Because Regional Service Offices can purchase in bulk and sell at list price sometimes this surplus exceeds the running costs of the office. Regions then pass funds to Zonal Forums and also the World Service Conference via the World Service Office according to the decision of the Region. Meeting formats vary, but often include time devoted to the reading aloud of NA literature regarding the issues involved in living life clean which is written by and for members of NA.

How to Find NA Meetings

Among these recovery and aftercare programs is joining a support group to share experiences and find strength in other people’s recovery journeys. The NA World Service Conference (WSC) is a triennial service meeting What Is Salvia Use, Effects, Risks, and More made up of the delegates of the seated Regions and Zones of the world and the members of the NA World Board. This service conference has the executive right to make decisions for the entire NA Fellowship. This includes electing members to serve on the World Board, approving all new NA Literature, service material, and making policy decisions that affect the fellowship including the organizational structure. That year a “Parent Service Board” (later renamed the World Service Board) was formed to ensure that NA stayed healthy and followed closely to the traditions. Confusingly, in 1962, the Salvation Army started a group also called “Narcotics Anonymous” that followed a different “13-step” program, but this program soon died out.

Membership demographics

There are various types of discussion formats in Narcotics Anonymous meetings. Some encourage participation from multiple attendees while others are limited to one primary speaker. While many of the 12-steps of the NA program or focused on drawing on spiritual influences, you don’t need to be religious or spiritual to attend or benefit from NA. The steps of the program can be adapted to suit your individual belief system. “Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to addicts, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.”

What Are the 12 Steps of Narcotics Anonymous (NA)?

Depending on where you live, there should be many options to choose from. The only rules in a meeting are that drugs and drug paraphernalia are not allowed. Also, cross-talk is discouraged, and members—particularly new attendees—are encouraged to listen while others speak openly. It’s also appropriate to turn off your phone and not have side conversations. However, you can rest assured that everyone in the room has been in the same place you are now, and the majority are very welcoming to newcomers. Meetings vary a bit because the local members direct them, but you can expect a few common things.

1. This step involves being honest with yourself about the harm done to the various aspects of your life and taking responsibility for your actions.
2. This blog article covers the history of NA, its recovery techniques, and how you can join NA groups near you.
3. Regions also sometimes run Regional Service Offices which buy literature from the World Service Office and its branch offices for sale to Areas and Groups.
4. There are local NA meetings available every day throughout the United States and hundreds of countries around the world.
5. The community support and 12 steps found at NA meetings seem to be the missing link for many people with substance use disorders who wish to stay sober.

This peer support system is both unique and effective, providing a sense of community that many struggling with addiction might not find elsewhere. Many members find deeper connections and further their recovery journey through sponsorship. Sponsorship involves partnering with a more experienced member who can provide one-on-one support, guidance, and encouragement. This personal touch adds another layer of accountability and motivation, proving invaluable for many in sustaining their sobriety. If you are ready to work toward recovery from drugs or alcohol, treatment options are available to help.

A 5th edition was released in 1988, purportedly correcting those problems. To feel most comfortable, many NA members have sponsors of the same sex although members are free to choose any other member as a sponsor. It is also suggested that one should find a sponsor who has worked all 12 steps of Narcotics Anonymous. If you are looking to speak with a member of NA about local services, start by reaching out to the local NA Area Service Committee through their website or phone line.

In some cases, only the RCMs in a region will meet to vote on issues; in other situations, all GSRs in a region will be invited to attend an RSC meeting. The RSC elects a delegate to attend the World Service Conference. NA sprang from the Alcoholics Anonymous Program of the mid-1930s, and was founded by Jimmy Kinnon.16 Meetings first emerged in Los Angeles in the early 1950s. The NA program, officially founded in 1953,17 started as a small US-based movement that has grown into the world’s largest 12 step recovery program for drug addiction. NA believes in an abstinence model of recovery, which means being completely drug free. But if you’re addicted to opioids, you may be taking buprenorphine maintenance therapy (BMT).

Some meetings focus on reading, writing, and/or sharing about one of the Twelve Steps or some other portion of NA literature. Some meetings are “common needs” (also known as special-interest) meetings, supporting a particular group of people based on gender, sexual identity, age, language, or another characteristic. These meetings are not exclusionary, as any addict is welcome at any NA meeting. NA communities will often make an effort to have a separate meeting run at the same time for members who do not identify with the common-needs meeting. Anyone can drop in an open meeting, including friends and relatives, community members, and college students studying substance abuse.

For people struggling with opioid use, one recovery tool that’s been available for decades is Narcotics Anonymous (NA). This free program provides support in the form of regular group meetings and fellowship with other people with addictions. NA has had an impact on the lives of people in recovery, helping them to stay sober one day at a time. The program may also help with relapse prevention, as it helps people with narcotics addictions develop a healthy coping mechanism for dealing with stressful situations and triggers. The 12-step philosophy was first introduced by Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) as a way of life and a path to recovery from alcoholism.