SA Service Manual - What is Sexaholics Anonymous?

60 Pages·2014·1.27 MB·English

SSAA SSeerrvviiccee MMaannuuaall
SSeexxaahhoolliiccss AAnnoonnyymmoouuss

First Edi� on; 2001 Blue Cover
Second Edi� on; Adopted 07/07/2006
Third Edi� on 2018
Fourth Edi� on 2021
Fi� h Edi� on 2022
Sexaholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience,
strength, and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help
others to recover.
The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop lus� ng and become sexually
sober. There are no dues or fees for SA membership; we are self-suppor� ng through our
own contribu� ons.
Adapted with permission from the AA Grapevine, Inc.
Sexaholics Anonymous 2018
All rights reserved.
This is SA Fellowship-approved literature.
Sexaholics Anonymous is a recovery program based on the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous
and received permission from AA to use its Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditi ons in 1979.
The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditi ons are reprinted with permission of Alcoholics Anonymous World
Services, Inc. (“A.A.W.S.”) Permission to reprint and adapt the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditi ons does
not mean that A.A.W.S. has approved the contents of this publicati on, nor that A.A.W.S. agrees with the
views expressed herein. AA is a program of recovery from alcoholism only. Use of the Twelve Steps and
Twelve Traditi ons in connecti on with programs which are patt erned aft er AA, but which address other
problems, or in any other non-AA context, does not imply otherwise.
SA adaptati on © 1982, 1984, 1989, 2001, 2014, 2018 SA Literature.
Reprinted with permission of SA Literature.
Table of Contents
Introduc� on
Chapter 1 - Twelve Tradi� ons of AA and SA
Chapter 2 - Sexaholics Anonymous Statement of Principle
Chapter 3 - Introduc� on to General Service
Chapter 4 - The Spirituality of Service
Chapter 5 - SA’s Service Structure Graphic
Chapter 6 - The Group and its Representa� ve to the Intergroup (GSR)
Chapter 7 - Intergroup and its Representa� ve (IGR)
Chapter 8 - Regional Assembly
Chapter 9 - General Assembly Delegate (GAD)
Chapter 10 - General Delegate Assembly (GDA)
Chapter 11 - Board of Trustees
Chapter 12 - Trustee Commi� ees
Chapter 13 - Commi� ee Mission Statements
Chapter 14 - Interna� onal Conven� ons
Chapter 15 - Essay
Chapter 16 - SAICO: SA Interna� onal Central Offi ce
Chapter 17 - The Twelve Concepts of AA and SA
Chapter 18 - Inverted Pyramid of Service
Chapter 19 - A Member’s Experience with the Twelve Concepts
Chapter 20 - Glossary of Terms
Chapter 21 - Appendices
Last Letter to the Fellowship
The SA Traditions
Chapter 1
Twelve Traditions of
AA and SA
1
The Twelve Tradi� ons of A.A.
1. Our common welfare should come fi rst; personal recovery depends
upon A.A. unity.
2. For our group purpose there is but one ul� mate authority—a loving
God as He may express himself in our group conscience. Our leaders
are but trusted servants; they do not govern.
3. The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop
drinking.
4. Each group should be autonomous, except in ma� ers aff ec� ng other
groups or A.A. as a whole.
5. Each group has but one primary purpose—to carry its message to
the alcoholic who s� ll suff ers.
6. An A.A. group ought never endorse, fi nance, or lend the A.A. name
to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money,
property and pres� ge divert us from our primary purpose.
7. Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-suppor� ng, declining outside
contribu� ons.
8. Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever non-professional, but
our service centers may employ special workers.
9. A.A., as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service
boards or commi� ees directly responsible to those they serve.
10. Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the
A.A. name ought never be drawn into public controversy.
11. Our public rela� ons policy is based on a� rac� on rather than
promo� on; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the
level of press, radio, and fi lms.
12. Anonymity is the spiritual founda� on of all our Tradi� ons, ever
reminding us to place principles before personali� es.
Chapter 1 Page 11
1 The Twelve Tradi� ons of SA
1. Our common welfare should come fi rst; personal recovery depends
upon SA unity.
2. For our group purpose there is but one ul� mate authority —a loving
God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders
are but trusted servants; they do not govern.
3. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop lus� ng and
become sexually sober.
4. Each group should be autonomous except in ma� ers aff ec� ng other
groups or Sexaholics Anonymous as a whole.
5. Each group has but one primary purpose—to carry its message to the
sexaholic who s� ll suff ers.
6. An SA group ought never endorse, fi nance, or lend the SA name to any
related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property
and pres� ge divert us from our primary purpose.
7. Every SA group ought to be fully self-suppor� ng, declining outside
contribu� ons.
8. Sexaholics Anonymous should remain forever non-professional, but
our service centers may employ special workers.
9. SA, as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service
boards or commi� ees directly responsible to those they serve.
10. Sexaholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the SA
name ought never be drawn into public controversy.
11. Our public rela� ons policy is based on a� rac� on rather than promo� on;
we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press,
radio, fi lms, and television.
12. Anonymity is the spiritual founda� on of all our Tradi� ons, ever
reminding us to place principles before personali� es.
Chapter 1 Page 2
Chapter 2
Statement of Principle
2
SEXAHOLICS ANONYMOUS
STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLE
We have a solu� on. We don’t claim it’s for everybody, but for us, it works. If you iden� fy with us and
think you may share our problem, we’d like to share our solu� on with you (Sexaholics Anonymous, 2).
In defi ning sobriety, we do not speak for those outside Sexaholics Anonymous. We can only speak
for ourselves. Thus, for the married sexaholic, sexual sobriety means having no form of sex with self
or with persons other than the spouse. In SA’s sobriety defi ni� on, the term “spouse” refers to one’s
partner in a marriage between a man and a woman. For the unmarried sexaholic, sexual sobriety
means freedom from sex of any kind. And for all of us, single and married alike, sexual sobriety also
includes progressive victory over lust (Sexaholics Anonymous, 191-192).
The only requirement for SA membership is a desire to stop lus� ng and become sexually sober
according to the SA sobriety defi ni� on.
Any two or more sexaholics gathered together for SA sobriety according to the SA sobriety defi ni� on
may call themselves an SA group.
Mee� ngs that do not adhere to and follow Sexaholics Anonymous’ sobriety statement as set forth in
the foregoing Statement of Principle adopted by the General Delegate Assembly in 2010 are not SA
mee� ngs and shall not call themselves SA mee� ngs.
Chapter2 Page 1
Chapter 3
Introduction to General Service
The Twelve Steps, Tradi� ons, and Concepts of Sexaholics Anonymous are adapted from
Alcoholics Anonymous and provide each member with a framework for service.
3
Early in the history of SA (Beginnings . . . Notes on the Origin and Early Growth of SA), it
was established that the least amount of organiza� on necessary for the func� oning of SA
would be a guiding principle (Tradi� on Nine). SA has adopted the A.A. principle that each
member involved in service and those elected to posi� ons of responsibility are designated
as trusted servants without any governing authority (Tradi� on Two). An inverted pyramid of
accountability (see Chapter 17, page 1) would be the founda� on on which service is built. When
issues arise, fi nal authority always rests in the collec� ve group conscience of the fellowship. A
group conscience can be defi ned as the will of those present at any mee� ng of the fellowship.
When doubt and indecision are apparent, the interna� onal group conscience always prevails.
What Can a Newcomer Do To Get Involved in Service?
Much of what follows is the result of a group conscience that asked the above ques� on and was
seeking answers as to how the group and Intergroup might carry the message more eff ec� vely
to the newcomer. Experience has shown us that doing many of these things will assist the
newcomer in establishing a new simple life style which focuses on a desire to stop lus� ng.
Using service as a tool of recovery helps in the removal of obsessive thinking by focusing
outside oneself.
Some sugges� ons for service follow:
Early Days
• Stay sober.
• Join a home group.
• A� end mee� ngs regularly.
• Work the Steps.
• Set out and put away literature before and a� er a mee� ng.
• Obtain telephone numbers and call someone instead of ac� ng out.
• Get a sponsor. Give a sponsor an opportunity for service, too!
• Anniversary Mee� ngs––volunteer to set up, breakdown, and cleanup a� er.
• A� end marathons, help setup and cleanup; prepare and serve food.
• Walk up to an unfamiliar face and introduce yourself.
• Arrive at mee� ngs early for fellowship and par� cipate in fellowship a� er mee� ngs.
• A� end Interna� onal conven� ons; meet other newcomers.
Progressive Victory
• Work the Steps.
• Chair a mee� ng.
• Chair a month of mee� ngs.
• Support mee� ngs with low a� endance.
Chapter3 Page 1