Sex Addicts Anonymous (SAA) is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength, and hope with each other so they may overcome their sexual addiction and help others recovery from sexual addiction or dependency.
For the Newcomer
What is Sex Addiction?
Sex Addiction can involve a wide variety of practices. Sometimes an addict has trouble with just one unwanted behavior, sometimes with many. A large number of sex addicts say their unhealthy use of sex has been a progressive process. It may have started with an addiction to masturbation, pornography (either printed or electronic), or a relationship, but over the years progressed to increasingly dangerous behaviours.
The essence of all addiction is the addicts' experience of powerlessness over a compulsive behavior, resulting in their lives becoming unmanageable. The addict is out of control and experiences tremendous shame, pain and self-loathing. The addict may wish to stop --- yet repeatedly fails to do so. The unmanageability of addicts' lives can be seen in the consequences they suffer: losing relationships, difficulties with work, arrests, financial troubles, a loss of interest in things not sexual, low self-esteem and despair.
Sexual preoccupation takes up tremendous amounts of energy. As this increases for the sex addict, a pattern of behavior (or rituals) follows, which usually leads to acting out (for some it is flirting, searching the net for pornography, or driving to the park.) When the acting out happens, there is a denial of feelings usually followed by despair and shame or a feeling of hopelessness and confusion.
Reprinted from the pamphlet "Getting Started in Sex Addicts Anonymous" © ISO of SAA, Inc.
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A useful tool for self-assessment is the set of 12 Questions of SAA:
1. Do you keep secrets about your sexual behaviour or romantic fantasies from those important to you? Do you lead a double life?
2. Have your needs driven you to have sex in places or situations or with people you would not normally choose?
3. Do you find yourself looking for sexually arousing articles or scenes in newspapers, magazines, or other media?
4. Do you find that romantic or sexual fantasies interfere with your relationships or are preventing you from facing problems?
5. Do you frequently want to get away from a sex partner after having sex? Do you frequently feel remorse, shame, or guilt after a sexual encounter?
6. Do you feel shame about your body or your sexuality, such that you avoid touching your body or engaging in sexual relationships? Do you fear that you have no sexual feelings, that you are asexual?
7. Does each new relationship continue to have the same destructive patterns which prompted you to leave the last relationship?
8 - Is it taking more variety and frequency of sexual and romantic activities than previously to bring the same levels of excitement and relief?
9. Have you ever been arrested or are you in danger of being arrested because of your practices of voyeurism, exhibitionism, prostitution, sex with minors, indecent phone calls, etc.?
10. Does your pursuit of sex or romantic relationships interfere with your spiritual beliefs or development?
11. Do your sexual activities include the risk, threat, or reality of disease, pregnancy, coercion, or violence?
12. Has your sexual or romantic behavior ever left you feeling hopeless, alienated from others, or suicidal?
Reprinted from the pamphlet "Getting Started in Sex Addicts Anonymous" © ISO of SAA, Inc.
If you answered 'Yes' to more than one of these questions, we encourage you to seek help: Contact us, read additional material about sex addiction, or attend an SAA meeting to learn more about the Twelve-Step program and the Fellowship of SAA.
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Disclaimer
The SAA Australia Intergroup is an autonomous fellowship of groups of recovering sex addicts who follow the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Sex Addicts Anonymous (SAA). The views expressed on this website are those of SAA Australia Intergroup and do not necessarily represent those of Sex Addicts Anonymous as a whole. The official website of Sex Addicts Anonymous is overseen by the ISO of SAA, Inc., through its Board of Trustees who are elected by delegates who represent its member groups.