For many of us, our first meeting was a freeing experience. We sat among others like us, and heard their stories. It did not seem to matter if we identified with everyone's behaviors. We were often amazed to find other people honestly sharing their challenges around sex addiction. As we withnessed their honesty and openness, we felt invited to speak candidly about ourselves. Revealing our sex addiction to others gives us a sense of freedom and relief, even if we initially felt some fear or resistance.

An SAA group consists of two or more individuals who, using the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of SAA, meet regularly for the purpose of recovering from their addictive sexual behavior. At our meetings, we read SAA literature and share our experience, strength, and hope with each other, focusing on how the SAA program of recovery works in our lives.

SAA meetings are run by members. There are no professsional or outside facilitators. We meet as equals: sex addicts helping one another to achieve sexual sobriety and to practice a new way of life. We all contribute to making our meetings places that foster our recovery and carry the SAA message to the sex addict who still suffers. Our fellow members depend upon us, as we depend on them.

Because of the sensitive nature of sexual addiction, many of our groups are "closed," meaning that only those with a desire to stop addictive sexual behavior may attend. Anyone else interested in finding out about SAA may attend "open" meetings. While we all strive for sexual sobriety, its achievement is not a requirement for attendance or participation. All participation is voluntary. We are not required to speak if we don't want to. Just by listening we can learn how other members become honest, confront their addiction, find support from fellow addicts, and practice the program. We can learn how others have faced problems that are similar to ours, and how they have used the tools of the program to deal with them. Members can have any religious belief, or no belief at all. All sex addicts recovery are welcome.

It takes some courage to show up at our first meetings. We may fear being recognized at a meeting by someone we know. This can be awkward, but it's helpful to remember that when we acted out, we risked consequences greater than any embarrasment we might experience at a meeting. Eventually, discomfort gives way to a sense of belonging and a feeling of relief that there are others like us.