAUL W

I am writing this from a prison cell, but thanks to the Twelve Steps of SAA, I am liberated from the insidious, compulsive, and destructive behaviour that landed me here in the first place.

Every story has a beginning and an end, but I find the “meaty” middle the most fascinating. Deviant sex, boundary violations and inappropriate behaviour have been a part of my life since I was young.

My own trauma created an extremely distorted and jaded perception of love, affection, validation and sexual behaviour.

Fast forward about fifteen years and what have I left behind? A trail of broken promises, tarnished hearts, humiliation and pathetic apologies. But most of all, I destroyed lives - not to mention being addicted to porn, masturbation and deviant behaviour.

Twenty-five-to-life! An appropriate sentence for an unforgivable act. Fast forward again to 2015. I continued to act out in a variety of ways in prison and I was miserable. Deception, manipulation and shame were my constant bedfellows. Something had to change.

Enter the Twelve Steps of SAA!

Steps One, Two and Three were about getting rigorously honest about the unmanageability of my life. Turning my life over to my Higher Power required me to surrender and let God enter my life.

Steps Four through Nine were about putting in the work to take full and uncompromising accountability for my past. Taking ownership of my choices paved the path for me to see that the wreckage of my past was my doing. No more blaming others or my past.

It was time to grow up and make genuine, lasting amends for my behavior. Steps Ten, Eleven, and Twelve were about living a life that afforded me happiness, introspective growth and intrinsic satisfaction.

Beginning in 2016 I started holding meetings here in prison and still do to this day. Working with other men has been a Godsend for me. I find tremendous satisfaction in watching others put their lives together and carry the message to those still suffering.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to SAA!