When I was first introduced to SA several years ago, our group followed the literature, procedure, and sobriety definition as it stands in the white manual. I followed that wholeheartedly and, at times, even painfully. The result has been a long time sobriety.
Roy K.’s 12 December 1990 letter to SA groups invited groups to respond to what he felt was SA’s interpretation of the sobriety definition:
The autonomy of individual SA groups (Tradition Four) does not extend to matters affecting the fellowship as a whole. Nothing is more basic to the SA fellowship as a whole than what has come to be known as the SA sobriety imperative. The sobriety imperative is the thing which makes SA unique among several 12 Step programs dealing with sexual addiction.
…We are still having some difficulty, however, with members who accepted the bottom line sobriety definition but continue acting out in other ways. This is particularly so with voyeuristic aspects of their disease as well as concerning relationship preoccupations.
What do you think of the following statement, which might be used in conjunction with our sobriety statement? Please pass along any comments you might have to the Central Office.
Jesse L. has raised the question of going back to the previous wording of our sobriety statement on page 4 of the SA booklet. The revised statement currently reads:
