The Special Appeal is a tri-annual request from the S-Anon World Service Office for 7th Tradition donations. Please share this appeal with your group and consider making a contribution today!
Dear S-Anon Members,
When I was 23 years old, my best friend sexually assaulted me. My self-esteem was so low that I still drove her to the airport the next day as a favor. To my shock and confusion, when she returned a week later, she told me that she no longer wanted to be friends and would be cutting off all contact with me. A few days later, I discovered that I was pregnant from a sexual encounter with my on-again/off-again ex-boyfriend, upon whose erratic attention and affection I depended on for a sense of lovability and self-worth. After I told my ex the news of my pregnancy, he grew distant and cold before ignoring me altogether. Within the course of a month, I was betrayed and abandoned by two important people in my life. I was hurt, ashamed, confused, and heartbroken. One night, as I lay awake crying, a small voice inside me said, “You need to go back to those meetings.”
I knew I could turn to S-Anon for support because I had previously attended S-Ateen for two years as a teenager. S- Ateen is a fellowship under the umbrella of S-Anon Family Groups for young people, ages 12 to 19, who have been affected by another person’s sexual behavior. The presence of sexaholism in my family brought me to S-Ateen. Although I never knew— and still, to this day, do not know—the specific ways the sexaholics in my family acted out, I had always known from a very young age that there was something unhealthy and dysfunctional about the dynamic within my home. Attending S-Ateen as a young person helped me understand the nature of addiction, introduced me to Twelve Step principles and tools, and ultimately laid the foundation for my future recovery as a young adult.
Nearly a decade since that tearful night in my early twenties, my life is completely different. I have been blessed with many gifts throughout my recovery, including developing loving and functional relationships with my family of origin, even though they no longer seek recovery. One of my greatest joys is serving as an S-Ateen group sponsor— being there for young people affected by the disease of sexaholism, just as someone was there for me all those years ago.
Donations to the World Service Office help S-Anon Family Groups carry the message of recovery, including to young people across the globe through the S-Ateen Fellowship. I humbly ask that you consider making a Seventh Tradition donation today in response to this Special Appeal. Contributions can be made online at https://www.sanon.org/donate, through PayPal at paypal.me/sanonwso, on Venmo to @sanon_wso www.venmo.com/u/sanon_wso, or via postal mail to S-Anon WSO, P.O. Box 17294, Nashville, TN 37217.
Another way in which you can support the S-Ateen program is to consider becoming an S-Ateen Group Sponsor. Two adult Group Sponsors are present at each S-Ateen meeting to guide group members and ensure a safe and welcoming meeting environment. To find out more about this rewarding service opportunity, send an email to [email protected].
With a grateful heart and in service, Marissa R., Detroit, MI