Overview of the 5 Major Sex Addiction Recovery Groups
It only takes a few clicks of the mouse to find 12 Step meetings of any sort, yet many people never step into the rooms. It has been one of the most beneficial things I have done in my life and in some ways the most important. 12 Step groups originated out of A.A. (Alcoholics Anonymous) in 1935 in Akron Ohio by Bill W and Dr. Bob. It took around 18 years before the 12 steps and the 12 traditions of AA were written and published changing everything and giving people a new light on the addiction of alcohol, which then spread to hope strength and experience for other addictions.
When it comes to 12-step groups for sexual addiction there are five major organizations:
Sex Addicts Anonymous (SAA)
Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous (SLAA)
Sexual Compulsives Anonymous (SCA)
Sexaholics Anonymous (SA)
Sexual Recovery Anonymous (SRA)
In Alcoholics Anonymous their doctrine says there is only one way to be sober. Stop drinking. That doesn’t work as well in sex addiction. Sexual sobriety is different because the goal isn't to stop having sex. The definition of sexual sobriety varies form one group to another even though they all face the same problem. Lack of sobriety. If you feel you are a sex addict and are looking for a place to work on your addiction it helps to know what their doctrine is regarding sexual sobriety and how that is achieved. Knowing this up front, can be a big benefit to you both short and long term.
Sex Addicts Anonymous (SAA) – www.saa-recovery.com – HQ in Houston Texas
The goal of SAA "is abstinence from one or more specific sexual behaviors. But unlike programs for recovering alcoholics or drug addicts, Sex Addicts Anonymous does not have a universal definition of abstinence.....Most of us have no desire to stop being sexual altogether. It is not sex in and of itself that causes us problems, but the addiction to certain sexual behaviors. In SAA we will be better able to determine what behavior is addictive and what is healthy. However, the fellowship does not dictate to its members what is and isn't addictive sexual behavior. Instead, we have found that it is necessary for each member to define his or her own abstinence."
Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous (SLAA) – www.slaafws.org – HQ in San Antonio Texas
SLAA focuses on both "sex and love addiction" which is defined 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." SLAA defines sobriety as abstinence from one's self-identified "bottom-line" behaviors.
Sexual Compulsives Anonymous (SCA) - www.onlinesca.org – HQ in New York, NY
"Our primary purpose is to stay sexually sober and to help others to achieve sexual sobriety. Members are encouraged to develop their own sexual recovery plan, and to define sexual sobriety for themselves. We are not here to repress our God-given sexuality, but to learn how to express it in ways that will not make unreasonable demands on our time and energy, place us in legal jeopardy — or endanger our mental, physical, or spiritual health.”
The founding group adopted the SA readings but didn’t like the tone of what was said about homosexuality. Read about it here and how Bill L changed that and created SCA.
Sexaholics Anonymous (SA) - www.sa.org - HQ in Brentwood Tennessee.
“In defining sobriety, we do not speak for those outside Sexaholics Anonymous. We can only speak for ourselves. Thus, for the married sexaholic, sexual sobriety means having no form of sex with self or with persons other than the spouse. In SA’s sobriety definition, the term “spouse” refers to one’s partner in a marriage between a man and a woman. For the unmarried sexaholic, sexual sobriety means freedom from sex of any kind. And for all of us, single and married alike, sexual sobriety also includes progressive victory over lust (Sexaholics Anonymous, 191-192).
The only requirement for SA membership is a desire to stop lusting and become sexually sober according to the SA sobriety definition.”
SA defines the problem as addiction to "lust" rather than addiction to sex.
SA is the only fellowship that specifically defines sobriety in terms of specific behavior. According to SA "any form of sex with oneself or with partners other than the spouse is progressively addictive and destructive..."
SA also specifies the definition to "marriage between a man and a woman". This means that anyone not in a heterosexual marriage must be celibate, i.e., completely abstain from all sexual behavior, including masturbation.
SA gives only two choices: sex with a heterosexual spouse or celibacy.
Sexual Recovery Anonymous (SRA) - www.sexualrecovery.org - HQ in New York, NY
SRA was formed by SA members who broke away from the SA because of its sobriety definition. SRA defines sexual sobriety as "Our primary purpose is to stay sexually sober and help others achieve sobriety. Sobriety is the release from all compulsive and destructive sexual behaviors. We have found through our experience that sobriety includes freedom from masturbation and sex outside a mutually committed relationship." So, SRA also defines sobriety in terms of specific practices, although it is not as restrictive as SA.
If you are at this site and you are looking for sobriety with one of these groups. I can not ethically recommend SA. Previously before the pandemic, I might have had a conversation with someone and it was all that was available to them in their area, but with Zoom and online meetings at an all-time high, it isn’t even part of my conversation except for where not to go.
Keep coming back!
