What is Intimacy and Sexual Avoidance?
“Welcome to the Intimacy and Sexual Avoidance (ISA) meetings of Sex Addicts Anonymous! Individuals from many different countries participate in the ISA-focused telemeetings and ZOOM video conference meetings, ranging from SAA members who have long-term sobriety to newcomers. Some have worked the Twelve Steps of SAA in order to stop acting out sexually, and are now examining the role of intimacy avoidance in their lives. Others have been drawn to this fellowship specifically because of the ISA-focused meetings. Still others have a spouse or partner whom they suspect struggles with intimacy issues and want to learn more by attending the open ISA meetings. Whatever brings you here, welcome!” ISA Awareness Committee (ISAAC)
ISA meetings
ISA meetings are listed on the International website – saa-recovery.org which lists 20 meetings through the week.
The Telemeeting Intergroup [TIG] has a members area which contains a list of ISA meetings.
See the SAA Office Diversity website section on Intimacy and Sexual Avoidance [ISA].
ISA literature
- Intimacy Avoidance
- First Step to Intimacy
- Is it Abstinence or is it Anorexia? page 6, Outer Circle for July-August, 2021
Intimacy Avoidance Stories
“Sex addiction is an intimacy disorder, meaning the ability to be grounded in reality and genuinely connected emotionally with another person can be damaged by compulsive sexual behaviors. In addition, some SAA members have found themselves ‘shut down’ sexually in recovery, afraid of sex because of its association in our minds with our addiction or with past sexual trauma, or because of a fear of intimacy and vulnerability.”
(Sex Addicts Anonymous, page 72)
The SAA telemeetings […] focus on applying the 12 Steps to heal from the avoidance of true intimacy […].
From the “ISA Awareness Event #1” announcement
Getting Started
If you are new to Twelve-Step groups:
SAA is a spiritual program based on the principles and traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous. You will find answers to some of your questions about our program by reading the book Sex Addicts Anonymous, which can be read online.
If you are familiar with Twelve-Step programs but new to SAA:
“Unlike programs for recovering alcoholics or drug addicts, Sex Addicts Anonymous does not have a universal definition of abstinence. Since different addicts suffer from different behaviors, and since our sexuality is experienced in so many different ways, it is necessary that SAA members define for themselves, with the help of their sponsors or others in recovery, which of their sexual behaviors they consider to be “acting out.” (Sex Addicts Anonymous, pages 14-15)