Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous
Encyclopedia
Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous (SLAA) is a twelve-step program
for people recovering from what they call sex addiction
and love addiction
. SLAA was founded in Boston, Massachusetts in 1976, by a member of Alcoholics Anonymous
(AA). Though he had been a member of AA for many years, he repeatedly acted out
and was serially unfaithful to his wife. He founded SLAA as an attempt to stop his compulsive sexual and romantic behavior. SLAA is also sometimes known as the Augustine Fellowship, because early members saw many of their shared symptoms described by St. Augustine of Hippo
in his work Confessions
. COSLAA is another twelve-step fellowship created to support the family members and friends of sex and love addicts.
SLAA encourages members to identify their own "bottom-line behaviors." The organization identifies these behaviors as "any sexual or emotional act, no matter what its initial impulse may be, which leads to loss of control over rate, frequency, or duration of its occurrence or recurrence, resulting in spiritual, mental, physical, emotional, and moral destruction of oneself and others." Maintaining "sobriety
" in the SLAA program requires abstaining from one's bottom-line behaviors. However, these behaviors are never set in stone and may change as SLAA members continue in the program. Examples of bottom line behaviors might include sexual or romantic activity outside the scope of monogamous relationships
, anonymous or casual sex, compulsive avoidance of intimacy or emotional attachment, one-night stands, compulsive masturbation, obsessive fantasy, compulsive attraction to unavailable or abusive partners, and a wide variety of addictive sexual, romantic, or avoidant behaviors.
Many of those practicing the SLAA recovery program develop the ability to engage in a healthy committed relationship. SLAA encourages recovery from sexual anorexia
, emotional anorexia and social anorexia, three related areas of self-deprivation that lead to isolation and often accompany patterns of addictive behavior.
SLAA publishes the book Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous, it is approved by the organization for use in their fellowship. Feminist theorist
Christine Saulnier criticized the SLAA book as fiercely defending individualization
, that is dismissing the social and political circumstances under which sexual behaviors arise and are labeled deviant.
Twelve-step program
A Twelve-Step Program is a set of guiding principles outlining a course of action for recovery from addiction, compulsion, or other behavioral problems...
for people recovering from what they call sex addiction
Sexual addiction
Sexual addiction is a popular model to explain hypersexuality—sexual urges, behaviors, or thoughts that appear extreme in frequency or feel out of one's control...
and love addiction
Codependence
Codependency is unhealthy love and a tendency to behave in overly passive or excessively caretaking ways that negatively impact one's relationships and quality of life. It also often involves placing a lower priority on one's own needs, while being excessively preoccupied with the needs of others...
. SLAA was founded in Boston, Massachusetts in 1976, by a member of Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous is an international mutual aid movement which says its "primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety." Now claiming more than 2 million members, AA was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio...
(AA). Though he had been a member of AA for many years, he repeatedly acted out
Acting out
Acting out is a psychological term from the parlance of defense mechanisms and self-control, meaning to perform an action in contrast to bearing and managing the impulse to perform it. The acting done is usually anti-social and may take the form of acting on the impulses of an addiction Acting out...
and was serially unfaithful to his wife. He founded SLAA as an attempt to stop his compulsive sexual and romantic behavior. SLAA is also sometimes known as the Augustine Fellowship, because early members saw many of their shared symptoms described by St. Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo , also known as Augustine, St. Augustine, St. Austin, St. Augoustinos, Blessed Augustine, or St. Augustine the Blessed, was Bishop of Hippo Regius . He was a Latin-speaking philosopher and theologian who lived in the Roman Africa Province...
in his work Confessions
Confessions (St. Augustine)
Confessions is the name of an autobiographical work, consisting of 13 books, by St. Augustine of Hippo, written between AD 397 and AD 398. Modern English translations of it are sometimes published under the title The Confessions of St...
. COSLAA is another twelve-step fellowship created to support the family members and friends of sex and love addicts.
SLAA encourages members to identify their own "bottom-line behaviors." The organization identifies these behaviors as "any sexual or emotional act, no matter what its initial impulse may be, which leads to loss of control over rate, frequency, or duration of its occurrence or recurrence, resulting in spiritual, mental, physical, emotional, and moral destruction of oneself and others." Maintaining "sobriety
Sobriety
Sobriety is the condition of not having any measurable levels, or effects from, alcohol or other drugs that alter ones mood or behaviors. According to WHO "Lexicon of alcohol and drug terms..." sobriety is continued abstinence from alcohol and psychoactive drug use...
" in the SLAA program requires abstaining from one's bottom-line behaviors. However, these behaviors are never set in stone and may change as SLAA members continue in the program. Examples of bottom line behaviors might include sexual or romantic activity outside the scope of monogamous relationships
Monogamy
Monogamy /Gr. μονός+γάμος - one+marriage/ a form of marriage in which an individual has only one spouse at any one time. In current usage monogamy often refers to having one sexual partner irrespective of marriage or reproduction...
, anonymous or casual sex, compulsive avoidance of intimacy or emotional attachment, one-night stands, compulsive masturbation, obsessive fantasy, compulsive attraction to unavailable or abusive partners, and a wide variety of addictive sexual, romantic, or avoidant behaviors.
Many of those practicing the SLAA recovery program develop the ability to engage in a healthy committed relationship. SLAA encourages recovery from sexual anorexia
Sexual anorexia
Sexual anorexia is a term used to describe a loss of "appetite" for romantic-sexual interaction. However, the term is used broadly and can be better defined as a fear of intimacy to the point that the person has severe anxiety surrounding sex with emotional content i.e. in an intimate relationship....
, emotional anorexia and social anorexia, three related areas of self-deprivation that lead to isolation and often accompany patterns of addictive behavior.
SLAA publishes the book Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous, it is approved by the organization for use in their fellowship. Feminist theorist
Feminist theory
Feminist theory is the extension of feminism into theoretical, or philosophical discourse, it aims to understand the nature of gender inequality...
Christine Saulnier criticized the SLAA book as fiercely defending individualization
Individualism
Individualism is the moral stance, political philosophy, ideology, or social outlook that stresses "the moral worth of the individual". Individualists promote the exercise of one's goals and desires and so value independence and self-reliance while opposing most external interference upon one's own...
, that is dismissing the social and political circumstances under which sexual behaviors arise and are labeled deviant.
See also
- HypersexualityHypersexualityHypersexuality is extremely frequent or suddenly increased sexual urges or sexual activity. Hypersexuality is typically associated with lowered sexual inhibitions. Although hypersexuality can be caused by some medical conditions or medications, in most cases the cause is unknown...
- Hypersexual disorderHypersexual disorderHypersexual disorder was proposed in 2010 for inclusion in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association . It is currently under consideration for inclusion in the appendix of the DSM, but not in the main list of official diagnoses...
- List of twelve-step groups
- Sex Addicts AnonymousSex Addicts AnonymousSex Addicts Anonymous is an organization that describes itself as providing a twelve-step program for recovery from what it calls sex addiction. SAA was founded in 1977 by several men who wanted a greater sense of anonymity than what they perceived in other twelve step programs for sex addicts...
- Sex and Love AddictionSex and love addictionSex and love addiction is a condition that, like many other addictive conditions, leads to the subject's repetition of specific thought or behavior patterns against the previously established intentions of the subject....
- Sexaholics AnonymousSexaholics AnonymousSexaholics Anonymous is one of several twelve-step programs for hypersexuality based on the original Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. SA takes its place among various 12-step groups that seek recovery from sexual addiction: Sex Addicts Anonymous, Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous, Sexual...
- Sexual Compulsives AnonymousSexual Compulsives AnonymousSexual Compulsives Anonymous is an organization that describes itself as providing a twelve-step program for recovery from what it terms sexual compulsion. SCA's founding is attributed variously to 1982 in New York City and to 1973 in Los Angeles...