SAA Vancouver

SAA VANCOUVER CANADA

Our Program
DOnate

How it Works

How It
Works

Recovery is possible. You don't have to do it alone.

SAA is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength, and hope with each other.

We come together so that we may solve our common problem and help others recover from sexual addiction.

The only requirement for membership is the desire to stop addictive sexual behavior. If you're new to Twelve Step recovery and SAA, we encourage you to attend one of our meetings.

  • Membership is open to all who share a desire to stop addictive sexual behavior. There is no other requirement.
  • Our common goals are to become sexually healthy and to help other sex addicts achieve freedom from compulsive sexual behavior.
  • SAA is supported through voluntary contributions from members.
  • We are not affiliated with any other twelve-step programs, nor are we a part of any other organization. We do not support, endorse, or oppose outside causes or issues.
  • SAA is a spiritual program based on the principles and traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous. We are grateful to AA for this gift which makes our recovery possible.
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Our Program

The 12 Steps of SAA

Half measures simply don't work.

Here are the steps we're taking. They're our recommended program of recovery:
  1. We admitted we were powerless over addictive sexual behavior – that our lives had become unmanageable.
  2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
  3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood God.
  4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
  5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
  6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
  7. Humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
  8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.
  9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
  10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
  11. Sought 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

Your first
meeting.
Yikes!

You may be nervous.
That's okay.
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What should you expect?

You’re looking for help, but you may be afraid there isn’t anyone out there who could possibly have done what you’ve done, much less understand and accept you for who you are.

Your first SAA meeting is an opportunity to experience acceptance and understanding. As you come through the door, you’ll meet men and women who understand the struggles that brought you there because they have faced struggles of their own.

You will probably be asked if this is your first meeting and invited to introduce yourself using just your first name. The meeting leader may explain how the meeting works and introduce you to the SAA Twelve Step program.

Your first meeting will usually give you an opportunity to listen to other members share their experience, strength, and hope. You can ask questions or share as much or as little as you are comfortable sharing.

You won't be required to do anything. Participation in SAA is voluntary. Your recovery is your own. We're here to help.
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Suggestions for Newcomers

  1. Read the Newcomer Packet as soon as possible.
  2. Make your recovery your top priority.
  3. Make a commitment to attend at least 6 meetings during the next 2 weeks.
  4. Find a sponsor or temporary sponsor as soon as possible. A sponsor is someone who guides you through the Twelve Steps.
  5. Begin to work the Steps.
  6. Get in the habit of calling your points of contact every day. Connecting with other members supports both your recovery and theirs.
  7. Put the same amount of effort into your recovery as you did acting out.
  8. Remember that recovery is something we practice one day at a time.
You don't need to have everything figured out before you come to a meeting. Showing up is enough to begin.

SAA is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength, and hope with each other,

so that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from their sexual addiction. The only requirement for membership is the desire to stop addictive sexual behavior. If you’re new to Twelve Step recovery and SAA, we encourage you to attend one of our meetings.

  • Membership is open to all who share a desire to stop addictive sexual behavior. There is no other requirement.
  • Our common goals are to become sexually healthy and to help other sex addicts achieve freedom from compulsive sexual behavior.
  • SAA is supported through voluntary contributions from members.
  • We are not affiliated with any other twelve-step programs, nor are we a part of any other organization. We do not support, endorse, or oppose outside causes or issues.
  • SAA is a spiritual program based on the principles and traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous. We are grateful to AA for this gift which makes our recovery possible.

Article: “Why We Need Sponsors”

Dear Grace,

What is a sponsor? How do I get one? Why do I need one?

Signed: New Member

Dear New Member,

A sponsor is an SAA member who is willing to guide you through working the Twelve Steps. The sponsor’s role is simply to be an example of recovery in action and to support you in your journey of self-discovery.

It’s a good idea to choose someone to sponsor you who has worked the Twelve Steps of SAA with a sponsor of their own, and who has the kind of recovery you want. It is important to listen to the other people in your meeting share about their own experience, strength, and hope. By actively listening, you are not only supporting the other person, but are also supporting yourself. This listening tool will help you in choosing a sponsor.

You may also ask another member to help you find a sponsor, but the choice to ask someone is yours alone. As addicts, we have relied upon ourselves and have lived our lives afraid or unwilling to ask for help. Thus, asking someone to sponsor you may be uncomfortable – and that is okay.

Potential sponsors are often open about their recovery process and will talk to you about their sponsorship guidelines. Sponsors are volunteers who give from their heart and will support you as long as you are open, honest, and willing to work the Twelve Steps. Inviting someone to help you in your search for a life filled with love, joy, peace, and security is a great start to an unforgettable relationship and an amazing journey.

Once someone agrees to be your sponsor, together you will create an agreement as a foundation for your recovery process. This agreement will include availability, boundaries, education on addiction, and goal-setting. A sponsor is a volunteer and the sponsor/ sponsee relationship can be terminated at any time.

It is important to feel safe with the SAA member who agrees to be your sponsor. Your sponsor will be your recovery guide, helping you work the Twelve Steps of SAA. Your sponsor will give you as much time and support as they are available to give. Sponsors have their own sponsors and recovery program to help them on their own spiritual journey. Therefore, it is important that the sponsorship relationship needs to be respected by both the sponsor and sponsee.

Sponsors are not lifelines, parents, or potential romantic partners. Sponsors are simply guides who help sponsees work the Twelve Steps of SAA, so sponsees can discover how to live a spiritual life filled with hope, facing challenges and disappointments with serenity and support, and one day, thankfully giving back by sponsoring someone else.

For more information on sponsorship, there is a pamphlet called, “Getting a Sponsor” which can be found at meetings, read online by visiting saa-recovery. org, or ordered online or by calling the ISO of SAA.

In Service,

Grace


From: The Outer Circle Newsletter, Volume 13, Issue 5, November – December 2019

Getting in Touch with SAA Vancouver

By Phone or Text

Please call or text us at
(236) 662 3758 (New Number as of 10.26.24) – no long distance in metro Vancouver area

Email

I’m in need of help
help(at)saavancouver(dot)org

I’m a man in need of help men(at)saavancouver(dot)org
I’m a woman in need of help women(at)saavancouver(dot)org

Mailing Address

SAA Intergroup
1170 Bute St, Vancouver, BC V6E 1Z6

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