12-Step Fellowships

The following are fellowships dealing with sexual addiction; the links take you to their websites:-

Sex Addicts Anonymous
Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous
Sexaholics Anonymous
Sexual Recovery Anonymous
Sexual Compulsives Anonymous

This site has no organizational connection with any of these groups and is not endorsed by any of them, nor does it endorse them or their websites.

I am a member of two of these fellowships and have attended meetings of one other. I offer links to all five in the faith that wherever the 12 Step Programme is sincerely worked, the addict may find help.

Why so many fellowships? There are differences in the way they define of the type of addiction they are dealing with and where they draw the boundary between healthy and unhealthy sexual behaviour. Some of the differences are subtle, some – such as those concerning attitudes towards same-sex relationships - reflect sharp divergences of opinion within society as a whole. Where such disagreements have arisen, it has wisely been concluded that it is best to ‘live and let live’ in separate fellowships, rather than keep up an endless internal debate which would be liable to distract attention away from the primary goal of recovery.

My suggestion is to find out what is available to you, and then explore what works best for you. As addicts we often tend towards ‘all or nothing’ thinking; it may be that the only fellowship with a meeting in our locality is not the one we would ideally choose, but it can still offer us the essential tools for recovery. If there are no meetings in your area, telephone or online meetings may be an option. There is plenty to read on the websites, and more literature that you can buy through mail order. Other 12 Step fellowships such as Alcoholics Anonymous may have meetings in your area; attending them will give you the chance to share the experience of working a recovery programme, and you may find there are others there who are sexually addicted - then you can think about starting a new meeting.