SA New Zealand
Map of New Zealand

About SA New Zealand

More information about our solution.

What is Sexaholics Anonymous in New Zealand?

SA in New Zealand 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 from sexaholism. We provide a supportive, anonymous, and non-judgmental space where people can work toward sexual sobriety and support each other in recovery.

Our programme is based on spiritual principles and the experience of thousands of recovering sexaholics. In SA, sobriety is defined as "no sex with self or others outside of marriage, and progressive victory over lust." The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop lusting and achieve sexual sobriety.

The 12 Steps of Sexaholics Anonymous

The 12 Steps are the foundation of recovery in SA. They provide a path to spiritual growth, self-awareness, and freedom from lust and sexual acting out:

  1. 1We admitted we were powerless over lust—that our lives had become unmanageable.
  2. 2Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
  3. 3Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood God.
  4. 4Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
  5. 5Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
  6. 6Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
  7. 7Humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
  8. 8Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.
  9. 9Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
  10. 10Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
  11. 11Sought 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. 12Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to sex addicts, and to practice these principles in all areas of our lives.

The 12 Traditions of Sexaholics Anonymous

The 12 Traditions guide our fellowship and help us maintain unity and purpose:

  1. 1Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends on SA unity.
  2. 2For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority—a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.
  3. 3The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop lusting and become sexually sober.
  4. 4Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or Sexaholics Anonymous as a whole.
  5. 5Each group has but one primary purpose—to carry its message to the sexaholic who still suffers.
  6. 6An SA group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the SA name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property, and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.
  7. 7Every SA group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.
  8. 8Sexaholics Anonymous should remain forever non-professional, but our service centers may employ special workers.
  9. 9SA, as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.
  10. 10Sexaholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the SA name ought never be drawn into public controversy.
  11. 11Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, films, and TV.
  12. 12Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.

Anonymity & Confidentiality

Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities. What you hear at meetings should stay at meetings. We use first names only and respect each other's privacy.

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

— Tradition 12

Is Sexaholics Anonymous Right for You?

You may benefit from SA if you:

  • Feel powerless over lust in your thoughts and behaviors
  • Have tried to stop lustful thoughts or sexual behaviors but found you couldn't
  • Experience negative consequences related to lust and sexual acting out
  • Feel shame, guilt, or despair about your struggle with lust
  • Find that your lustful thinking or behaviors are affecting your relationships, work, or health

Remember, the only requirement for membership is a desire to stop lusting and achieve sexual sobriety as defined by SA (no sex with self or others outside of marriage, and progressive victory over lust). You don't have to identify as a "sexaholic" to attend meetings.

Attribution

The Twelve Steps and Traditions are adapted with permission of Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. (“AAWS”). Permission to adapt and reprint the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions does not mean that AAWS has approved the contents, of this publication, nor that AAWS agrees with the views expressed herein. AA is a programme of recovery from alcoholism only. Use of the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions in connection with programmes which are patterned after AA, but which address other problems, or in any other non-AA context, does not imply otherwise.

An adaptation © 1982, 1984, 1989, 2001 SA Literature. Reprinted with permission of SA Literature.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to be religious to attend?

No. SA is a spiritual programme, not a religious one. Members of all faiths, or no faith, are welcome.

What if I see someone I know?

Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of our programme. We practice discretion and confidentiality, respecting each other's privacy.

Is there a cost to attend meetings?

No, there are no dues or fees for SA membership. We are self-supporting through our own voluntary contributions.

What is the format of a typical meeting?

Meetings vary, but they often include readings from SA literature, a speaker sharing their story, and time for members to share their own experiences. The focus is on recovery and mutual support.

Do I have to speak at a meeting?

No one is required to speak. You can simply listen until you feel comfortable sharing. The most important thing is to attend and feel safe.

How is SA different from other 12-step programs?

While SA is based on the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, its specific focus is on freedom from lust and sexual sobriety, as defined by the SA principles.