Some of us start out as a tourist at SAAmeetings – the member who shows upevery week .. but doesn’t get a sponsor, doesn’t work the steps ..and doesn’t stop acting out – This resistance to surrendering to the SAA program is rooted in pride and astubborn unwillingness to admit defeat- despite the pain and consequences. As a tourist, you cling to the belilef that you’re are not reallypowerless and that just going tomeetings .. or going to church or seeing a therapist … will be enough to turn things around without too much inconvenience. SAA tourists drop in and out for months or even years with no sobriety before one final crisis bring us to our bottom makes us willing at last to get serious.(Paraphrased from p 99 from theGreen Book of SAA)
Welcome to this Big Book StudyTelemeeting for sobriety from sex addiction. Now let’s take thirty seconds of silence to meditate and invite Higher Power to our meeting. We’ll follow that with the Serenity Prayer (or other suitable prayer).In order to help keep the lines clear,please mute your phone by pressing#6.
Who has a message for the newcomer?
(Optional) Read Forward to the FirstEdition WE OF Sex Addicts Anonymousare more that one hundred men andwomen who have recovered from aseemingly hopeless state of mind andbody. To show other sex addictsprecisely how we have recovered is themain purpose of this book. For themwe hope these pages will prove soconvincing that no furtherauthentication will be necessary. Wethink this account of our experienceswill help everyone better understandthe sex addict. Many do notcomprehend that the sex addict is avery sick person. And besides, we aresure that our way of living has itsadvantages for all.
My name is ________ and I’m a (recovered) sex addict. Our Group Conscience has elected to use the Big book of A.A. as its basic text for sobriety from sex addiction. Time and experience have proven it to be a successful approach to the Steps no matter what the addictive problem may be. More importantly, this is what worked for us.The study leader is responsible for keeping the meeting focused on understanding the Big Book passages. We will have time to share after the study. If you are new, coming back, or have questions, we really would like to get to know you better. Members from this group who are willing to sponsor will announce their names and phone numbers.
__________ will be our study leader. They will be using the Dallas SAA Big Book study Guide to better understand today’s selected passages using a question and answer format,(now turn it over to the study leader)
My name is_______ , and I am a sex addict. “ll be your study leader this evening. Before we begin our study we are going to review a Tradition. This week’s Tradition is Tradition __ and I’ve asked ________ to read the long form of theTradition followed by the short formand to offer some comments.
We will begin our study on page ________. Thatwill be in Chapter _________
(Ask a member to read 2-3 paragraphs then start with the first paragraph to go line by line with the study guide)
Let’s open that paragraph up for comment on the precise instructions it contains.”
Closing:
Our group conscience believes that the place to check-in or get current is with your sponsor. If you want to sponsor and have had the promised spiritual awakening, please announce yournames and phone numbers. If you are still working your steps and would like to be a friend to the new member, you can identify yourself as well
Please take advantage of the SAAPP.CA website for Twelve Step based resources for sobriety from sex addiction.Are there any prayer requests?
Let’s have a minute of silence for these and for the addict who still suffers followed by the SerenityPrayer (or choose an appropriate closing prayer).
Fellowship
Now it’s time for fellowship. Please becareful of you decide to give out personal information. Are there any newcomers here today?