To The Helping Professional

To Helping Professionals:

S-Anon is a 12-step recovery fellowship of people who have been affected by the sexual addiction of a family member or friend. It seems to matter little if our loved one’s compulsive sexual behavior and thinking was with others or with self, the result was the same: our obsession and preoccupation with the addict left us emotionally, physically, and spiritually affected.

S-Anon members are wives, husbands, children, parents, siblings, friends, and even co-workers of sex addicts. S-Anon is based on the model pioneered by Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon; it is not group therapy. We meet to solve our common problems and to help others recover from the harmful effects of our responses to the sexual addiction of a family member or friend. Gradually, over time, we learn to take the focus off the sex addict and to focus on taking the steps necessary to better our own lives.

One of our goals is to reach out to as many families and close friends of sex addicts as possible. One way we can do that is by making professionals like yourself more aware of the effects of sexual addiction on a family member or friend.

The loved ones of the sex addict may be:

• Obsessed with the loved one's sexual problems

• Trying to control someone else's sexual acting-out

• Engaging in sexual behavior that is dangerous

• Covering for or helping the sex addict escape the consequences of the acting out

Those who are living with a sexually addicted person often have difficulty talking about it. What may be thought on the surface to be normal for some, is actually a life-destroying syndrome for others. We believe that sexual addiction is like alcoholism in this respect; some people can drink alcohol without dire consequences, while others cannot. Your appreciation of the problem and awareness that help is available may allow you to direct people to groups like S-Anon, where they could find relief.

Our hope is that you can ask the troubled individual who comes to you a simple question: “Does the sexual behavior of someone in your family bother you?” If so, you may refer the individual to our telephone numbers, shown below, where they can leave a message, including a telephone number when they can be contacted. A member from this area will contact them as soon as possible. The contact person will tell about how the program works, and make every effort to connect with the person at their level of comfort.

If you would like to speak to a local member for more information, please call the number below and leave a message to that effect. We hope you will consider us a resource in your work, knowing that those who suffer from the effects of this disease will find support in S-Anon.