12-Step Overview for Sex & Love Addiction Recovery Dallas & Ft. Worth

Person’s in recovery will find they are not alone and there are many willing to share their experience, strength and hope in the local 12-Step Recovery Fellowships. The following excerpt is a general overview of the various 12-Step Programs in Dallas & Fort Worth.

For Women & Men, before attending a Face-to-Face Meeting that is “mixed” gendered, attend a gender specific meeting first. It is helpful for women and men to lean boundaries in a gender specific meeting before attending a mixed meeting.

For Women – There are no women’s only Face-to-Face meetings currently in the DFW area. Most women in the area attend the SAA Women’s Meetings offered daily on the phone. There can be up to 40 women on these meetings.

For GLBT, etc… community – the Dallas Plano group is well attended by this community.

For Men, the local face-to-face SAA & SA meetings are well attended.

For Offenders: offenders who are convicted have programs through probation and if have not been reported will need to be reported and directed there by law enforcement. Probation Offices will provide meeting referrals. Offenders are required to work with SOTP credentialed clinicians.

For Minors: Individual therapy with a CSAT or SRT is recommended. 12-Step meetings are not open to minors. There is an online program Covenant Eyes that has a young persons support program online. If they are offenders then referral to Juvenile Justice can get them to their support services – SOTP providers.

Not sure which type of meeting will be the best fit?

“SLAA:

Having few healthy boundaries, we become sexually involved with and/or

emotionally attached to people without knowing them. Fearing abandonment and

loneliness , stay in and return to painful, destructive relationships….confuse love

with neediness, physical and sexual attraction, pity and/or the need to rescue or be

rescued, sexualize stress, guilt, loneliness, anger, shame, fear and envy.….To avoid

feeling vulnerable, may retreat from all intimate involvement…”

“SAA:

Repeated sexual behaviors and rituals, preoccupation with sex in relationships,

behaviors that cause harm to self or others, behaviors that are destructive, painful

compulsive behaviors that caused harm to ourselves, our families and our loved ones.

ones. SAA does not have a universal definition of abstinence. Do we find our selves

repeating behaviors that we don’t want to, is the behavior harmful to ourselves and

others, does it violate the rights of others, occurs when dealing with painful

emotions, are we uncomfortable with the amount of time, money spent, do we risk

health, relationships, family or jobs as a result of the behavior… “

“SA

The sexaholic has taken himself or herself out of the whole context of what is right

or wrong. He or she has lost control, no longer has the power of choice, and is not

free to stop. Lust has become an addiction. Thus, for the sexaholic, any form of sex

with one’s self or with partners other than the spouse is progressively addictive and

destructive. We also see that lust is the driving force behind our sexual acting out,

and true sobriety includes progressive victory over lust.”

MEETING INFORMATION

For Women:

Sex Addicts Anonymous: Women’s SAA Program – currently there are no area meetings but there is a strong telephonic program. Many women’s meetings require a contact with that meeting trusted servant before you are allowed the call in number. The calls are long distance so will require an unlimited phone calling plan.

For the tele-meetings listing: http://www.saa-recovery.org  Select “Meetings”, click on “Electronic”, enter your time zone and the list of meetings will pop up.

Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous: http://www.slaadfw.org There is a list here for Face-to-Face meetings in Dallas and Ft. Worth.

Self Management And Recovery Training (SMART) – for persons who don’t want a 12- step format. Meetings are mixed, face-to-face and there are multiple addictions represented. There is an online support forum. http://www.smartrecovery.org

Sexaholics Anonymous https://www.sa.org Select “Meeting Search” and select “Type of Meeting”.

For Men:

Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous: http://www.slaadfw.org There is a list here for Face-to-Face meetings in Dallas and Ft. Worth.

Sex Addicts Anonymous http://www.saa-recovery.org click on “Meetings”, and search by state and city for Face-to-Face Meetings. The web-site also has telephonic meetings listed. Click on “Meetings”, then click on “Electronic” and the meetings will pop up.

Sexaholics Anonymous https://www.sa.org Select “Meeting Search” and select “Type of Meeting”.

Self Management and Recovery Training – for persons who don’t want a 12 step format. Meetings are mixed, face to faced there are multiple addictions represented. There is an online support forum. http://www.smartrecovery.org

For Couples:

Recovering Couples Anonymous http://www.recovering-couples.org/index.html Click on meetings and then search for meetings in your state. There are a variety of addictions in this 12-Step Program. They also offer telephonic meetings.

For Partners:

COSA (Partner program for SAA) http://www.cosa-recovery.org Click on “Meetings”, click on “Find a Meeting” and enter your location information. They offer telephonic meetings. There is a Men’s partners meeting on Sundays telephonically.

Sexaholics Anonymous (Partner program for SA) https://www.sanon.org Go to “For the Newcomer” and then “Meetings”.

Therapy:

Outpatient and Residential Services are specialized for the “S” Population. Traditional therapy and psychotherapy does not provide training in treatment of the “S” Populations. Within the types of therapists, CSAT’s, SRT’s, there are some who provide a Christian clinical approach and others who provide a Traditional clinical approach. It is important to determine which type works best with your value preferences.

CSAT – Certified Sex Addiction Therapist. Follows the Patrick Carnes systems theory of addiction which blends both addiction and trauma work.

SRT – Sexual Recovery Therapist. Follows the Collin Ross trauma model of treatment.

LSOTP – Licensed Sexual Offender Therapy Provider – contracted through County Probation Departments.

BOOKS:

Traditional Readings: https://www.gentlpath.com

Christian Readings: https://www.lds.org/topics/pornography/audiences/individuals/sexualaddictionreadinglist?lang=eng

MEDIA:

“The Courage to Love” http://www.thecouragetolove.com The Courage to Love by Paul Ginocchio is a personal documentary about sexual addiction from the perspective of four people who share their stories of addiction and recovery.