Acronyms an Abbreviations

The following are lists of abbreviations and acronyms that are commonly used in our online meetings.

Unique to Recovery

  • HP - Higher Power; however we choose to define a power greater than ourselves
  • ! - Hand raised to request the floor
  • !T - Hand raised to indicate that you are triggered by what is being said. This can be used during a share or a conversation to have someone tone it down
  • !A - Hand raised to request the floor to make an announcement
  • !FB - Hand raised to request the floor to provide feedback during open chat
  • AO or A/O - Acting Out, engaging in our self-defined inner-circle / bottom-line addictive behaviors
  • AI or A/I - Acting In, engaging in our self-defined inner-circle / bottom-line avoidant behaviors, because of fear, shame or guilt. Also see Anorexia
  • IC - Inner-Circle, Behavior(s) we each identify to define our sobriety; e.g. engaging in an Inner-Circle behavior constitutes acting- out/relapsing/slipping. Also see BL
  • BL - Bottom-Line, Unhealthy behavior(s) we each identify to define our addictions; e.g. engaging in a bottom-line behavior constitutes acting-out/relapsing/slipping. Also see IC
  • OC - Outer-Circle, Healthy behavior(s) we each identify to define our recovery; e.g. going to meetings, sharing and working the 12 steps. Also see TL
  • TL - Top-Line, Healthy behavior(s) we each identify to define our recovery; e.g. going to meetings, sharing and working the 12 steps. Also see OC
  • MC - Middle-Circle, Boundaries or triggers. Also see ML
  • ML - Middle-Line, Boundaries or triggers. Also see MC
  • HALT or H.A.L.T. - Hungry, Angry, Lonely and Tired. These are the four most common triggers
  • BLATHERS or B.L.A.T.H.E.R.S. - Bored, Lonely, Angry, Tired, Hungry, Entitled, Resentful and Stressed. These are the eight most common triggers
  • SLA - Sex/Love Addict, often used to introduce ourselves in a meeting as a sex and love addict
  • SA - Sex Addict, often used to introduce ourselves in a meeting as a sex addict. It can also be used to refer to the 12-Step Recovery program Sexaholics Anonymous
  • LA - Love Addict, often used to introduce ourselves in a meeting as a love addict
  • MB or M - Masturbation, used in meetings and open chat to help promote a safer environment, often a bottom line behavior
  • IP - Internet Pornography, used in meetings and open chat to help promote a safer environment. This can be an inner-circle / bottom-line behavior
  • P - Pornography, used in meetings and open chat to help promote a safer environment. This can be an inner-circle / bottom-line behavior
  • CS - Cyber-Sex, used in meetings and open chat to help promote a safer environment. This can be an inner-circle / bottom-line behavior
  • Q - Qualifier, a person with whom an addict may engage in addictive behavior with or obsessive thought about. Being with this person or having obsessive thought about this person qualifies an addict to be an addict
  • RP - Recovery Partner, a fellow addict with whom you are working your recovery, less formal than a sponsor
  • SO - Significant Other
  • TS - Trusted Servant, a fellow addict who provides service work to the fellowship
  • F2F - Face-to-face Meeting, a live, local meeting an addict can attend outside of on-line meetings
  • DOC - Drug of Choice (person/behavior/substance), denotes a comparison between types of addiction, e.g. one addict may use alcohol and one main use pornography; they are both drugs
  • FOO - Family of Origin, the family in which we grew up
  • HOW or H.O.W. - Honesty, Open-mindedness, and Willingness, a recovery concept including the daily performance of certain tasks
  • TYFS - Thank You For Sharing
  • ESH - Experience, Strength & Hope, often used to describe a type of share during a meeting
  • KCB - Keep Coming Back, an expression of encouragement urging continued attendance in recovery
  • ODAAT - One Day at a Time, a reminder to work and focus on today in our recovery
  • KISS - Keep It Simple and Surrender
  • ((( ))) - A Safe Hug, giving someone a safe hug, e.g. Safe Hug (((( Name ))))
  • GB - SAA's Green Book
  • AABB - AA's Big Book
  • RO - Reaching-Out
  • SAA - Sex Addicts Anonymous
  • SLAA - Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous
  • SCA - Sexual Compulsives Anonymous
  • CO-SLAA - Recovery for family and friends of a sex and love addict. Also see SLAA
  • COSA - Recovery for family and friends of a sex addict. Also see SA
  • CODA - Co-dependants Anonymous
  • RCA - Recovering Couples Anonymous
  • NEWCOMER or NEWBIE - A new person in the SAA program
  • IMHO - In My Humble Opinion
  • MO - Modus Operandi, normal method of acting out
  • ESW - Easier Softer Way
  • GO - Growth Opportunity
  • CBP - Cunning, Baffling, Powerful, attribute of addiction as defined in AA’s Big Book
  • \o/ - Praise God, a worshipful expression of gratitude to our Higher Power
  • BS - Before Sobriety
  • DH - Dear/Darned Husband
  • DW - Dear/Darned Wife
  • GAIUH - God as I Understand Him
  • JFT - Just for Today
  • TWYLALTR - Take What You Like and Leave the Rest
  • TWYWALTR - Take What You Want and Leave the Rest

Common to any Chatroom

  • :-) or :) - Smile
  • :-( or :( - Frown
  • ;-) or ;) - Wink
  • :-P or :P - Sticking Tongue Out to be silly
  • GFY - Good For You
  • GFU - Good For You
  • WTG - Way To Go
  • BTDT - Been There; Done That
  • LOL - Laughing Out Loud
  • ROFL - Rolling On Floor Laughing
  • TY - Thank You
  • YW - You're Welcome
  • NP - No Problem
  • TMI - Too Much Information
  • AFK - Away From Keyboard
  • BBL - Be Back Later
  • BRB - Be Right Back
  • BTW - By The Way
  • TTYL - Talk To You Later
  • TTFN - Ta-Ta For Now
  • L8R - Later
  • WB - Welcome Back
  • FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
  • PM - Private Message
  • IM - Instant Message
  • FYI - For Your Information,
  • OMG - Oh My Goodness/Gosh/God
  • FWIW - For What It's Worth
  • GA - Go Ahead (you have the floor
  • IC - I See
  • IMO - In My Opinion
  • IRL - In Real Life
  • ISO - In Search Of
  • JK - Just Kidding
  • JWD - Job Well Done
  • 24/7 - 24 hours a day; 7 days a week
  • OIC - Oh, I See
  • OTOH - On The Other Hand,
  • WYSIWYG - What You See Is What You Get
  • GMTA - Great Minds Think Alike
  • GGP - Gotta Bo Potty
  • BTDTGTTS - Been There; Done That; Got The T-Shirt
  • IMNSHO - In My Not So humble Opinion

    • Please e-mail help@saaonline.org to add to or update this page.