An addiction can be overwhelming. It can also feel like no one understands quite exactly what you were going through, no matter how hard they try. Here at Atlanta Recovery Place, we understand that you may be experiencing this feeling, and we want to help you find a community that helps you feel understood, and that you can be around other like minded people. You’ll be able to see that you aren’t alone when in recovery from addiction. Within this article we discuss the peer led support group, Narcotics Anonymous, and how it can help with overcoming an addiction and maintaining long lasting sobriety.
What Is Narcotics Anonymous?
Narcotics Anonymous is an international community based organization. This program provides support for all types of people in all walks of life. NA is multilingual and multicultural. Narcotics Anonymous was founded in 1953 and has grown into the organization that it is today. Narcotics Anonymous holds around 67,000 meetings a week in 139 countries. This program helps to offer recovery from the effects of addictions through a 12-step program. Within this 12-step program, NA is offered within a group atmosphere.
Narcotics Anonymous does not focus on a particular drug but takes the approach that there’s no distinction between drugs including alcohol. This helps to provide a support group where every individual feels like they are on the same level. Meaning that one addiction is not necessarily worse or necessarily better than the other. The only requirement for joining NA is a willingness to stop using drugs. They say addiction is a self-diagnosed disease.
How Does Narcotics Anonymous Help With Addiction?
Narcotics Anonymous helps with addiction by creating a group atmosphere that provides support. This group atmosphere is made up of peers who are going through the same addiction issues that you may be going through. This is a good way to take responsibility, and receive accountability for your addiction. The NA program also provides an outlet for each individual to receive help from people that understand what you are actually going through. This support group also allows the ability for each individual to pursue a drug-free/sober lifestyle, while getting the help from many sober peers. Like stated previously, Narcotics Anonymous follows a 12-step program. These 12-steps include:
1. We admitted that we were powerless over our addiction, that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. We humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. We made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. We made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to addicts, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
The 12 Traditions of NA include:
1. Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends on NA unity.
2. For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority a—loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants, they do not govern.
3. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop using.
4. Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or NA as a whole.
5. Each group has but one primary purpose—to carry the message to the addict who still suffers.
6. An NA group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the NA name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property or prestige divert us from our primary purpose.
7. Every NA group ought to be fully self supporting, declining outside contributions.
8. Narcotics Anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special workers.
9. NA, as such, ought never be organized, but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.
10. Narcotics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the NA name ought never be drawn into public controversy.
11. Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need to always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films.
12. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.
Because narcotics anonymous is an all inclusive group, most Narcotic Anonymous groups may follow the 12 traditions of Narcotics Anonymous instead of following the 12 steps of Narcotic Anonymous. You do not have to observe a certain religion to be a part of NA.
How Can Atlanta Recovery Place Help
At Atlanta Recovery Place, we are a full service outpatient rehab with various programs and housing offered to all of our clients. Part of our addiction treatment program incorporates 12-step support groups, which are essential in maintaining long term sobriety. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please reach out to us today!
