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The Twelve Steps

Recovery, in the full meaning of the word, comes through prac­ticing the principles outlined in the Twelve Steps.  These steps, listed in Appendix A, are the basic tools of SAA.  Most members work through them with a sponsor.  Doing it alone can be difficult, and as addicts, we may not always see ourselves clearly.

You can begin on your own, however, by reading the litera­ture.  A wide selection of literature is available on the SAA website, www.saa-recovery.org. Don’t worry if you don’t like all the ideas, or if some of them seem not to apply to you.  Try to keep an open mind and start getting familiar with the concepts.  Also, it is helpful to regularly attend a meeting that focuses on the steps.

Through the steps, we open ourselves to a spiritual transforma­tion that will lead us to a better way of life.  In SAA, it is often described as going from shame to grace.  Most importantly, we learn to lead sexually sober lives and eventually to carry the message to others who still suffer.