Sex Addicts Anonymous

Founded in 1977, Sex Addict Anonymous (SAA) is a twelve step program for any individual who wants to quit compulsive sexual behavior. SAA does not discriminate against any race, gender, age, or sexual orientation and is non-profit.  Members support each other by sharing their “experience, strength, and hope.”

Members of sex addict anonymous develop personal views of obtaining sexual sobriety. Instead of completely refraining from any sexual activities with a partner or themselves as members of Sexaholics Anonymous do, SAA members chart their personal destructive sexual behaviors and try to quit practicing them. Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous members maintain their sobriety as "any sexual or emotional act, no matter what its initial impulse may be, which leads to loss of control over rate, frequency, or duration of its occurrence or recurrence, resulting in spiritual, mental, physical, emotional, and moral destruction of oneself and others."

Sex Addicts Anonymous, Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous, Sexual Compulsives Anonymous, Sexual Recovery Anonymous, and Sexaholics Anonymous are the five “S” twelve step sexual recovery groups.  The groups are called the “S” groups because they all begin with the letter "S": SAA, SLAA, SCA, SRA, and SA.

Sex anonymous literature includes pamphlets, a questionnaire, and the book, Sex Addicts Anonymous: From Shame to Grace. New members are given the sex addiction questionnaire to determine whether they need SAA meetings and SAA support. Some examples of questions are:

• Do you keep secrets about your romantic or sexual activities from those important to you?
• Do you lead a double life?
• Do you feel shame about your body or sexuality, such that you avoid touching your body or engaging in sexual relationships?
• Do you fear you have no sexual feelings, that you are asexual?
• Do your sexual activities include the risk, threat, or reality of disease, pregnancy, coercion, or violence?

Sex Addicts Anonymous is based on the twelve traditions and twelve steps of Alcoholics anonymous. Spiritually, not religion, is the main focus of sexual recovery. The first three steps and traditions of sex addicts anonymous fully demonstrate this belief:

Steps

1. We admitted we were powerless over addictive sexual behavior - that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood God.

Traditions

1. Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon SAA unity.
2. For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority - a loving God as expressed in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.
3. The only requirement for SAA membership is a desire to stop addictive sexual behavior.

Internet sex addiction is a compulsive addiction to pornography, "cybersex", cyber relationships or destructive sexual behaviors involving use of the internet.  Internet sex addicts report feeling “sucked in” or "disconnected from reality."  With the great prevalence of the internet in society, more and more internet sex addicts are joining twelve step sexual recovery groups.