Sexaholics Anonymous

PO Box 3565
Brentwood
TN 37024

Helpline: 07000 725463
Web: www.sauk.org

Sexaholics Anonymous (SA) is an unincorporated association of individuals and groups offering a Twelve Step recovery programme to people who are addicted to lust, sex, dependency relationships and various forms of self-destructive sexual thinking and behaviour. These "Steps" involve: admitting there is a problem, seeking help, self-appraisal, confidential self-disclosure, making amends where harm has been done and working with other sexaholics who want to recover. Central to the programme is the idea of a "spiritual awakening" emphasising its practical value rather than its philosophical or metaphysical understanding.

There are no counsellors or therapists in SA, members meet at regular "meetings" where people share their own experience, strength and hope in overcoming their addiction. SA provides no vocational, legal, financial, psychiatric, medical or professional services.

SA members come from all walks of life, with a wide variety of compulsive sexual behaviours - ranging from compulsive masturbation to prostitution and from pornography to dependent relationships. In some cases the behaviour is extreme. The common thread is an obsession with sex to the extent that normal life has become unmanageable. In effect, the sexaholic has lost control, no longer has the power of choice and is not free to stop their sellf-destructive behaviour.

SA does not claim to solve these problems, merely that members presenting these symptoms have been able to stop for open-ended periods of time by working the SA programme of recovery. Also, SA has no opinion as to whether people with these kind of problems are sexaholics or not.