SAA Asia Skype Meeting

Meeting Guide

Welcome

Welcome to the Asia Wednesday Evening Computer Meeting of Sex Addicts Anonymous. My name is _______. I am a sex addict and your trusted servant. This is a closed meeting for people with a desire to stop addictive sexual behavior. To reduce any back ground noise, would every one please press the “Mute” button on their open Skype window.

Moment and Silence and Serenity Prayer

May we have a moment of silence for those in and out of these rooms who are still suffering, followed by the Serenity Prayer.

For those who wish: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things that I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference.”

Introduction from the SAA Big Book

We are sex addicts. Our addiction nearly destroyed our lives, but we found freedom through the recovery program of Sex Addicts Anonymous. In the fellowship of SAA, we discovered that we are not alone and that meeting regularly together to share experience, strength and hope gives us the choice to live a new life.

Our addictive sexual behavior was causing pain -to ourselves, our friends, and our loved ones. Our lives were out of control. We may have wanted to quit, making promises and many attempts to stop; yet we repeatedly failed to do so. For each of us, there came a moment of crisis. When we finally reached out for help, we found recovery through the program of SAA.

We have found, through long and painful experience, that we are unable to achieve recovery from sexual addiction through our own efforts. Our program is based on the belief, confirmed by our experience, that a Power greater than ourselves can accomplish for us what we could not do alone. By surrendering our addiction to a Higher Power, we receive the gift of recovery, one day at a time.

Sex Addicts Anonymous is a spiritual program based on the principles and traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous. Although we are not affiliated with AA or any other organization, we are deeply grateful to AA for making our recovery possible. Our primary purpose is to stop our addictive sexual behavior and to help others recover from sexual addiction. Membership is open to all who have a desire to stop addictive sexual behavior. There is no other requirement. Our fellowship is open to women and men, regardless of age, race, religion, ethnic background, marital status, or occupation. We welcome members of any sexual identity or orientation, whether they are gay, lesbian, straight, bisexual, or transgender.

Introductions

It is now time for General Introduction. If you are comfortable doing so, please indicate your First Name and from where you are calling from. If you are a newcomer, please feel free to identify yourself as such so we may welcome you.

New Comers

We would also like to welcome any newcomers to SAA. If there is anyone here that would like to begin their journey to sobriety, or if you would like to recommit to sobriety, we would like to acknowledge you. Being acknowledged indicates that you have a desire to stop addictive sexual behavior for good and all. Is there anyone here that would like to begin their journey to sobriety today?

Sobriety Birthdays

We would like to recognize those who have reached certain milestones in their pursuit of sobriety. Is anyone celebrating 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months. Is there anyone celebrating an annual birthday?

THE 12 STEPS OF SEX ADDICTS ANONYMOUS

1. We admitted we were powerless over addictive sexual behavior – that our lives had become unmanageable.

2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

3. Made a decision to turn out will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood God.

4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

7. Humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.

8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.

9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood God, praying only for knowledge of God’s will for us and the power to carry that out.

12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to other sex addicts and to practice these principles in our lives.

These steps are the heart of our program. They contain a depth that we could hardly have guessed when we started. Over time, we establish a relationship with a Power greater than ourselves, each of us coming to an understanding of a Higher Power that is personal for us.

THE TWELVE TRADITIONS OF SEX ADDICTS ANONYMOUS (One per month)

1. Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon S.A.A. unity.

2. For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority—a loving God as expressed in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.

3. The only requirement for S.A.A. membership is a desire to stop addictive sexual behavior.

4. Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or S.A.A. as a whole.

5. Each group has but one primary purpose—to carry its message to the sex addict who still suffers.

6. An S.A.A. group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the S.A.A. name to any related facility or outside enterprise lest problems of money, property, and prestige divert us from our primary urpose.

7. Every S.A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.

8. S.A.A. should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special workers.

9. S.A.A., as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.

10. S.A.A. has no opinion on outside issues; hence the S.A.A. name ought never be drawn into public controversy.

11. Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, TV, and films.

12. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.

Abstinence Statement

Our goal when entering the SAA Program is abstinence from one or more specific sexual behaviors. But unlike programs for recovering alcoholics or drug addicts, Sex Addicts Anonymous does not have a universal definition of abstinence.

Most of us have no desire to stop being sexual altogether. It is not sex in and of itself that causes us problems, but the addiction to certain sexual behaviors. In SAA we will be better able to determine what behavior is addictive and what is healthy. However, the fellowship does not dictate to its members what is and isn’t addictive sexual behavior. Instead we have found that it is necessary for each member to define his or her own abstinence.

Readings

At this meeting, we read from the SAA Green Book, the AA Big Book and Hope and Recovery. Today we are at page ___________ of the ____________. I will begin reading and then pass to allow others to read.

Thanks to all those who helped in the reading.

Discussion

The meeting is now open for discussion. You can share about the reading or just get current. To keep the meeting safe, we do not make direct comments about another person's share or give advice. Please avoid mentioning the name of a Book, Movie, Treatment Center or the like, in your share because this can be viewed by some as “promotion”. It is ok, however, to talk about your experiences with these items. It is also safe to speak in “I” statements, as opposed to “you” statements. Feel free to share more specific information after the Serenity Prayer when Fellowship begins. It is appropriate to reference the reading.

We will reserve some time for Questions and Answers at the end of the meeting. Please consider others and allow them to have enough time to share. I will help moderate. Who would like to begin?

Anonymity

As a gentle reminder for all of us, anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions. What you heard was spoken in confidence and should be treated as confidential. Please keep the things you heard here in the confines of your mind. Carry no gossip and always remember to place principles before personalities.

The Ottawa Promises

Our Promises have been inspired by our own experiences of recovery and by messages of hope from our fellowship.

Through a renewed Relationship with Higher Power, the healing force of recovery will take hold in our hearts. By giving ourselves over to Higher Power and working our program, our lives will become manageable and we will be restored to sanity. We will receive the inner strength and support needed to face our anxieties and fears, and to deal with the painful feelings that feed our addiction.

Relations with Others will improve as we learn to respect our boundaries and allow others freedom to be themselves. Reaching out in trust and connecting with others will come easier, dispelling our sense of isolation and loneliness. Degrading fantasies and obsessive sexual thinking will diminish.

Relating to Ourselves, self absorption will give way to self-discovery; secrecy to honesty; feelings of unworthiness to dignity; and shame to grace. A restored integrity will guide our behavior. We will feel more alive and regain a sense of happiness. We will hear ourselves laugh again and rediscover play. We will embrace change and will grow.

A Spiritual Awakening will free us from the tyranny of our addiction. An awareness of being guided by a Higher Power and supported by caring friends will sustain us. Regret for the past and worry for the future will give way to living for today. We will open ourselves to the amazing possibilities of a life worth living – our life.

Are these extravagant promises? WE THINK NOT! We have seen them fulfilled. They are ours, if we want them and work for them.

Seventh Tradition

Our Seventh Tradition states that "every group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions." 12-step meetings around the world normally pass a basket at this time to receive donations that are used to support recovery. Because this activity is not possible in our tele­meeting, we encourage you to make a donation directly to the SAA Telemeeting Intergroup via PayPal at www.saatalk.org. The telemeeting Intergroup supports all of the telemeetings, and all excess funds are sent to the SAA ISO office.

Announcements

Are there any SAA related announcements?

Closing

I would like to thank all of the participants tonight and would like to close this meeting with the Serenity Prayer:

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things that I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference.”