Personally, I find it helpful to read stories by addicts describing hitting rock bottom. Not because it's an opportunity to reassure myself, "Oh, I could never end up there," or "Glad that won't happen to me." I know that I could end up there, and I know that it could happen to me. אל תאמן בעצמך עד יום מותך.

No, I find it helpful because it gives me a sense of where things could lead if give in just a little bit, if I compromise and let the yetzer ha'ra hang out in even the smallest part of my being.

I have been through the 'Hitting Bottom' stories on the GYE site, and I could use some more. Can anyone direct to more, either on the forum, or on other websites?

Thanks.

P.S.
It's okay to put in Hebrew quotes, right? Or should I keep things in English so everyone, whatever their background, will understand?

אתה יכול לכתוב בעברית (או אפילו בלשון הקודש ) בפורום עד מלאת תאוות לבך כפי שאתה רוצה

ואם יש מישהו שלא מבין דבריך, הרשות בידו לבקש תרגום

ואם אתה ישראלי ולא מבין שפה אנגלית, עיין כאן

ואי בעית למימר מימרא בארמית, שפיר דמי

תורה רבה.

וארו אנן מחזקינן טובא לדידיך.

Just to be moicheh a bit.
It is nice to try to keep things in English, since there are people here who don't know hebrew and yiddish.
I'm not one to talk since I'm one of the worst offenders here as evidenced by the term I used for protest two sentences ago.
If it can just as easily be said in english then it's probably only fair to write it that way however if it will lose meaning or funniness, then I tend to write it in whatever language I think will work best.
I suppose you can do as you like...

I would help you look for the stories about rock bottom but they sometimes trigger me so, sorry.Though they shouldn't be too hard to find with a quick google search.

Thanks for the other perspective, point taken. I will try to find a happy medium.

Here's mine: I tried lust and it was hell. I stayed in hell for about 15 years, the last were 11 married years. Finally I couldn't take it any more and found SA. I have stayed sober for 16 years going to meetings, taking directions from recovering people whether they are goyim or Jews, got sober, and share my recovery with others.

When I sit in an SA meeting and see the man next me admit he just went to the computer again and found the sweet porn and masturbated and feels like dying now, I thank him from the bottom of my heart for sharing that. For he did it so that I do not have to. Same if the guy shares he had sex with a prostitute or with a man in a bathroom, again. I thank him for the brokenness he shared honestly and simply - now I do not need to break again myself. For I am an addict just like him and - by all rights - should be there, too. But I am not, b'Chasdei Hashem.

Does that help?

SA just printed a book of about 50 pages or more, with member stories. Look on line on saico.org or the Sexaholics Anonymous website. You will be matzliach and thanks for letting me share, Chayim!

A happy medium:

a psychic making a good living

For me hitting bottom was not what I did or how I did it. Almost from the beginning I realized that I did not stand a chance, so I just “gave-in” instead of “giving-up”. Eventually I was fed up enough and desperate enough to call SA and start going to meetings, but even then I was unable to remain sober.
After a while, with the help of my sponsor, Dov and ultimately my Abba, I started becoming sober.
Last Rosh Hashona I had been sober for about two months. However although I had come to R”H in other years with some sobriety, I had always known that it would be over as soon as R”H was. Last year was different. I knew that I could only be clean one day at a time, with the help of HaShem through SA. It was an amazing feeling.
And guess what? I fell the night of Tzom Gedalia.
A few months later, again I had a period of sobriety, and I approached an important event in my life, clean. Again, I was sure that with the clarity I had, I could not fall. And again, I fell after a day or two.
These two incidents were ones which I hope never to forget, because as long as I remember them, I will admit each day that my addiction truly had me defeated. Since then I am thankfully clean for one day at a time and truly by the grace of G-d, because I sure know that NO AMOUNT OF WILLPOWER whatsoever on my part can keep me sober.
Thank you for the opportunity to remind myself again.

Chesky, thank you very much for sharing

Funny thing under your post-thingy, zemeroo!

to use another of your quotes: i put it there cause i like it

For anyone who is interested, there are a number of 'hitting bottom' stories at SA UK's website:

sauk.org/recovery-media/

ZemirosShabbos wrote: