Narcotics Anonymous Message Board

Dave R · Dave R

"Many of us understand God to be simply whatever force keeps us clean."Basic Text, p. 25=Some of us enter recovery with a working understanding of a Higher Power. For a lot of us, however, "God" is a troublesome word. We may doubt the existence of any sort of Power greater than ourselves. Or we may...

Dave R · Dave R

"This is our road to spiritual growth."Basic Text, p. 37 When we arrived at our first NA meeting, it looked like the end of the road to many of us. We weren't going to be able to use anymore. We were spiritually bankrupt. Most of us were totally isolated and didnt think we had much to live for. Little di...

Dave R · Dave R

"Addiction is a family disease, but we could only change ourselves." Many of us come from severely damaged families. At times, the insanity that reigns among our relatives feels overwhelming. Sometimes we feel like packing our bags and moving far, far away.We pray that our family members will j...

Dave R · Dave R

"So many times, addicts have sought the rewards of hard work without the labor."Basic Text, p. 34=When we first came to NA, some of us wanted everything, and right away. We wanted the serenity, the cars, the happy relationships, the friends, the closeness with our sponsor--all the things other peo...

Dave R · Dave R

"We humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings."Step SevenOnce we are entirely ready to have our character defects removed, many of us are entirely ready! Ironically, that's when the trouble really starts. The more we struggle to rid ourselves of a particular defect, the stronger that shor...

Dave R · Dave R

"I initially felt that it would be impossible to attend more than one or two meetings a week. It just wouldn?t fit in with my busy schedule. I later learned that my priorities were [180] degrees reversed. It was the everything else that would have to fit into my meeting schedule." Some of us attended...

Dave R · Dave R

"Today, we seek solutions, not problems. We try what we have learned on an experimental basis."Basic Text, p. 58=The first time we heard that we should "act as if," many of us exclaimed, "But that's not honest! I thought we were always supposed to be honest about our feelings in Narcotics Anonymous...

Dave R · Dave R

"We have come to enjoy living clean and want more of the good things that the NA Fellowship holds for us."Basic Text, p. 27 Can you remember a time when you looked at the addicts recovering in NA and wondered, "If they aren't using drugs, what on earth do they have to laugh about?" Did you believe that th...

Dave R · Dave R

"Do we really want to be rid of our resentments, our anger, our fear?"Basic Text, p. 34=Why do we call them shortcomings? Perhaps they should be called "long-goings," because that's often what it takes for them to fade from our lives. Some of us feel that our shortcomings are the very characteristi...

Dave R · Dave R

"...approval-seeking behavior carried us further into our addiction..."Basic Text, p. 14=When others approve of what we do or say, we feel good; when they disapprove, we feel bad. Their opinions of us, and how those opinions make us feel, can have positive value. By making us feel good about stee...

Dave R · Dave R

All spiritual awakenings have some things in common. Common elements include an end to loneliness and a sense of direction in our lives.Basic Text, p. 50=Some kinds of spiritual experiences take place when we confront something larger than we are. We suspect that forces beyond our understandin...

Dave R · Dave R

"A new idea cannot be grafted onto a closed mind...Open-mindedness leads us to the very insights that have eluded us during our lives."Basic Text, p. 96We arrived in NA at the lowest point in our lives. We'd just about run out of ideas. What we needed most when we got here were new ideas, new ways of liv...

Dave R · Dave R

"We must use what we learn or we will lose it, no matter how long we have been clean."Basic Text, p. 85After putting some clean time together, some of us have a tendency to forget what our most important priority is. Once a week or less we say, "I've gotta get to a meeting tonight. It's been..." We've be...

Dave R · Dave R

"We learn to experience feelings and realize they can do us no harm unless we act on them."IP No. 16, For the NewcomerMany of us came to Narcotics Anonymous with something less than an overwhelming desire to stop using. Sure, the drugs were causing us problems, and we wanted to be rid of the problems,...

Dave R · Dave R

"We come to know happiness, joy, and freedom."Basic Text, p. 91If someone stopped you on the street today and asked if you were happy, what would you say? "Well, gee, let's see...I have a place to live, food in the refrigerator, a job, my car is running...Well, yes, I guess I'm happy,' you might respo...

Dave R · Dave R

"This firsthand experience in all phases of illness and recovery is of unparalleled therapeutic value. We are here to share it freely with any addict who wants to recover."Basic Text, p. 10 Most of us came into the program with some serious regrets. We had never finished high school, or we had misse...

Dave R · Dave R

"On a practical level, changes occur because what's appropriate to one phase of recovery may not be for another."Basic Text, p. 105 When we first came to Narcotics Anonymous, many of us had no legitimate occupation. Not all of us suddenly decide we're going to become honest and productive model ci...

Dave R · Dave R

"Someone finally knew the crazy thoughts that I had and the crazy things Id done." Addicts often feel terminally unique. We're sure that no one used drugs like we did or had to do the things that we did to get them. Feeling that no one really understands us can keep us from recovery for many years.But o...

Dave R · Dave R

"Remember that we...are ultimately responsible for our recovery and our decisions."Basic Text, p. 103=Most of us will face choices that challenge our recovery. If we find ourselves in extreme physical pain, for example, we will have to decide whether or not we will take medication. We will hav...

Dave R · Dave R

"The idea of a spiritual awakening takes many different forms in the different personalities that we find in the fellowship."Basic Text, p. 49 Though we all work the same steps, each of us experiences the spiritual awakening resulting from them in our own way. The shape that spiritual awakening t...

Dave R · Dave R

"Our public image consists of what we have to offer: a successful, proven way of maintaining a drug-free lifestyle."Basic Text, p. 75=Yes, we are attracting new members. More and more addicts are finding Narcotics Anonymous. But how do we treat our newest members when they arrive, worn out from...

Dave R · Dave R

"Some of us first saw the effects of addiction on the people closest to us. We were very dependent on them to carry us through life. We felt angry, disappointed, and hurt when they found other interests, friends, and loved ones."Basic Text, p. 7Addiction affected every area of our lives. Just as we...

MIKEF · MIKEF

Checking in and seeing the activity. I concur with Dave R (IF HE CAN) and Mike M wants to be part of the transistion team.I vote yes on that.I missed meeting but will try and make one on 22nd.Yes questions about how to maintain board,cost,etc will need to be pursued.In continued support and prayer for Jo...

Dave R · Dave R

"Our real value is in being ourselves."Basic Text, p. 105=As we work the steps, were bound to discover some basic truths about ourselves. The process of uncovering our secrets, exposing them, and searching our characters reveals our true nature. As we become acquainted with ourselves, we'll ne...

Dave R · Dave R

"Gradually, as we become more God-centered than self-centered, our despair turns to hope."Basic Text, p. 95=What a glorious thing to have hope! Before coming to Narcotics Anonymous, many of us lived lives of utter hopelessness. We believed we were destined to die from our disease.Many member...

Dave R · Dave R

"...God's will for us consists of the very things we most value. Gods will...becomes our own true will for ourselves."Basic Text, p. 48=It's human nature to want something for nothing. We may be ecstatic when a store cashier gives us back change for a twenty though we only paid with a ten. We tend to...

Dave R · Dave R

"We may fear that being in touch with our feelings will trigger an overwhelming chain reaction of pain and panic."Basic Text, p. 30While we were using, many of us were unable or unwilling to feel many emotions. If we were happy, we used to make us happier. If we were angry or depressed, we used to mask...

Dave R · Dave R

"In accordance with the principles of recovery, we try not to judge, stereotype, or moralize with each other."Basic Text, p. 11 How many times in our recovery have we misunderstood the behavior of another, immediately formed a judgment, applied a label, and neatly tucked the individual into a pig...

Dave R · Dave R

"In seeking a sponsor, most members look for someone they feel they can learn to trust, someone who seems compassionate"IP No. 11, Sponsorship, Revised The idea of sponsorship may be new to us. We have spent many years without direction, relying only on self-interest, suspecting everyone, t...

Dave R · Dave R

"From the isolation of our addiction, we find a fellowship of people with a common bond...Our faith, strength, and hope come from people sharing their recovery..."Basic Text, p. 98=Admit no weakness, conceal all shortcomings, deny every failure, go it alone--that was the creed many of us followe...

Topic		Started By	Replies	Views	Last Post
	JFT April 23 A God of our understanding (Preview) "Many of us understand God to be simply whatever force keeps us clean."Basic Text, p. 25=Some of us enter recovery with a working understanding of a Higher Power. For a lot of us, however, "God" is a troublesome word. We may doubt the existence of any sort of Power greater than ourselves. Or we may...	Dave R	0	440	Apr 23, 2017 by Dave R
	JFT April 22 Traveling the open road (Preview) "This is our road to spiritual growth."Basic Text, p. 37 When we arrived at our first NA meeting, it looked like the end of the road to many of us. We weren't going to be able to use anymore. We were spiritually bankrupt. Most of us were totally isolated and didnt think we had much to live for. Little di...	Dave R	0	433	Apr 22, 2017 by Dave R
	JFT April 20 Detachment (Preview) "Addiction is a family disease, but we could only change ourselves." Many of us come from severely damaged families. At times, the insanity that reigns among our relatives feels overwhelming. Sometimes we feel like packing our bags and moving far, far away.We pray that our family members will j...	Dave R	0	388	Apr 20, 2017 by Dave R
	JFT April 19 Footwork (Preview) "So many times, addicts have sought the rewards of hard work without the labor."Basic Text, p. 34=When we first came to NA, some of us wanted everything, and right away. We wanted the serenity, the cars, the happy relationships, the friends, the closeness with our sponsor--all the things other peo...	Dave R	0	388	Apr 19, 2017 by Dave R
	JFT April 18 I understand (Preview) "We humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings."Step SevenOnce we are entirely ready to have our character defects removed, many of us are entirely ready! Ironically, that's when the trouble really starts. The more we struggle to rid ourselves of a particular defect, the stronger that shor...	Dave R	0	382	Apr 18, 2017 by Dave R
	JFT April 17 Priority: meetings (Preview) "I initially felt that it would be impossible to attend more than one or two meetings a week. It just wouldn?t fit in with my busy schedule. I later learned that my priorities were [180] degrees reversed. It was the everything else that would have to fit into my meeting schedule." Some of us attended...	Dave R	0	383	Apr 17, 2017 by Dave R
	JFT April 16 Acting "as if" (Preview) "Today, we seek solutions, not problems. We try what we have learned on an experimental basis."Basic Text, p. 58=The first time we heard that we should "act as if," many of us exclaimed, "But that's not honest! I thought we were always supposed to be honest about our feelings in Narcotics Anonymous...	Dave R	0	392	Apr 16, 2017 by Dave R
	JFT April 15 Keep coming back (Preview) "We have come to enjoy living clean and want more of the good things that the NA Fellowship holds for us."Basic Text, p. 27 Can you remember a time when you looked at the addicts recovering in NA and wondered, "If they aren't using drugs, what on earth do they have to laugh about?" Did you believe that th...	Dave R	0	386	Apr 15, 2017 by Dave R
	JFT April 14 A new vision (Preview) "Do we really want to be rid of our resentments, our anger, our fear?"Basic Text, p. 34=Why do we call them shortcomings? Perhaps they should be called "long-goings," because that's often what it takes for them to fade from our lives. Some of us feel that our shortcomings are the very characteristi...	Dave R	0	388	Apr 14, 2017 by Dave R
	JFT April 13 People pleasing (Preview) "...approval-seeking behavior carried us further into our addiction..."Basic Text, p. 14=When others approve of what we do or say, we feel good; when they disapprove, we feel bad. Their opinions of us, and how those opinions make us feel, can have positive value. By making us feel good about stee...	Dave R	0	371	Apr 13, 2017 by Dave R
	JFT April 12 The big picture (Preview) All spiritual awakenings have some things in common. Common elements include an end to loneliness and a sense of direction in our lives.Basic Text, p. 50=Some kinds of spiritual experiences take place when we confront something larger than we are. We suspect that forces beyond our understandin...	Dave R	0	466	Apr 12, 2017 by Dave R
	JFT April 11 A closed mind (Preview) "A new idea cannot be grafted onto a closed mind...Open-mindedness leads us to the very insights that have eluded us during our lives."Basic Text, p. 96We arrived in NA at the lowest point in our lives. We'd just about run out of ideas. What we needed most when we got here were new ideas, new ways of liv...	Dave R	0	366	Apr 11, 2017 by Dave R
	JFT April 10 Too busy (Preview) "We must use what we learn or we will lose it, no matter how long we have been clean."Basic Text, p. 85After putting some clean time together, some of us have a tendency to forget what our most important priority is. Once a week or less we say, "I've gotta get to a meeting tonight. It's been..." We've be...	Dave R	0	364	Apr 10, 2017 by Dave R
	JFT April 9 Acting out (Preview) "We learn to experience feelings and realize they can do us no harm unless we act on them."IP No. 16, For the NewcomerMany of us came to Narcotics Anonymous with something less than an overwhelming desire to stop using. Sure, the drugs were causing us problems, and we wanted to be rid of the problems,...	Dave R	0	407	Apr 9, 2017 by Dave R
	JFT April 8 Happiness (Preview) "We come to know happiness, joy, and freedom."Basic Text, p. 91If someone stopped you on the street today and asked if you were happy, what would you say? "Well, gee, let's see...I have a place to live, food in the refrigerator, a job, my car is running...Well, yes, I guess I'm happy,' you might respo...	Dave R	0	407	Apr 8, 2017 by Dave R
	JFT April 7 The value of the past (Preview) "This firsthand experience in all phases of illness and recovery is of unparalleled therapeutic value. We are here to share it freely with any addict who wants to recover."Basic Text, p. 10 Most of us came into the program with some serious regrets. We had never finished high school, or we had misse...	Dave R	0	463	Apr 7, 2017 by Dave R
	JFT Growing honesty (Preview) "On a practical level, changes occur because what's appropriate to one phase of recovery may not be for another."Basic Text, p. 105 When we first came to Narcotics Anonymous, many of us had no legitimate occupation. Not all of us suddenly decide we're going to become honest and productive model ci...	Dave R	0	366	Apr 6, 2017 by Dave R
	JFT April 5 Identification (Preview) "Someone finally knew the crazy thoughts that I had and the crazy things Id done." Addicts often feel terminally unique. We're sure that no one used drugs like we did or had to do the things that we did to get them. Feeling that no one really understands us can keep us from recovery for many years.But o...	Dave R	0	441	Apr 5, 2017 by Dave R
	JFT April 4 Guarding our recovery (Preview) "Remember that we...are ultimately responsible for our recovery and our decisions."Basic Text, p. 103=Most of us will face choices that challenge our recovery. If we find ourselves in extreme physical pain, for example, we will have to decide whether or not we will take medication. We will hav...	Dave R	0	446	Apr 4, 2017 by Dave R
	JFT April 3 For you alone (Preview) "The idea of a spiritual awakening takes many different forms in the different personalities that we find in the fellowship."Basic Text, p. 49 Though we all work the same steps, each of us experiences the spiritual awakening resulting from them in our own way. The shape that spiritual awakening t...	Dave R	0	369	Apr 3, 2017 by Dave R
	JFT April 2 Attraction (Preview) "Our public image consists of what we have to offer: a successful, proven way of maintaining a drug-free lifestyle."Basic Text, p. 75=Yes, we are attracting new members. More and more addicts are finding Narcotics Anonymous. But how do we treat our newest members when they arrive, worn out from...	Dave R	0	408	Apr 2, 2017 by Dave R
	JFT April 1 Love and addiction (Preview) "Some of us first saw the effects of addiction on the people closest to us. We were very dependent on them to carry us through life. We felt angry, disappointed, and hurt when they found other interests, friends, and loved ones."Basic Text, p. 7Addiction affected every area of our lives. Just as we...	Dave R	1	425	Apr 1, 2017 by BigV
	Hello (MIP NA going forward) (Preview) Checking in and seeing the activity. I concur with Dave R (IF HE CAN) and Mike M wants to be part of the transistion team.I vote yes on that.I missed meeting but will try and make one on 22nd.Yes questions about how to maintain board,cost,etc will need to be pursued.In continued support and prayer for Jo...	MIKEF	26	7446	Apr 1, 2017 by BigV
	JFT March 31 Insides and outsides (Preview) "Our real value is in being ourselves."Basic Text, p. 105=As we work the steps, were bound to discover some basic truths about ourselves. The process of uncovering our secrets, exposing them, and searching our characters reveals our true nature. As we become acquainted with ourselves, we'll ne...	Dave R	0	562	Mar 31, 2017 by Dave R
	JFT March 30 God-centeredness (Preview) "Gradually, as we become more God-centered than self-centered, our despair turns to hope."Basic Text, p. 95=What a glorious thing to have hope! Before coming to Narcotics Anonymous, many of us lived lives of utter hopelessness. We believed we were destined to die from our disease.Many member...	Dave R	0	432	Mar 30, 2017 by Dave R
	JFT March 29 Our own true will (Preview) "...God's will for us consists of the very things we most value. Gods will...becomes our own true will for ourselves."Basic Text, p. 48=It's human nature to want something for nothing. We may be ecstatic when a store cashier gives us back change for a twenty though we only paid with a ten. We tend to...	Dave R	0	417	Mar 29, 2017 by Dave R
	JFT March 28 Facing feelings (Preview) "We may fear that being in touch with our feelings will trigger an overwhelming chain reaction of pain and panic."Basic Text, p. 30While we were using, many of us were unable or unwilling to feel many emotions. If we were happy, we used to make us happier. If we were angry or depressed, we used to mask...	Dave R	0	344	Mar 28, 2017 by Dave R
	JFT March 27 Looking for assets (Preview) "In accordance with the principles of recovery, we try not to judge, stereotype, or moralize with each other."Basic Text, p. 11 How many times in our recovery have we misunderstood the behavior of another, immediately formed a judgment, applied a label, and neatly tucked the individual into a pig...	Dave R	0	456	Mar 27, 2017 by Dave R
	JFT March 26 Trusting a sponsor--worth the risk (Preview) "In seeking a sponsor, most members look for someone they feel they can learn to trust, someone who seems compassionate"*IP No. 11, Sponsorship,* Revised** The idea of sponsorship may be new to us. We have spent many years without direction, relying only on self-interest, suspecting everyone, t...	Dave R	0	372	Mar 26, 2017 by Dave R
	JFT March 25 I can't, we can (Preview) "From the isolation of our addiction, we find a fellowship of people with a common bond...Our faith, strength, and hope come from people sharing their recovery..."Basic Text, p. 98=Admit no weakness, conceal all shortcomings, deny every failure, go it alone--that was the creed many of us followe...	Dave R	0	412	Mar 25, 2017 by Dave R
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