Maintaining Recovery

Last Updated on 5 January 2024

After completing the twelve steps in SLAA, the journey of recovery has only just begun! It is important to remain fully engaged within the program.

One of the best ways to remain engaged in a full life of recovery is through service. Being a sponsor to others has been demonstrated as the best way to remain sober long-term, but being of service more generally is also helpful. Taking on a service role at a local meeting, attending the intergroup meetings, being available for outreach calls and outreach to hospitals and institutions (H&I).

09 Maintenance Questions Download

The Maintenance Questions

These questions are optional. They are designed to support and strengthen our recovery once we completed the Steps. The questions also help us maintain the practises of reflection, reading and writing. They are a way to continue sharing with a sponsor and with fellow members we had developed relationships with during the Steps.

Those of us wishing to continue to use a structured approach to maintaining our sobriety work the Maintenance Questions usually in conjunction with a sponsor who had completed the Maintenance Questions themselves. We only answered these questions on completion of Steps One – Twelve.

How we used and how we shared the questions was a matter to be agreed on with our sponsor. The questions related to and covered the Twelve Steps.

Depending on the circumstances, once we had completed the Twelve Steps, the Maintenance Questions could also be used as an alternative to re-working the Steps set out in this guide. We found the choice was up to us, our Higher Power and our sponsor.

09-Maintenance-Questions-with-readings Download

Recovery Reading

Many people work the program with the assistance of a therapist, psychologist or counsellor. We have found that it is essential that this person understands the complexity of sexuality and sexual addiction. Some make use of therapists who have specialised and are certified within the field of sex addiction.

For everyone in recovery, making good use of the other materials that are available outside the program is essential. A listing of helpful books and other resources are available on the books pages.

Other Programs

Many people find it helpful once some order has been restored within our sexual acting out, to begin working on other areas of trauma and neglect within our lives. Other programs like CoDA (Co-Dependents Anonymous), Al-Anon and ACA (Adult Children of Alcoholics and other family dysfunctions) may provide a welcome supplement to the work that has been undertaken already through SLAA. Many of our members begin to work another program once they have completed the steps in SLAA.

AA – Alcoholics Anonymous – have meetings across the country. Many are very open to people who experience addictions other than alcohol. In regional centres there are sometimes All Addiction meetings. Note that some members report occasional problems when attending AA meetings with participants who are perhaps un-identified sex addicts and who create unhelpful triggers for our fellow travellers.