In 1982 several women in Baltimore determined that their AA, Al-Anon and OA recoveries were insufficient to address their issues from sexual trauma victimization. They defined "incest" to include most every sexual trauma of childhood. They thoughtfully rewrote the AA 12 Steps to reflect the issues of this wounded population.

They began writing and their 54 literature titles are the most extensive offering of any "5" fellowship. In 1989 a merger was worked out with Sex Abuse Anonymous in S t. Cloud, Minnesota which brought a needed group of new literature titles. Later that year a second merger with Sexual Abuse Anonymous of Long Beach, California, brought a large number of west coast meetings. Their 372 meetings dot the USA and eleven foreign countries.

Most SIA meetings are open only to non-perpetrators so that victims will feel safe. Some designate themselves "women only" or "men only". Since many survivors later became perpetrators, a growing number of meetings allow those who perpetrated in the past to attend but limit sharing to past acts. Men or women currently perpetrating are generally not welcome and are expected to do their recovery work in other fellowships for sex offenders. Meetings allowing perpetrators are expected to clearly explain this at the start each time so that attendees will not be surprised.

SLAA was founded in Boston in 1976 by a musician and several other AA members. It has always held a broad paradigm embracing both male and female compulsivity and incorporating relationship and codependency issues. As a result; SLAA has the largest representation of women among all addict groups (42% compared to 15% or less in the others). In 1987, SLAA meetings were established in Colorado and today number fourteen. Worldwide, they are the largest "5" fellowship with 1,320 meetings or some 13,200 members.

SLAA founders were comfortable enough about sexual addiction recovery to publish meeting locations in area meeting lists and are often cited in the weekly events section of the local newspaper. One often finds an "open" meeting in each city to which anyone may "walk in" to lean more about SLAA. Their big book is distributed internally and also, unlike all the other fellowships, through a major retail book outlet which has gotten it to an additional ten thousand readers. They have a periodical, The Journal, patterned after AA’s Grapevine. Stories shared by members provide those in remote places with "a meeting through the mail."

Their concept of recovery encourages each woman and man to make a personal list of "bottom-line" behaviors which are causing havoc in their lives. Being sexually sober means not "acting out" those intriguing or abusing rituals. "Top line" goals are listed which include intimate behaviors which enrich one’s committed relationship or nurture one’s self.

Sex & Love Addicts and Anorexics Anonymous (SLA³) meetings developed among SLAA members struggling with compulsive "acting in", that is, feeling powerless about their fears and avoidance of sexuality and intimacy. Like other SLAA members, their goal is healthy relationships, but the focus is to stop "acting in". Out of a fellowship-wide concern, came an SLAA pamphlet entitled, Anorexia: Sexual, Social, Emotional.

Co-S.L.A.A. is a fellowship of meetings for persons in a codependent relationship with a sex and love addict which came about in New England in 1988. Citing only fourteen meetings, Co-S.L.A.A. currently is not represented in Colorado.

Sex Addiction Problems Organizations, a publication of the
COLORADO SERVICE GROUP

A statewide "Meetings List" for inquirers, helping professionals, newcomers... to let people know what meetings were available and how to get in touch.

(303) 427-0176, a phone number with answering machine, as a way for members to help inquirers get to meetings. It is listed in the white pages as "Sex Addiction Problems Organizations", in the yellow pages under "Support Groups" and among the Community Service Numbers free pages) as "Addiction Recovery." Volunteers relay messages to representatives from the various groups and ensure that the individual leaving a message is contacted within a reasonable period of time.

Semi-annual statewide conferences so recovering people may share their experience, strength and hope. Speakers from all the "S" fellowships have appeared by invitation since the first conference in August 1988.

Literature projects which supplement fellowship-wide literature and support the ecumenical activities of the local meetings. For example, a wallet-size card containing The Twelve Promises. A Traveling Library, displayed at each conference, contains samples of every fellowship-approved 12-step "S" publication. Other projects have included a 24" X 36" wall chart of the 12 Steps For Sex & Love Addiction, a 30 page booklet called Literature of the Twelve Step Fellowships, which are both currently out of print. CSG also distributes handouts: Tools of the Program and Ways You Can Serve. During the conferences, meetings get to share with others anything they have created in their local groups.

The CSG meets the 2nd Saturday morning of each month to coordinate services provided to its member meetings. The sharing of progress in personal recovery at each meeting makes these gatherings a highlight of the month for group representatives who drive great distances to participate. Those friendships across the state have become a backbone of stability for the small weekly meetings in each locale. CSG is a Colorado non-profit corporation with a 501(c)(3) tax status. A copy of the Bylaws and a current financial statement are available on request.

(C) March 1994 and September 1999. This flyer is a service of Colorado Service Group Copies may be produced by 12 step persons but use by Outside publications or those who would sell it, is not permitted without written authorization.