Spouses of sexaholics have formed S-Anon, patterned after Al-Anon, and are currently holding meetings in Arizona and California. Contact SA GSO if you want more information.

In response to questions from members, we announce that SA is officially an exempt, non-profit organization in the same category (code 573) as Alcoholics Anonymous. This holds true for all of 1982 and part of 1981. We are using the following notice to SA members in compliance with our Seventh Tradition:

This brings us to our book, Sexaholics Anonymous, which is still in process, though it gets put on the shelf for long periods out of necessity. (We’re all volunteers in SA, you know; and have one or two other things to do once in awhile [smile☺].) The book is well along, and preliminary hunks of it are available at our cost.

Many of us have also discovered that once we start going to meetings, certain things become apparent. Personalities want to predominate instead of the principles of the Steps and Traditions. We make all kinds of mistakes trying to relate (or not relate) to other members. All our defects come to the fore.

If there is any pattern emerging, it is that people come into SA with a moment of clarity and resolve, grateful to finally know what’s wrong and to find others with the same problem and secrets. This initial motivation carries them for awhile, and many even stay sober for a time. However, many fall away. They drop out of contact or stop going to meetings.

If you’re a member without a group and haven’t an SA phone friend yet, you’re missing out.

To bring you up to date, we now have groups (that we know of) in the following cities:

Enclosed is a complimentary copy of the brochure. Since we ordered a limited first printing, the actual cost comes to 15¢ each. You can order them at this price by making check or money order payable to SA GSO and sending it to the address listed above. State quantity.

1. ALL GSC DELEGATES: Obtain and send in the vote on “Dear Abby.”

This “letter” has turned out to be something of a newsletter. Which isn’t a bad idea, as some have suggested. “ESSAY” was just an off-the-cuff stab at a clever name.

I’ve been asked this question time and again and keep trying to get a better handle on it. I’ve enclosed another attempt to take a look at this most important subject: “What Is Lust?”

Some of us are debating whether to let “Dear Abby” run the SA name and POB address as the opportunity arises within her column correspondence. She tells us that she gets a number of letters she’d like to refer to SA by merely giving to the readers in her column the SA name and POB address.

“Every SA group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.”
Some members have suggested we should tell everybody what the financial picture is at the General Service Office (formerly called SA Central), so here goes.

Many of us are either just starting our groups or trying to get one started. In our last general letter of 12 October, we listed some hints for 12th Step work—getting new members. Chapter 7 of the Big Book (Alcoholics Anonymous) is entitled “Working With Others,” and is a “must” for every serious member of S.A.

I’m enclosing some articles from this month’s AA Grapevine, the monthly journal of AA. The best of AA is embodied in the Grapevine articles, and many use it as their “meeting in a pocket.”

The informal national group conscience we took recently has made itself known. All but two groups voted for dialog with Minnesota, but others who voted yes expressed reservations that we not compromise our alignment with the principles and traditions of AA.

Some members have made suggestions about facilitating the bond of unity across the country:

In the Los Angeles group we’ve experimented with doing a “formal” First Step. The member who was the “guinea pig” made notes on his sexual history as it bore on the development of his feelings & emotions and the powerlessness/unmanageability of his life.

Another word from around the country is that many have come off their S.A. “honeymoons” and are facing the realities of living sober (or not living sober). We’re finding out what the alkies discovered: we can’t stay sober, joyous and free without doing the things that make us sober, joyous and free.

The word from the S.A. members around the country is unity. We’re being welded together in a fellowship of recovery. Men and women are getting sober! Coming out of themselves into the light, and making contact with other members. Coming to. Becoming part of the healing process of each other’s lives. That’s good news.