The Dan Fielding character on 'Night Court' is another example of a humorous portrayal of a sex addict. We laugh at his antics, his complicated sexual intrigues. We laugh in spite of the terror and self-loathing that lie just beneath the surface and in spite of the enormous social and personal costs of sex addiction. Because switching addictions is such a common pitfall in recovery, we need to be clear that sobriety is not achieved by merely avoiding our preferred 'drug'. When Sam Malone traded alcohol for sex he did not suddenly become a healthy person, he merely switched addictions.
Sobriety is, rather, the process of living a completely new and non-compulsive kind of life.
In this new way of life, we abandon all of our varied attempts to anesthetize ourselves to the emotional realities of life. In the process we learn that with God's help and with the daily disciplines of recovery we can grow into physical, psychological, social and spiritual health. May God grant you the courage today to recognize what is real, the daily strength to choose life and the fellowship you need on your journey. May your roots sink deeply in the soil of his love. Reproduction in any form without the express written permission of the author is prohibited.