I Want to Go to an NA Meeting, But I’m Nervous
You can rest assured that most NA meetings will provide a caring, welcoming, friendly, non-judgmental atmosphere. Whether you feel like talking or listening, you will be welcome. Our inpatient and outpatient treatment options at Avedis are also based on 12-step principles used in Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. A large part of treatment involves providing exposure to concepts you will encounter in outpatient treatment. In recovery, language matters.
Gaining the language of recovery is an important part of recovering from substance use disorder. By the time you leave Avedis, you will have a solid foundation in 12-step recovery. This means that for the rest of your life you will have access to free recovery support groups that are connected with your treatment at Avedis.
Types of NA Meetings
NA groups are usually either discussion- or speaker-based meetings. They tend to last a little over an hour, depending on who is speaking. During discussion-based meetings, members share their personal accounts of substance use disorder and recovery as they relate to their lives. In speaker meetings, one or more members are asked to share for most of the meeting. You are likely to encounter some unfamiliar terms at your first Narcotics Meeting.
Terminology for Your First Tarzana Narcotics Anonymous Meeting
The following is a brief glossary of terms used in NA meetings, as listed in the Narcotics Anonymous official “Intro to NA” material.
Addict: This is the term we use to refer to ourselves. It takes some getting used to, but acknowledging the condition is essential in recovery. We see substance use disorder itself as the problem, rather than the use of a specific drug
Big Book: The book that contains our core ideas, titled NA
Group: Group members who hold scheduled Narcotics Anonymous meetings
Higher Power: Any loving, peaceful force that helps a member stay clean and seek recovery
Newcomers: New people at a meeting
Relapse: When a lapse in a person’s recovery results in a brief or extended return to drug use
Sharing: Offering personal experiences with substance use disorder and recovery
Sponsor: Experienced member who offers support and guidance using the 12 steps
Trusted Servants: Members who hold designated service positions in Narcotics Anonymous
The first Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meeting took place near Los Angeles, California, in 1953, with support from the Alcoholics Anonymous movement. NA meetings follow a format similar to that of AA meetings and rely on 12-step principles. While AA is designed specifically for people with alcoholism, NA deals with all types of addictive psychoactive drugs, alcohol included.