Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous

Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous (SLAA) is a

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.^[2] 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.^[1] 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.^[5]

SLAA publishes the book Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous. It is approved by the organization for use in their fellowship.^[6] In an article regarding the applicability of 12-step fellowships to black women, feminist theorist Christine Saulnier criticized the SLAA book, contending that it ignored the social and political circumstances under which sexual behaviors arise and are labeled deviant.^[7]

See also

• List of twelve-step groups
• Sex Addicts Anonymous
• Sex and Love Addiction
• Sexaholics Anonymous
• Sexual Compulsives Anonymous

References