Continual participation is the key to the effectiveness of the program. Typically, both NA and AA meetings begin with reading the 12 Steps. You may also hear people reciting the serenity prayer or the 12 Traditions.
Meeting Structure
NA and other 12-step programs are based on the belief that the individual’s life is “unmanageable.” And that unmanageability arose because of a lack of choice or determination within the mind of the addict concerning whether to use the substance again. Closed meetings are only for members of NA unless otherwise stated, where participants remain anonymous. Everyone agrees to keep the details of the sessions and those who attend private. Meanwhile, speaker meetings involve one or more members speaking for most of the meeting.
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- They are not allied with any organizations or religions, and are not-for-profit.
- Seeing how AA helped so many alcoholics get free from their addiction, people saw a need for those who struggled with drug addiction.
- We know from other types of peer support, and anecdotally from people in recovery, this type of support is helpful and highly valued.
This step requires you to make a list of all those who were harmed by your substance abuse and prepare yourself to apologize and make amends to all of them. This can be difficult, but if you’ve found yourself feeling isolated lately, steps eight and nine can help you improve your relationships and rejoin your community. Like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), members use a 12-step program to guide them through recovery. Meetings tend to last 60 to 90 minutes and offer open and closed meetings. Unlike closed meetings, open meetings welcome public members interested in NA.
Is AA or NA the Right Program for You?
Some people choose God (in whatever form or belief) as theirs, and others do not. This step of recovery involves actively monitoring behavior and being willing to admit and rectify mistakes as they happen. Imperfection and setbacks are expected, but staying accountable and honest can keep people from falling back into old habits. Understanding these failings and being willing to ask for help and draw on spiritual strength is important.
History of Alcoholics Anonymous
NA was founded in 1953 in California by Jimmy K as an alternative to AA but spiritually the same. Up until NA’s founding many drug addicts had taken part in AA for recovery but noted the indifference they received from others who thought AA should only be for alcoholics. The early group published the basic text for Alcoholics Anonymous in 1939 and the program has since grown to thousands of groups and meetings across the globe and the most popular addiction treatment program. AA was founded in Akron, Ohio in 1935 by New York stockbroker Bill W.
Members can share their experiences during NA meetings for 5 minutes or so. Besides complementing the 12 steps, the 12 traditions allow the organization to stay committed to its goal in unity. These guidelines can help avoid potential problems the organization may have in straying away from its mission. But there have been no serious candidates for gene, brain or personality differences that reliably predict the development or severity of alcohol or other drug problems. Many people who meet the AA definition of an “alcoholic” have successfully returned to controlled drinking. At 4-, 6-, and 8-year follow-up, girls (40% of the sample) had more abstinent days than boys.
If you’re an alcoholic, you go to AA and if you’re addicted to other drugs you go to NA. Many in AA regarded drug addicts at meetings with disdain and many in NA were envious of AA’s resources but that’s no longer the case. Though the divide of alcoholic vs addict remains, AA and NA are now more open to different types of attendees and won’t shut the door to a drug addict at an AA meeting and vice versa. You’re more likely to see alcoholics in NA meetings compared to drug addicts in AA meetings but there are no official rules. Narcotics Anonymous (NA) is a global organization dedicated to helping people addicted to substances pursue and maintain a drug-free lifestyle via a 12-step program.
We are visually recognizing our growth with a unified look that better reflects who we are today and the passion we have for helping everyone with their addiction and mental health recovery journeys. You can attend AA, NA, or any other meetings you’re comfortable with regardless if you’re an alcoholic or are addicted to other drugs. Though there’s small differences, both NA and AA use the 12-step program that will help any type of addiction. You can attend an NA meeting on Tuesday and an AA meeting on Thursday – whichever helps you the most.
In this article, we’ll talk about some of those differences, but we’ll also discuss some of the similarities. First, let’s go over some basic background behind each of these addiction treatment programs. Dealing with substance use disorder (SUD) may require medically assisted treatment and other lifestyle changes. Among these recovery and aftercare programs is joining a support group to share experiences and find strength in other people’s recovery journeys. Anyone can drop in an open meeting, including friends and relatives, community members, and college students studying substance abuse. Those with multiple addictions should simply choose the 12-step meeting they’re most comfortable with.
The best way to choose between AA and NA is deciding which meeting you like best and does the most to help you in your path to lifelong sobriety. For most alcoholics this is AA and for most https://sober-home.org/psychedelic-and-dissociative-drugs-national/ drug addicts this NA, but you don’t have to choose. Kelly and Myers (2007) provided the first review of predictors of adolescents’ participation in AA/NA and AA/NA behavioral outcomes.
Based on the successes of AA, NA was formed to specifically help those who were addicted to drugs other than alcohol. The founders, a stock broker and a surgeon, developed a system of peer support https://sober-home.org/ and then formalised the 12 steps, largely drawn from their own and others’ experience of recovery. NA meetings are not based in any religion, but are rather grounded in spirituality.
It’s best to work with an addiction specialist to receive the proper combination of treatments for your condition. Like all treatment programs, NA works for some and is not enough for others. Finding the right tools is essential to managing addiction; NA is just one of many tools to recover. It’s important to understand that the meetings aren’t meant to be group therapy sessions. The goal is to create a safe environment where people can connect and support each other’s recovery. The primary purpose of NA is to build strong support groups and help members remain completely abstinent from drugs.
If respondents felt they could moderate their use of drugs and alcohol, rather than stop completely, this predicted less abstinence at each follow-up occasion. SMART Recovery is less rigid, but it’s also less commonly found in communities. CBT costs money and often requires insurance, but some people may benefit from its more holistic and individualized approach. If one AA meeting isn’t working, try attending a different meeting or group altogether. Because it’s so accessible, you likely won’t have problems finding other meetings. You might feel more comfortable (and have more time) addressing these issues in an individual or smaller group setting, Patterson notes.
Any drug addict can get help in AA and any alcoholic can get help in NA – it’s all about what you think will work best for you. NA (Narcotics Anonymous) and AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) are two of the most influential and effective substance abuse recovery groups. Thousands of people have benefited from these two programs to cure their alcohol or drug addictions. As you can see, both programs have very similar premises, yet there are some subtle differences to consider as well.
I located three studies that addressed mediation of the effects of teen AA/NA involvement and behavioral outcomes, two of which were completed by Kelly et al. (2000, 2002) and colleagues. Kelly et al. found that a key mediator of benefits of AA/NA participation was motivation for abstinence. (In addition, they failed to find that learning coping strategies mediated change.) Possibly, group support processes enhance motivation for abstinence, which then results in longer term abstinence among teens.
Bill realized the only way he could get sober was by helping other alcoholics but found himself stuck in Akron with no one to talk to. Fearing for his sobriety Bill W called churches and hospitals before connecting to Dr. Bob, an Ohio surgeon who had tried to stop drinking several times with no success. Addicts include those who use everything from heroin and cocaine to prescription drugs and a variety of other mind-altering substances.
Many experts agree that socializing with others and doing service work can be powerful tools for those recovering from addiction. Get professional help from an addiction and mental health counselor from BetterHelp via phone, video, or live-chat. Narcotics Anonymous bases their treatment on the AA-established 12 steps. The only difference is that the NA terminology replaces references to “alcohol” with simply “addiction,” as NA doesn’t make a distinction between addictions. It’s natural to be a little intimidated before going to a meeting, but just remember that everyone was once where you are.
For men and women, doing service and having a home group was predictive of sustained abstinence over 3 years. Laudet discussed how some of these activities can be translated outside of the 12-Step context to benefit individuals who choose not to participate in 12-Step groups. First, Laudet examined the role of 12-Step affiliation—meeting attendance and involvement in 12-Step suggested activities—as predictors of abstinence sustained continuously over one or more years. Attending 12-Step meetings, considering one’s self a member of a 12-Step fellowship, and working the steps at baseline were predictive of sustained abstinence over one year.
The fellowships literature [the Basic Text] was a huge collaborative effort and was written by hundreds of addicts. The literature itself was edited and approved through NA international conferences and was eventually agreed upon by every member of NA who wished to have a say. The 12 steps are similar to those in AA but the literature itself was written by many and includes inspiring biographical stories written by addicts from around the world.