12 Step Program of Narcotics Anonymous

What is Narcotics Anonymous

All of the efforts of Narcotics Anonymous are inspired by the principal purpose of its groups. Upon this common ground, Narcotics Anonymous stand committed.

N.A.’s vision is “Every addict in the world has the chance to experience our message in his or her own language and culture and find the opportunity for a new way of life.”

Relapse rates for substance use disorders (40 to 60%) are comparable to those for chronic diseases, such as diabetes (20 to 50 percent), hypertension (50 to 70%), and asthma (50 to 70%). [1]

But recovering addicts who take advantage of aftercare services experience lower relapse rates than people who do not participate in aftercare programs such as Narcotics Anonymous.

Narcotics Anonymous is a global, community-based organization with a multilingual and multicultural membership.

N.A. was established in 1953, and members hold nearly 76,000 meetings weekly in 143 countries today.

Narcotics Anonymous members have learned from group experience that those who keep coming to the meetings regularly stay clean.

The only requirement to become a member of NA is a desire to overcome your addiction.

NA groups don’t make a distinction between any type of drug, including alcohol.

They also recognize that polysubstance dependence is common. Therefore, any addict who wants to recover is welcome.

Membership is free and has no affiliation with any organizations outside of NA, including governments, religions, law enforcement groups, or medical and psychiatric associations.

James Patrick Kinnon, known as “Jimmy K.”, is commonly credited with founding Narcotics Anonymous in 1953 in Los Angeles CA, to help its members stop using addictive substances.

No part of NA is compulsory or required. Meetings are either “open,” for members and non-members, or “closed” (for members and prospective members only).

Visitors who are not addicted themselves are invited to attend open meetings.

Terminology for Your First Meeting

Anonymity is key to NA’s success. Members understand and agree that what is said in meetings and who they see there stays there. Therefore, they do not discuss these details publicly.

This creates an environment of security where everyone feels comfortable opening up and sharing their experiences and feelings.

Here’s a quick glossary of terms used in NA meetings, as listed in the NA official “Intro to NA” material.

• Addict: The term we use to refer to ourselves because we see addiction itself as the problem, rather than the use of a specific drug.
• Basic Text: The book that contains our core ideas, titled Narcotics Anonymous.
• Group: Members who hold one or more regularly scheduled NA meetings.
• Higher Power: Any loving force that helps a member stay clean and seek recovery.
• IPs: Information pamphlets about NA.
• Newcomers: New NA members.
• Relapse: When a lapse in recovery results in a brief or extended return to drug use.

12-Step Program

Twelve-step programs have been around for nearly a century and are a well-known topic within recovery communities.

The 12 Steps program for drug abuse is often used alongside formal behavioral therapy and medication-assisted treatment (MAT).

The 12 Steps were devised to help members achieve and sustain sobriety.

Popularized in the early 20th century with the establishment of Alcohol Anonymous, the success of the steps program for alcohol addiction led to creating its virtually identical counterpart, Narcotics Anonymous.

Regardless of the substance at hand:  the purpose of the Twelve Steps is to empower recovering addicts to be contemplative and to take responsibility for their actions.

After undergoing the entire treatment program, it is important for our clients to adopt habits that will ensure continuing sobriety. This involves engaging in behaviors such as taking part in 12-step groups, having time for prayers and meditation, and being attentive to self-care.

In doing so, individuals can identify the source of their addiction, triggers and sequentially find lasting support in moving past it.

N.A. is a nonprofit fellowship or society of men and women for whom drugs had become a significant problem.

Narcotics Anonymous are recovering addicts who meet regularly to help each other stay clean.  This is a program of total abstinence from all drugs.

There is only one requirement for membership, the desire to stop using.

The program recommends that you keep an open mind and give yourself a break.

The N.A. program is a set of principles written so that members can follow them in their daily lives.  The most remarkable thing about them is that they work.

Narcotics Anonymous 12 Steps

There are no strings attached to N.A.  The groups are not affiliated with any other organizations. They have no initiation fees or dues, no pledges to sign, no promises to make to anyone.

Narcotics Anonymous is not correlated with any political, religious, or law enforcement groups and is under no surveillance at any time.

Anyone may participate regardless of age, race, sexual identity, creed, religion, or lack of religion.

The 12 Steps Are:

1. We admitted 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 decided to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. We admitted to God, ourselves, and another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. 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 the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to addicts/alcoholics and practice these principles in all our affairs.

Narcotics Anonymous 12 Traditions

Narcotics Anonymous is not intrigued by what or how much you used or who your connections were, what you have done in the past, how much or how little you have, but only by what you want to do about your difficulty.

The 12 Traditions Are:

1. Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon N.A. unity.
2. There is but one ultimate authority for our group purpose —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 N.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking/using.
4. Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or N.A. as a whole.
5. Each group has one primary purpose—to carry its message to the addict/alcoholic who still suffers.
6. An NA group ought never to endorse, finance, or lend the N.A. name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property, and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.
7. Every NA group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.
8. A. should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special workers.
9. A. It ought never to be organized, but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.
10. A. has no opinion on outside issues; hence the N.A. name ought never to be drawn into public controversy.
11. Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need 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.

12-Step Program At Level Up West Palm

At Level Up Palm Beach County, we passionately believe that the best chances of success at addiction recovery are when clients are given the right tools.

But that is still only half of the fight; making those resources available and convenient plays a significant role in the probability of proper recovery.

As such, we are pleased to offer our aftercare services and treatment programs (individual counseling, group therapy, and 12-step program meetings the same as Narcotics Anonymous) at the same facility.

This means less headache and bothers for our clients, who can spend more time focusing on getting better.

If you or a loved one is dealing with an addiction to drugs, especially if you have experienced multiple relapses in the past, then look no further.

Our comprehensive program is an obvious choice, particularly for individuals who have experienced multiple relapses in the past.

With an incredible success rate for long-term recovery, We Level Up Treatment Centers offer one of the most comprehensive addiction recovery programs available in The U.S., bringing hope to families every day.

We provide treatment services to all local communities including but not limited to West Palm.

We also serve clients from around the United States who require the best drug and alcohol treatment options to meet their needs.

Looking for Immediate Help?

Please speak with one of our 24/7 Addiction Advisors.