"Recovering Together: Issues Faced By Couples"

"What seemed at first a flimsy reed, has proved to be the loving and powerful hand of God." Alcoholics Anonymous  pg 28.

S-Anon Couples in Recovery meetings have one official piece of S-Anon Conference Approved Literature (CAL). It is named "Recovering Together: Issues Faced By Couples".
The www.sanon.org  website describes this book as "Couples share their experience, strength, and hope on the topics of communication, trust, forgiveness, honesty, commitment, and healthy sexuality. The booklet also includes an S-Anon meeting format to be used during S-Anon couples meetings."


Many of our groups use this booklet at their meetings and give copies to newcomers.
One of our couples said "Before we came to our first meeting, we thought that our partnership was broken, that it was over for good. At the first meeting, our emotions were still clouding our ability to see and hear the truth of reality. Reading this booklet together, we started to realize that we had more common ground to rebuild from than we had realized. This book gave us a glimmer of hope, it was our "flimsy reed". We realized that we each had to work on our own programs, individually but we also came to believe that we had to have this program too. The "flimsy reed" of S-Anon Couples in Recovery meetings and this booklet have become the "loving and powerful hand of God" in our marriage."

Applying S-Anon Tradition 6 to a coupleship

Tradition 6: Our S-Anon Family Groups ought never endorse, finance, or lend our name to any outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property and prestige divert us from our primary spiritual aim. Although a separate entity, we should always cooperate with Sexaholics Anonymous.

How can we members of S-Anon Couples in Recovery apply the sixth tradition to our coupleship?

One couple has replied: "We each have our own funds, schedules and commitments. In the past, problems with money, property and egos interfered with our relationships.
Applying this Tradition, neither of us will make a commitment of our joint funds, time or responsibility without consulting the other. We do not try to fill all of our partners needs. We do not expect all of our needs to be met by our partner. We support each other. We strive to be healthy equals. We are mutually dependent. We support and encourage each other."