Sex Addicts Anonymous (SAA) is a

twelve-step program Twelve-step programs are international mutual aid programs supporting recovery from substance addictions, behavioral addictions and compulsions. Developed in the 1930s, the first twelve-step program, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), aided its members ...

founded in 1977 for people who want to stop their addictive sexual behavior. There also exists a group known as COSA, for those who have been impacted by others' sexual addiction.

Introduction

SAA was founded in 1977 by several men who wanted a greater sense of anonymity than what they perceived in other twelve step programs for sex addicts. SAA is open to anyone who desires greater control over their behavior, and is intended to be safe for people of all

sexual orientation Sexual orientation is an enduring pattern of romantic or sexual attraction (or a combination of these) to persons of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or to both sexes or more than one gender. These attractions are generall ...

s. In SAA each member creates a unique definition of "sexual sobriety" based on abstaining from a personalized list of compulsive sexual behaviors. Members are encouraged to respect each other's definitions of sobriety. Many SAA members use a "three circle" concept to model their behaviors. The inner circle represents the compulsive sexual behaviors that must not be practiced. Inner circle behaviors might include having sex with a

prostitute Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-penet ...

, or

acting out In the psychology of defense mechanisms and self-control, acting out is the performance of an action considered bad or anti-social. In general usage, the action performed is destructive to self or to others. The term is used in this way in sexual ...

with a nonconsensual victim. The outer circle includes sexual and nonsexual behaviors that are definitely healthy. Outer circle behaviors might include sex with a partner in a

monogamous relationship Monogamy ( ) is a form of dyadic relationship in which an individual has only one partner during their lifetime. Alternately, only one partner at any one time (serial monogamy) — as compared to the various forms of non-monogamy (e.g., polyga ...

or getting eight hours of sleep a night. In the middle circle are behaviors that are not considered a

relapse In internal medicine, relapse or recidivism is a recurrence of a past (typically medical) condition. For example, multiple sclerosis and malaria often exhibit peaks of activity and sometimes very long periods of dormancy, followed by relapse or r ...

(inner circle behaviors), but could quickly lead to one if left unchecked. Middle circle behaviors might include looking for a prostitute or contacting an old

partner. In addition to regular meetings SAA also organizes "boundary meetings." These are special meetings for professional caregivers such as medical doctors, psychotherapists, and clergy who need to attend meetings separate from clients, patients, and parishioners. Some SAA members (a minority) may have a history of

sexual abuse Sexual abuse or sex abuse, also referred to as molestation, is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using force or by taking advantage of another. Molestation often refers to an instance of sexual assa ...

during their childhood, and more

substance abuse Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods which are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder. Differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, ...

problems than

control groups In the design of experiments, hypotheses are applied to experimental units in a treatment group. In comparative experiments, members of a control group receive a standard treatment, a placebo, or no treatment at all. There may be more than one tr ...

. SAA publishes the book ''Sex Addicts Anonymous''. It is widely used in SAA and has been officially approved as their basic text by the ISO of SAA, Inc Literature Committee. It has gained the approval of the annual conference of group delegates.

Meetings

Several types of meetings are offered at SAA: in-person meetings, telemeetings, and online meetings. Meetings can be mixed (meaning both men and women attend) or gender-specific (men-only meetings vs. women-only meetings). Meetings that are advertised as closed are “open only to those individuals who have a desire to stop their addictive behavior"; in contrast, open meetings are “open to anyone interested in…SAA,” regardless of whether the individual has expressed a desire to change. Additionally, telemeetings, or meetings via conference calls, and internet-based meetings are sources of real-time support outside of the traditional in-person meeting. In the United States, SAA meetings are held in all fifty states as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. In Canada, meetings are in the provinces (East to West) Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.

COSA

COSA is a recovery program for family or friends whose lives have been affected by someone else's compulsive sexual behavior. The official name of the organization is the

acronym An acronym is a word or name formed from the initial components of a longer name or phrase. Acronyms are usually formed from the initial letters of words, as in ''NATO'' (''North Atlantic Treaty Organization''), but sometimes use syllables, as ...

COSA; it is no longer the

abbreviation An abbreviation (from Latin ''brevis'', meaning ''short'') is a shortened form of a word or phrase, by any method. It may consist of a group of letters or words taken from the full version of the word or phrase; for example, the word ''abbrevia ...

C.O.S.A. as there was no agreement that it stood for either 'Codependents of Sex Addicts' or 'Co-Sex Addicts'. Each COSA member may choose to define him/herself as a codependent of sexual addiction, as a co-sex addict, or simply as a member of COSA, according to his or her own personal experience and conscience.About the COSA Acronym, Steps, and Traditions
COSA. Retrieved 2010-10-21.

References

External links

Sex Addicts Anonymous

COSA
* {{worldcat id, id=lccn-n2006-81653 Human sexuality organizations Twelve-step programs Non-profit organizations based in Texas Organizations established in 1977 International medical and health organizations Sexual addiction LGBT family and peer support groups

Introduction

Meetings

Sponsors

COSA

See also

References

External links