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What is Sex Addicts Anonymous (SAA)?
Sex Addicts Anonymous (SAA) is a Twelve-Step fellowship for people who want to stop compulsive sexual behavior and support others doing the same. Its own description is a "fellowship of individuals who share their experience, strength, and hope with each other so they may overcome their sexual addiction and help others recover from sexual addiction or dependency." The official site is Sex Addicts Anonymous - SAA.
How it works in practice
- Meetings are the main entry point. The site offers a meeting search, guidance on what to expect at a first meeting, and materials for starting a group.
- The program follows the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, with additional pages on sobriety, spirituality, sponsorship, and service.
- Anonymity is treated as a core principle, not just a privacy policy.
- Resources are grouped for specific audiences, including women, men, LGBT members, prisoners, and professionals such as therapists.
- Literature and meeting readings are available in English, Spanish, French, and Italian.
Who it suits, and the trade-offs
SAA tends to fit people who want a structured, group-based approach and are comfortable with a spiritual framework; the site's "Am I a Sex Addict?" self-assessment helps you judge whether the described patterns match your experience. The trade-offs are the ones common to Twelve-Step fellowships: it is peer-led rather than clinically supervised, meeting availability and format vary by area, and anonymity means you generally cannot verify who else attends. If you want professional treatment, therapy, or medication, SAA is best used alongside it rather than instead of it.
A useful next step
Read the self-assessment, then use the meeting search to find one local or online meeting and attend once without committing to anything further. If a first meeting feels like a poor fit, try a different group before deciding, since tone and composition vary considerably from meeting to meeting.
How can I find an SAA meeting near me?
Use the official meeting search on Sex Addicts Anonymous to find in-person, online, or phone meetings. From the site's menu, choose Find A Meeting or Meeting Search, then narrow results by location, day, time, format, or language. The site also offers a What to Expect At Your First SAA Meeting page, which is useful if you are deciding whether to attend.
If no local meeting appears, try these options:
- Online and phone meetings: These can be a practical first step when nearby meetings are limited or you want to stay anonymous.
- Start a meeting: The site provides a Group Registration Form and Group Guide if you want to help establish one.
- Intergroups: These regional service bodies may list additional local meetings.
- Language options: The site provides literature in English, Spanish, French, and Italian, though meeting availability varies by area.
A useful next step is to check the Self Assessment page if you are unsure whether SAA is right for you, then search for one meeting and attend without committing to more. If you are in crisis or need urgent medical help, contact local emergency services rather than relying on a meeting search.
What should I expect at my first SAA meeting?
Expect a Twelve-Step meeting run by and for people who share the goal of recovering from compulsive sexual behavior. SAA describes itself as a fellowship where members share “experience, strength, and hope” to overcome sexual addiction and help others recover. The site includes a page called “What to Expect At Your First SAA Meeting,” so the best next step is to read that page before you go: Sex Addicts Anonymous - SAA.
Likely format
- A chairperson or group member opens the meeting and reads a short script.
- Members may read from SAA literature, such as meeting readings, the Twelve Steps or the Twelve Traditions.
- People take turns sharing. In many groups, sharing is optional; “pass” is usually accepted.
- Anonymity is emphasized. The site has a page on “Understanding Anonymity,” which typically means what is said in the room stays there and members do not disclose each other’s identities.
- Meetings vary by group. Some are open to newcomers and visitors; others are closed to members only. Some focus on specific groups, such as women, men, LGBT members, or prisoners, based on the site’s menu.
What not to expect
- It is not group therapy, a lecture, or a place where you must tell your life story.
- You are not required to be “sober” for any length of time, and you do not have to decide whether you are a sex addict before attending.
- Nobody should pressure you to speak or to accept a sponsor on the spot. Sponsorship is mentioned on the site as part of the program, but it is a voluntary relationship.
A practical decision criterion
If you are unsure whether to go, consider this: the site offers a self-assessment and a page asking “Are your sexual behaviors causing you problems?” If the answer is yes, a first meeting is a low-commitment way to listen and see whether the fellowship feels useful. You can also look for a meeting that matches your situation — for example, a women’s meeting, an LGBT meeting, or a newcomers-focused meeting — rather than attending a random one. Use the meeting search on the site to find options: Sex Addicts Anonymous - SAA.
If you want a broader comparison of Twelve-Step recovery options, two well-known related fellowships are Sexaholics Anonymous and Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous. Each has its own approach and meeting culture, so it can help to read their “what to expect” pages too.
How do I know if I am a sex addict?
The SAA website frames this as a question you answer for yourself, not one a website can settle for you. Its starting point is practical: “Are your sexual behaviors causing you problems?” If the honest answer is yes — repeatedly, and in ways that damage your relationships, work, health, finances, or sense of self — that is reason enough to look further.
What the site offers
The site provides two direct tools:
- A self-assessment page for reflecting on your own patterns.
- “Am I a Sex Addict?” introductory material, plus an explanation of anonymity so you know what privacy to expect.
It also describes what to expect at a first meeting and lets you search for meetings, including specialized ones for women, men, LGBT members, and prisoners, with literature in several languages. If you prefer not to attend yet, the site’s program pages on the Twelve Steps, sponsorship, and sobriety give a sense of how members work on recovery.
How to use this
Read the self-assessment honestly, then try one meeting — online or in person — and just listen. Nothing commits you to anything. A useful test is whether you recognize yourself in what others share, and whether you want what they seem to have.
A practical caution
A self-assessment is a mirror, not a diagnosis. Problematic sexual behavior can overlap with depression, anxiety, trauma, or bipolar disorder, and some people find the label fits while others find a different framework more accurate. If you are unsure, a therapist familiar with compulsive sexual behavior can help you sort out what is driving the pattern. SAA itself is a fellowship of peers sharing experience, strength, and hope, not a clinical service.
If you want a second reference point on the same question, Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous covers a related but broader range of behaviors, and IITAP lists certified sex addiction therapists if you want professional assessment alongside a peer program.
What are the Twelve Steps of SAA?
The Twelve Steps of Sex Addicts Anonymous are not reproduced on the SAA home page. The page provides a navigation link labeled “The Twelve Steps” under “Our Program,” which is where the fellowship publishes the actual step text. To read them, open Sex Addicts Anonymous - SAA and follow that link.
What the page does tell you
- SAA describes itself as “a fellowship of individuals who share their experience, strength, and hope with each other so they may overcome their sexual addiction and help others recover from sexual addiction or dependency.”
- The Twelve Steps sit alongside the Twelve Traditions and topics such as sobriety, spirituality, sponsorship and service.
- The site also offers a self-assessment, a meeting search, guidance on what to expect at a first meeting, and literature in English, Spanish, French and Italian.
Who this is for
Someone who wants to know whether their sexual behavior is causing them problems, or who is looking for a structured, peer-led recovery program. The steps themselves are the core work; the surrounding pages are the practical on-ramp.
A useful next step
If you are unsure whether the program fits, read the self-assessment before the steps. If you already know you want to attend, use the meeting search and the “What to Expect At Your First SAA Meeting” page first, then read the steps. A reasonable decision criterion: if you want a defined framework with a sponsor and group accountability, the steps are the central document; if you want general information only, the “About SAA” and FAQ sections may be enough.
What resources does SAA offer for women, LGBT members, or prisoners?
SAA provides targeted pages for members who may face additional barriers to attending meetings or being open about their situation. The site's navigation lists dedicated sections for Women, LGBT Members, and Prisoners, alongside broader inclusion material under "Our Diversity" and "We Are Inclusive."
Women — There is a "Women" section with "Help for Women Meetings," "Literature," "Contacting Other Women," and "FAQs." The separate "Contacting Other Women" page suggests a way to reach other women in the fellowship before or without attending a meeting, which matters if you want to speak with someone who shares your concerns first. "Help for Women Meetings" implies meetings or formats intended for women, rather than only general mixed meetings.
LGBT members — A dedicated "LGBT Members" page sits under "Our Diversity." That signals the fellowship addresses the specific ways sexuality, identity, and recovery interact, instead of treating all members' circumstances as identical.
Prisoners — A "Prisoners" page appears in the same diversity list. Because prisoners usually cannot attend outside meetings or access the open web freely, that page is the natural starting point for correspondence or inside-facility meeting information. The site also offers literature in English, Spanish, French, and Italian, which can help if English is not your first language.
How to use this
- Start with the page matching your situation: Sex Addicts Anonymous - SAA → Women, LGBT Members, or Prisoners.
- If you are unsure whether SAA fits, use the "Am I a Sex Addict?" self-assessment and "What to Expect At Your First SAA Meeting" before contacting anyone.
- If attending in person is difficult, look at "Find A Meeting" for online or phone options, or use "Contacting Other Women" for a direct conversation.
A practical note: these pages describe fellowship resources, not clinical treatment. If your situation involves legal, medical, or safety concerns, use SAA alongside professional support rather than instead of it.
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