Sexual Compulsives Anonymous
A warm, plain guide to Sexual Compulsives Anonymous (SCA): what it is, how the personal sexual recovery plan and 12 steps work, its inclusive LGBTQ-welcoming history, whether it helps, and how to find a free, anonymous meeting today.
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What Is Sexual Compulsives Anonymous?
Sexual Compulsives Anonymous, usually shortened to SCA, is a free fellowship of people who help each other stop sexual behavior that has become compulsive and is hurting their lives. It runs on the same 12 steps as Alcoholics Anonymous, and it works the same way: people meet, share what they’re going through, and support one another in getting better. There are no dues, no sign-up, and no one in charge handing out judgment.
One thing sets SCA apart, and it matters from the first meeting. SCA never tells you what counts as “sober.” Instead, each member writes a personal sexual recovery plan that names the specific behaviors they want to stop. Your line is yours to draw. The program doesn’t treat sex as the enemy and doesn’t ask anyone to give it up. What it helps with is compulsion, the feeling of being driven to act out in ways you’ve tried to quit and couldn’t.
In crisis right now? help is confidential and available today
- If you’re having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, call or text 988 now. It’s free, confidential, and open 24/7.
- For free, confidential help finding treatment, call SAMHSA at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). They can point you to professionals near you.
- An SCA meeting is free and anonymous, and you can join one today online or by phone, no appointment needed.
- It’s a 12-step fellowship for people who want to stop compulsive sexual behavior, modeled on Alcoholics Anonymous.
- You define your own recovery. Each member writes a personal sexual recovery plan instead of following one fixed rule about what “sober” means.
- The only requirement to join is a desire to stop having compulsive sex. That’s it.
- Meetings are free and anonymous, held in person, by phone, and online.
- A sponsor and the 12 steps are central. You don’t do recovery alone.
- Everyone is welcome. SCA began among gay and bisexual men and is open today to all genders and orientations.
How Sexual Compulsives Anonymous Works
SCA 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.
Your Personal Sexual Recovery Plan
This is the heart of SCA, and it’s the part that puts a lot of newcomers at ease. Rather than handing you a rulebook, SCA asks you to write your own. You name the behaviors you want to stop, the situations that tend to pull you back toward them, and the healthier life you want to build instead. Members often sketch this out in three layers.
| Part of the plan | What goes in it | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Behaviors to stop | The specific acts you’ve decided are harming you and want to leave behind | This is your own definition of sobriety. You set the line, not anyone else. |
| Warning signs | The risky situations, moods, and triggers that tend to lead back to those behaviors | Spotting these early is how you catch a slide before it becomes a slip. |
| A life worth having | The relationships, work, rest, and activities you’re building in the space that opens up | This is the goal, the reason the rest of the plan is worth doing. |
Because you write the plan, recovery in SCA looks different for each member. You can change it as you learn more about yourself, usually with help from a sponsor. The point isn’t to repress your sexuality. It’s to name what’s wrecking your life, draw a firm line around it, and grow something better.
The 12 Steps
The 12 steps are the backbone of the program, the same set AA has used for decades, applied here to compulsive sexual behavior. In plain terms, they walk a person from admitting the behavior has become unmanageable, through taking an honest look at the patterns and harm behind it, toward making repairs and living a new way. People work the steps at their own pace, usually with a sponsor guiding them one step at a time.
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 isn’t therapy and it isn’t authority. It’s one person who has walked the path helping another. For many people, getting a sponsor, and later becoming one, is where a lot of the real change happens.
Meetings and Anonymity
Meetings are where the fellowship lives. They’re free, they run in person, by 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. That’s what makes it safe to open up in the first place.
An Inclusive History
SCA started in New York City in the early 1980s, founded largely by and for gay and bisexual men who wanted to stop compulsive sexual behavior and found few places that would help without shame. That welcoming spirit stuck. Today SCA is open to people of every gender and orientation, and meetings include a growing number of women and heterosexual men. Wherever you’re coming from, the door is the same.
SCA welcomes you exactly as you are. The fellowship’s only requirement for membership is a desire to stop having compulsive sex, 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.
How SCA Compares to SAA and SA
SCA is one of several 12-step fellowships for compulsive sexual behavior, and the differences come down to how each one defines recovery. SCA and Sex Addicts Anonymous (SAA) share a core idea: each member sets their own line for what to stop, rather than following one fixed standard. Sexaholics Anonymous (SA) takes a different path. SA defines sobriety for everyone the same way, as no sex outside marriage between a husband and wife and no sex with oneself, a stricter and more prescriptive standard.
| Sexual Compulsives Anonymous (SCA) | Sex Addicts Anonymous (SAA) | Sexaholics Anonymous (SA) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who defines sobriety | you do, in a personal recovery plan | you do, using the Three Circles | the fellowship, one fixed definition for all |
| Roots | began among gay and bisexual men, now open to all | open to all from the start | a single, more restrictive standard |
| Structure | 12 steps, sponsor, self-defined plan | 12 steps, sponsor, self-defined sobriety | 12 steps, sponsor, set sobriety definition |
| Cost | free | free | free |
There’s no wrong door here. Many people visit more than one and stay with whichever room fits. If you want to compare the most widely available option side by side, it’s worth getting to know how Sex Addicts Anonymous works →.
Does Sexual Compulsives Anonymous Work?
SCA doesn’t run formal outcome studies on itself, so there’s no single number to point to, and the program’s anonymity makes that kind of research hard by design. What we can say is grounded in how the broader approach has been studied.
The 12-step, peer-support model that SCA is built on has strong evidence behind it. 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 SCA puts to work for sexual compulsion.
In practice, the people most likely to benefit are the ones who keep showing up, get a sponsor, and work their plan rather than just attending. For many, pairing SCA with a therapist who treats compulsive sexual behavior works better than either one alone.
How to Find an SCA Meeting and Get Started
Getting started is simpler than it feels from the outside. SCA’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.
A common first step is reading SCA’s “Twenty Questions,” a short self-check that helps you see whether compulsive sexual behavior is part of your life. From there, finding a meeting and listening is enough to begin.
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.
Find treatment and recovery support that fit →
If you’re in crisis or having thoughts of self-harm, call or text 988 now. For free, confidential help finding treatment near you, call SAMHSA at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) any time.
Frequently asked questions
What is Sexual Compulsives Anonymous?
Sexual Compulsives Anonymous, or SCA, is a free 12-step fellowship for people who want to stop compulsive sexual behavior. Members meet in person, by phone, and online to share their experience and support each other. It uses the same 12 steps as Alcoholics Anonymous, and the only requirement to join is a desire to stop having compulsive sex.
How does the personal sexual recovery plan work in SCA?
Instead of one fixed rule about what counts as sober, SCA asks each member to write their own sexual recovery plan. You name the specific behaviors you want to stop, the warning signs and situations that tend to pull you back, and the healthier life you want to build instead. Because you write the plan, recovery looks different for each member, and you can adjust it over time, usually with help from a sponsor.
Is SCA open to all genders and sexual orientations?
Yes. SCA began in New York City in the early 1980s, largely among gay and bisexual men who wanted help without shame. That welcoming spirit stayed, and today SCA is open to people of every gender and orientation. Meetings include a growing number of women and heterosexual men. Anyone with a desire to stop compulsive sexual behavior is welcome.
How much does Sexual Compulsives Anonymous cost?
Nothing. SCA 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.
What's the difference between SCA, SAA, and SA?
All three are 12-step fellowships for compulsive sexual behavior, and they differ in how recovery is defined. SCA and Sex Addicts Anonymous (SAA) both let each member set their own line for what to stop. Sexaholics Anonymous (SA) uses one fixed, stricter definition of sobriety for everyone. Many people try more than one and stay with whichever room fits.
Does Sexual Compulsives Anonymous actually work?
SCA 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. 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 SCA applies to compulsive sexual behavior. People who keep attending, get a sponsor, and work their plan tend to get the most out of it.
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