Provides a range of services dedicated to meeting the health, welfare and legal needs of drugs users and those who live and work with them. The drugs team provides help, advice, information, support and referral to people affected directly and indirectly by drug use. That terminology should help you navigate your way in your first NA meeting. There are many more, but these will suffice as an introduction to NA lingo. The Strength of Group Narcotic Therapy It does not define God as according to any specific religion and NA welcomes all form of religions and spiritual beliefs that are coherent with their twelve-steps. Toumbourou, J. W., Hamilton, M., U'Ren, A., Stevens-Jones, P., & Storey, G. (July 2002). "Narcotics Anonymous participation and changes in substance use and social support". Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. 23 (1): 61–66. doi: 10.1016/S0740-5472(02)00243-X. PMID 12127470. {{ cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list ( link)

NA meetings usually close with a circle of the participants, a group hug, and a prayer of some sort. Prayers used to close meetings today include the "we" version of the " Serenity Prayer" ("God, Grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference."); the Third Step Prayer ("Take my will and my life. Guide me in my recovery. Show me how to live.") or the "Gratitude Prayer" ("That no addict seeking recovery need ever die. ... My Gratitude speaks when I care and when I share with others the NA way.") Narcotics Anonymous has no professional therapists, no residential facilities and no clinics. What we do have is over 1000 weekly meetings taking place in person and online here in the UK, this represents many thousands of once desperate addicts living a drug free and productive life with the support of their fellow recovering addicts. The Eleventh Tradition states that NA members "need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films". The foundation of the Narcotics Anonymous program is the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions. [6] Narcotics Anonymous uses a slight variation of wording in both the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions when compared to other Twelve Step groups. Green, L. L., FuIiilove, M. T., & Fullilove, R. E. (February 2005). "Remembering the Lizard: Reconstructing Sexuality in the Rooms of Narcotics Anonymous". Journal of Sex Research. 42 (1): 28–34. doi: 10.1080/00224490509552254. PMID 15795802. S2CID 21498444. {{ cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list ( link)

Try to have an open mind, and remember that NA is a well-established, effective organisation with a long history of helping people to recover from their addiction to drugs. How Effective Is Narcotics Anonymous? Early in the history of NA, different groups emphasized different aspects of recovery. In particular, the make-up and process of creating an NA text was a contentious period for the fellowship. Different factions supported different versions of the Basic Text, and in the ensuing power struggle there were many accusations made and resentments cultivated. The basis of the dispute was whether the service committees were described as a part of NA, or as a separate entity, basically a tool of the NA groups with no decision-making power; instead being charged with collecting the decisions of the NA groups themselves. This dispute reached its nadir when the NA World Service Office sued an NA member in an attempt to prevent him from distributing free versions of the Basic Text. [26] [40] Today there are some NA groups who use a self-produced version of the Basic Text that has come to be known as the Baby Blue which is basically the Third Edition, Revised Basic Text (except that it contains originally approved essays on the Traditions). [26] Some Traditionalist groups use the Second Edition or Approval Draft [26] (both of which contain the original Traditions and are nearly identical to each other). [26] Approaches of other twelve-step groups [ edit ]

In New York City, a recovering alcoholic, Danny Carlsen, formed another organization called Narcotics Anonymous. It died in the mid-1960s and was never related to the Sun Valley NA Kinnon. Narcotics Anonymous Publishings If you are considering joining NA and the language around spirituality and God makes you hesitant, remember that you can speak to other members about their own experiences and learn how they were able to interpret the language in their own way. NA states in the fifth tradition that "each group has but one primary purpose– to carry the message to the addict who still suffers." Therefore, the newcomer is considered to be the most important person in any meeting. Our message is hope and the promise is freedom. The NA message, as quoted in the Basic Text, states, "an addict, any addict, can stop using drugs, lose the desire to use, and find a new way to live" (Basic Text p.68). "NA offers one promise: freedom from active addiction" (Basic Text p.106). According to the Narcotics Anonymous Basic Text, the "Twelve Steps" are the source of this hope and freedom when worked to the best of one's ability. You can attend NA knowing that everyone around you is committed to maintaining the confidentiality of your identity and any information that you choose to share about your experiences.

The Strength of Group Narcotic Therapy

This will help you to find your nearest group, or you can find groups further afield if you prefer to attend a meeting that is less close to home. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) had existed for 20 years at the time. It gained widespread attention for helping its members avoid the consumption of alcohol. AA concentrated only on alcohol and not substance use. Kinnon understood the advantages of the 12 steps of the AA method.

improving access to mutual aid (service managers) - steps service managers can take to promote links between treatment services and mutual aid groups The AA granted Kinnon permission to adopt and change the AA Twelve Steps. For the NA twelve steps, he changed the wording in Step 1 from ‘powerless over alcohol’ to ‘powerless over our addiction.’ That is significant as it changed the focus on the addiction rather than on the abused substance.

Meetings will end with a prayer or NA reading. In NA prayers are not of religious nature rather a spiritual thought Christo, George; Franey, Christine (April 1995). "Drug users' spiritual beliefs, locus of control and the disease concept in relation to Narcotics Anonymous attendance and six-month outcomes". Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 38 (1): 51–56. doi: 10.1016/0376-8716(95)01103-6. PMID 7648997– via Elsevier Science Direct. Regular meetings, hosted by NA groups, are the basic unit of the NA fellowship. Meetings are held in a variety of places such as church meeting rooms, libraries, hospitals, community centers, parks, or any other place that can accommodate a meeting. facilitating access to mutual aid ( FAMA) - an evidence-based 3-step intervention plan for key workers As of May 2018 [update] there were more than 70,000 NA meetings in 144 countries. [4] Narcotics Anonymous program [ edit ] Membership and organization [ edit ]

Short answer no. NA is not a religious organisation, nor does it discriminate against anyone holding religious, spiritual or secular views, you are free to believe, or not believe, anything you want. Though some of our meetings are held in church halls it is simply because they are available, amenable and affordable. We have no affiliation with any of these establishments we simply rent rooms as do many other community organisations. Drugsline is an independent drugs crisis, information and support charity. It provides free and confidential information and support for people with drug- and alcohol-related issues, their families and friends. improving mutual aid engagement - setting out the skills and experience keyworkers need to help patients engage with mutual aid Financial Report 2005" (PDF). NA World Services, Inc. 2005. pp.2 (45). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 26, 2006.While the twelve-step program, and therefore the foundation of NA isn’t explicitly religious, it does refer to spirituality, ‘God’, and a ‘higher power’. However, one of the biggest advantages that comes with NA is the support you will receive from other NA attendees. This and all information in the history section, unless otherwise cited, comes from the agreement between two or more of the following sources: The Basic Text was the first-ever known to have been published by recovered drug addicts to treat drug addicts. It was first released in 1982. The Expansion Of The NA It Works: How and Why: The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Narcotics Anonymous" (PDF). Van Nuys, CA: Narcotics Anonymous World Services Inc. [ permanent dead link]