Sex Addicts Anonymous
Sex Addicts Anonymous (SAA) is a free, anonymous 12-step fellowship for people who want to stop compulsive sexual behavior. Members define their own sobriety using the Three Circles tool and work the steps together.
Battling addiction & ready for help?
What Is Sex Addicts Anonymous?
Sex Addicts Anonymous, usually shortened to SAA, is a free fellowship of people who help each other stop sexual behavior that has become compulsive and is hurting their lives. It’s built on the same 12 steps as Alcoholics Anonymous, and it works the same way: people meet, share what they’re going through, and support each other in getting better. There are no dues, no sign-up, and no one in charge handing out judgment.
One thing trips people up before they ever walk in, so it’s worth saying plainly. SAA is not about giving up sex. The program isn’t anti-sex, and it doesn’t tell anyone that sex is the problem.
The problem it addresses is compulsion. In SAA, each member draws their own line. Each person decides which specific behaviors are the damaging ones, and that self-defined boundary is the heart of how the program works. We’ll walk through exactly how it’s drawn.
In crisis, or your behavior is putting you or others at risk right now? Help is available and confidential.
- If you’re having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, call or text 988 right now. It’s free, confidential, and open 24/7.
- If your behavior could harm you or someone else, get distance first. Step away from the situation, the device, or the person, and reach out to someone safe before you do anything you can’t undo.
- For free, confidential help finding treatment, call SAMHSA at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). They can point you to professionals near you.
- An SAA meeting is free and anonymous, and you can join one today online or by phone, no appointment needed.
- Sex Addicts Anonymous is a free 12-step fellowship for people whose sexual behavior has become compulsive and unmanageable, modeled on Alcoholics Anonymous.
- It’s not about quitting all sex. Each member defines their own “sexual sobriety” by naming the behaviors that are actually harming them.
- The only requirement to join is a desire to stop addictive sexual behavior.
- Anyone can attend, any gender, any orientation, any background.
How Sex Addicts Anonymous Works
SAA gives people a structure and a community for changing behavior that has felt impossible to change alone. A few parts do most of the work.
The 12 Steps of SAA
The 12 steps are the backbone of the program, the same set of steps AA has used for decades, adapted for compulsive sexual behavior.
In plain terms, they walk a person through three movements:
- Admit the behavior has become unmanageable.
- Look honestly at the patterns and harm behind it.
- Make repairs and build a new way of living.
People work the steps at their own pace, usually with a sponsor guiding them, one step at a time.
Sexual Sobriety and the Three Circles
SAA never tells you what counts as “sober.” Instead, each member draws their own boundaries using a simple tool called the Three Circles. This is what makes SAA different from most recovery programs, and it’s the part that reassures a lot of newcomers.
| Circle | What goes in it | What it means for recovery |
|---|---|---|
| Inner circle | The specific behaviors a member chooses to stop completely | These are the bottom-line behaviors. Doing one of them is a slip. This is your personal definition of sobriety. |
| Middle circle | Warning signs and risky situations that tend to lead back to the inner circle | Think of these as the on-ramp. Noticing them early is how you catch a slide before it becomes a slip. |
| Outer circle | Healthy activities and the life you’re building instead | This is the goal, the relationships, hobbies, work, and rest that recovery makes room for. |
Because the inner circle is yours to define, sobriety in SAA looks different for each member. The point isn’t to follow someone else’s rules. It’s to name the behaviors that are wrecking your life, draw a firm line around them, and build something better in the space that opens up.
Sponsorship
A sponsor is a member with more time in recovery who agrees to guide you through the steps and be there when things get hard. It’s not therapy and it’s not authority, it’s one person who has walked the path helping another. Most people find that having a sponsor, and eventually becoming one, is where a lot of the change happens.
Meetings and Anonymity
Meetings are where the fellowship lives. They’re free, they run in person, over the phone, and online, and people share openly about what they’re struggling with and what’s helping. Anonymity is taken seriously. What’s said in a meeting stays in the meeting, and members protect each other’s identities, which is what makes it safe to open up in the first place.
SAA welcomes you exactly as you are. The fellowship’s only requirement for membership is a desire to stop addictive sexual behavior, no fees, no application, and no test to pass. You don’t have to be sure you “belong,” have your story figured out, or even be fully ready to quit. Wanting to stop is enough to walk in the door.
Does Sex Addicts Anonymous Work?
The model SAA is built on has strong evidence behind it, even though the fellowship itself doesn’t keep score. SAA runs no formal outcome studies on itself, so there’s no single number to point to, and its anonymity makes that kind of research hard by design. What we can say is grounded in how its approach has been studied more broadly.
Research on Alcoholics Anonymous and similar 12-step programs found them at least as effective as professional treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy for keeping people in recovery, with benefits that held up over years[1].
That evidence is best established for alcohol, and compulsive sexual behavior is its own condition, so the research doesn’t transfer one-to-one. What carries over is the engine, the mix of peer support, structure, sponsorship, and a shared framework, which is exactly what SAA puts to work for sexual compulsion.
Who Gets the Most Out of It
In practice, the people most likely to benefit are the ones who keep showing up, get a sponsor, and work the steps rather than just attending. For many, pairing SAA with a therapist who treats compulsive sexual behavior works better than either one alone.
Who Sex Addicts Anonymous Is for, and How It Differs from SLAA
SAA is for anyone who feels their sexual behavior has taken on a life of its own, any gender, any orientation, partnered or single. If you’ve promised yourself you’d stop and found you couldn’t, this is the kind of room built for that.
It’s easy to mix up SAA with SLAA, Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous, because they’re both 12-step fellowships in the same family. The difference is mostly in focus. SAA centers on compulsive sexual behavior. SLAA casts a wider net that also includes patterns around romance, fantasy, and emotional dependency, things like obsessive attachment or chasing one relationship after another. Plenty of people try both and stay with whichever room fits.
| Sex Addicts Anonymous (SAA) | Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous (SLAA) | |
|---|---|---|
| Main focus | compulsive sexual behavior | sexual and romantic/emotional patterns |
| Often a fit when | the struggle is mainly sexual acting out | love, fantasy, or attachment are tangled in too |
| Structure | 12 steps, sponsor, self-defined sobriety | 12 steps, sponsor, self-defined “bottom lines” |
| Cost | free | free |
There’s no wrong door here. If you’re not sure which fits, the practical move is to try a meeting and see, and you can always look into the sister fellowship for sex and love addiction →.
How to Find an SAA Meeting and Get Started
Getting started is simpler than it feels from the outside. SAA’s official website lists meetings you can search by location, and it runs a full schedule of phone and online meetings you can join from anywhere, often the same day. Many people start with an online or phone meeting to listen first, with no pressure to speak. You don’t have to introduce yourself, share, or commit to anything, you can just show up.
If you’d rather have a professional in your corner too, that’s a strong combination, and the right therapist can work alongside the fellowship.
The next step doesn’t have to be a big one. Our treatment centers directory can point you to the right level of care. Reaching out today is a real step forward — and one you can make right now.
Frequently asked questions
Is Sex Addicts Anonymous about giving up sex completely?
No. SAA is not anti-sex, and it never asks members to give up sex. The program is about stopping sexual behavior that has become compulsive and is causing harm. Each member uses a tool called the Three Circles to decide for themselves which specific behaviors to stop. That self-defined line, not abstinence from all sex, is what SAA calls sexual sobriety.
How much does Sex Addicts Anonymous cost?
Nothing. SAA meetings are free. There are no dues, no fees, and no charge to attend in person, by phone, or online. The fellowship is supported by small voluntary contributions from members, but no one is ever required to give anything.
Who can join SAA, and what's the only requirement?
Anyone whose sexual behavior has become compulsive is welcome, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, or background. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop addictive sexual behavior. You don’t need a referral, a diagnosis, or even certainty that you belong. Wanting to stop is enough.
What are the Three Circles in SAA?
The Three Circles are how SAA members define their own recovery. The inner circle holds the bottom-line behaviors you choose to stop completely, your personal definition of sobriety. The middle circle holds warning signs and risky situations that tend to lead back to inner-circle behaviors. The outer circle holds the healthy activities and the life you’re building instead, which is the goal of recovery.
Does Sex Addicts Anonymous actually work?
SAA keeps no formal statistics on itself, partly because anonymity makes that kind of tracking hard. But the 12-step, peer-support model it’s built on has strong evidence behind it: research on Alcoholics Anonymous found 12-step programs at least as effective as professional therapies for sustaining recovery[1]. That evidence is best established for alcohol, so it doesn’t transfer one-to-one, but the engine of peer support, sponsorship, and the steps is exactly what SAA applies to compulsive sexual behavior. People who keep attending, get a sponsor, and work the steps tend to get the most out of it.
What's the difference between SAA and SLAA?
Both are 12-step fellowships, but they focus on different things. SAA centers on compulsive sexual behavior. SLAA, Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous, casts a wider net that also includes romantic and emotional patterns such as obsessive attachment or moving from one relationship to the next. If love, fantasy, or attachment are part of the struggle, SLAA may fit better. Many people try both and stay with whichever room feels right.
Get Treatment Help
If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, getting help is just a phone call away, or consider trying therapy online with BetterHelp.
Exclusive offer: 20% Off BetterHelp*Following links to the BetterHelp website may earn us a commission that helps us manage and maintain AddictionHelp.com. *Get 20% off your first month of BetterHelp. Offer valid for new BetterHelp users only. Offer cannot be combined with insurance.
- Fact-Checked
- Editor
