Narcotics Anonymous
| Formation | 1953 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Jimmy Kinnon (co-founder) |
| Type | Mutual help addiction recovery |
| Purpose | Twelve-step program |
| Headquarters | NA World Service Office Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California United States |
| Website |
na |
Narcotics Anonymous (NA) describes itself as a "nonprofit fellowship or society of men and women for whom drugs had become a major problem". Narcotics Anonymous uses a traditional 12-step model that has been expanded and developed for people with varied substance abuse issues and is the second-largest 12-step organization.
As of May 2016[update] there were more than 67,000 NA meetings in 139 countries.
The third tradition of NA states that the only requirement for membership is "a desire to stop using." NA says its meetings are where members can "meet regularly to help each other stay clean". All facts and quotes presented in "The Narcotics Anonymous program" section, unless otherwise sourced, come from the Narcotics Anonymous (Basic Text) Membership in NA is free, and there are no dues or fees.
The foundation of the Narcotics Anonymous program is the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions. Narcotics Anonymous uses a slight variation of wording in both the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, when compared to other Twelve Step groups.
According to the Basic Text, Narcotics Anonymous "has no opinion on outside issues", including those of politics, science or medicine, and does not endorse any outside organization or institution. The fellowship does not promote itself, but rather attracts new members through public information and outreach. Individuals can also be compelled to attend by courts or rehab programs. NA groups and areas supply outside organizations with factual information regarding the NA program, and individual members may carry the NA message to hospitals and institutions, such as treatment centers and jails.
According to the philosophy of the NA program, most addicts did not realize they had a problem with drugs until they had none left. Even if other people pointed out they may have a drug problem they were convinced otherwise. But once an addict on his or her own tries to stop and realizes they cannot, they finally see that drugs have been controlling them. Addicts lived to use and used to live. NA helps show them a different way of life and helps them fight their disease. NA describes as a progressive disease with no known cure, which affects every area of an addict's life: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. NA suggests that the disease of addiction can be arrested, and recovery is possible through the NA twelve-step program. The steps never mention drugs or drug use, rather they refer only to addiction, to indicate that addicts have a disease of which drug use is one symptom. Other symptoms include obsession, compulsion, denial, and self-centeredness.
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