Step 4 Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves

"In taking the Fourth Step, we begin to know ourselves for who we really are." Sex Addicts Anonymous pg 31
"By looking honestly at our moral nature - the failings that kept us trapped in our addiction, as well as our virtues and aspirations - we start to move away from being self-centered and toward being God-centered." Sex Addicts Anonymous pg 31
"A moral inventory can be described as a systematic examination of all the beliefs, feelings, attitudes, and actions that have shaped our lives from our earliest years." Sex Addicts Anonymous pg 32
One of the first issues we may want to address is "what is the nature of my morals?" For many of us, we simply need to "return to the morals our mothers taught us." For others, our mothers taught us to be sex addicts and we need to rebuild a healthier moral foundation.
What morals can I use as a standard by which to measure my life?

"It is moral, because it concerns our values and the consequences of our actions for ourselves and others." Sex Addicts Anonymous pg 33
What parts of my life need to change to put my life in accordance with a higher powers' will?

"The fourth Step takes courage" Sex Addicts Anonymous pg 32
What fears do I have about taking this step?


How can I use the group and my sponsor(s) to help me move forward to actually start writing my inventory?



How can I make sure that I am doing this inventory by the power of my higher power instead of my own?

"The Fourth Step is a written inventory. If we merely say it aloud or think about it, it is too easy to miss or ignore important things." Sex Addicts Anonymous pg 32
"There is no single format that is used by all members in their inventories. We work closely with our sponsor to discover what kind of writing we need to do and what form of inventory is more effective for us." Sex Addicts Anonymous pg 33
What format is my sponsor recommending that I use?



Does that format seem to be what my higher power wants me to use?

"For most of us, looking at our sexual conduct is an important aspect of our inventory, [...] here we explore more deeply our sexual history and look at every instance in which our sexual behavior directly or indirectly harmed others or ourselves." Sex Addicts Anonymous pg 33