Narcotics Anonymous Message Board

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...

Time4Change · Time4Change

Hey guys, Im new to this whole environment, being that I never really would admit that I had a problem. I began using opiates recreationally about 4 years ago. As time passed, I just began using more and more. I realized I was spending too much money, but didn't see it as an addiction, so instead of opia...

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 sponsorall the things other peop...

Dave R · Dave R

We humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings. Step Seven = Once we are entirely ready to have our character defects removed, many of us are entirely ready! Ironically, thats when the trouble really starts. The more we struggle to rid ourselves of a particular defect, the stronger that shortco...

Dave R · Dave R

I initially felt that it would be impossible to attend more than one or two meetings a week. It just wouldnt 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 thats not honest! I thought we were always supposed to be honest about our feelings in Narcotics Anonymous. Per...

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 arent using drugs, what on earth do they have to laugh about? Did you believe that the fu...

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

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 thats often what it takes for them to fade from our lives. Some of us feel that our shortcomings are the very characteristics th...

Mary4serenity · Mary4serenity

My homegroup has a Women's Meeting once a week. These meetings have existed for at least a decade. While I don't attend them, many women do and recently, newcomer women have complained that religious views and even passages from the Bible are being shared. Some trusted servants at our group decide...

MIKEF · MIKEF

In 5 days,my son from NewYork and his girlfriend coming to stay with us for 3 weeks and my other 46 year old son coming in 8 days from Tejas to meet his family he never met(from my 1st of 3 marriages)I am an addict named Mike in recovery for many cups of coffee, my 27 year old son Eric going in his 4th year of reco...

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 understandi...

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. 96 = We arrived in NA at the lowest point in our lives. Wed just about run out of ideas. What we needed most when we got here were new ideas, new ways of li...

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. 85 = After 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, Ive gotta get to a meeting tonight. Its been... Weve been cau...

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 Newcomer = Many 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. 91 = If someone stopped you on the street today and asked if you were happy, what would you say? Well, gee, lets see... I have a place to live, food in the refrigerator, a job, my car is running... Well, yes, I guess Im happy, you might respond. Th...

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 whats 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 were going to become honest and productive model cit...

Dave R · Dave R

Someone finally knew the crazy thoughts that I had and the crazy things Id done. = Addicts often feel terminally unique. Were 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 on...

avid · avid

I did for well over a year, but now I only call once every couple of weeks. Everyday for the first year clean seems wise, but after that I dunno what do you think?

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 have t...

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...

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 th...

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, well need...

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 members...

Dave R · Dave R

...Gods will for us consists of the very things we most value. Gods will... becomes our own true will for ourselves. Basic Text, p. 48 = Its 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 thin...

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. 30 = While 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 t...

Mike T · Mike T

Hello all, if anyone would give me some experience, strength, and hope on the 12th step, it would be much appreciated. I am just trying to get some brief outside influences. Thanks again

EAlmen · EAlmen

Here are some exerpts from my eBook Rehabilitatin' We may begin to comprehend addiction by looking at it as though it were a game. Lets call it the Lie Till You Drop game. The name sounds innocent but dont let that fool you. It is a brutal and deadly game that rarely has any survivors. It is built on the pr...

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 pi...

Topic		Started By	Replies	Views	Last Post
	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	226	Apr 20, 2013 by Dave R
	Advice and support for a newbie... (Preview) Hey guys, Im new to this whole environment, being that I never really would admit that I had a problem. I began using opiates recreationally about 4 years ago. As time passed, I just began using more and more. I realized I was spending too much money, but didn't see it as an addiction, so instead of opia...	Time4Change	4	379	Apr 20, 2013 by MIKEF
	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 sponsorall the things other peop...	Dave R	1	232	Apr 19, 2013 by Mike M
	JFT April 18 "I understand" (Preview) We humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings. Step Seven = Once we are entirely ready to have our character defects removed, many of us are entirely ready! Ironically, thats when the trouble really starts. The more we struggle to rid ourselves of a particular defect, the stronger that shortco...	Dave R	1	355	Apr 19, 2013 by Mike M
	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 wouldnt 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	279	Apr 17, 2013 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 thats not honest! I thought we were always supposed to be honest about our feelings in Narcotics Anonymous. Per...	Dave R	2	243	Apr 16, 2013 by avid
	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 arent using drugs, what on earth do they have to laugh about? Did you believe that the fu...	Dave R	0	317	Apr 15, 2013 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	1	250	Apr 15, 2013 by avid
	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 thats often what it takes for them to fade from our lives. Some of us feel that our shortcomings are the very characteristics th...	Dave R	0	264	Apr 14, 2013 by Dave R
	ending Women's Meetings (Preview) My homegroup has a Women's Meeting once a week. These meetings have existed for at least a decade. While I don't attend them, many women do and recently, newcomer women have complained that religious views and even passages from the Bible are being shared. Some trusted servants at our group decide...	Mary4serenity	8	406	Apr 14, 2013 by Thelma F
	Humble and truly grateful! (Preview) In 5 days,my son from NewYork and his girlfriend coming to stay with us for 3 weeks and my other 46 year old son coming in 8 days from Tejas to meet his family he never met(from my 1st of 3 marriages)I am an addict named Mike in recovery for many cups of coffee, my 27 year old son Eric going in his 4th year of reco...	MIKEF	3	303	Apr 13, 2013 by avid
	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 understandi...	Dave R	0	393	Apr 12, 2013 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. 96 = We arrived in NA at the lowest point in our lives. Wed just about run out of ideas. What we needed most when we got here were new ideas, new ways of li...	Dave R	1	313	Apr 12, 2013 by cdbuckberry
	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. 85 = After 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, Ive gotta get to a meeting tonight. Its been... Weve been cau...	Dave R	2	371	Apr 10, 2013 by Mike M
	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 Newcomer = Many 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	284	Apr 9, 2013 by Dave R
	JFT April 8 Happiness (Preview) We come to know happiness, joy, and freedom. Basic Text, p. 91 = If someone stopped you on the street today and asked if you were happy, what would you say? Well, gee, lets see... I have a place to live, food in the refrigerator, a job, my car is running... Well, yes, I guess Im happy, you might respond. Th...	Dave R	0	249	Apr 8, 2013 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	268	Apr 7, 2013 by Dave R
	JFT April 6 Growing honesty (Preview) On a practical level, changes occur because whats 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 were going to become honest and productive model cit...	Dave R	0	291	Apr 6, 2013 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. Were 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 on...	Dave R	0	233	Apr 5, 2013 by Dave R
	Do you call your sponsor everyday? (Preview) I did for well over a year, but now I only call once every couple of weeks. Everyday for the first year clean seems wise, but after that I dunno what do you think?	avid	4	391	Apr 4, 2013 by cdbuckberry
	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 have t...	Dave R	1	260	Apr 4, 2013 by cdbuckberry
	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...	Dave R	0	268	Apr 3, 2013 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 th...	Dave R	0	234	Apr 2, 2013 by Dave R
	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, well need...	Dave R	0	348	Mar 31, 2013 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 members...	Dave R	0	265	Mar 30, 2013 by Dave R
	JFT March 29 Our own true will (Preview) ...Gods will for us consists of the very things we most value. Gods will... becomes our own true will for ourselves. Basic Text, p. 48 = Its 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 thin...	Dave R	0	235	Mar 29, 2013 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. 30 = While 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 t...	Dave R	0	316	Mar 28, 2013 by Dave R
	Step 12 (Preview) Hello all, if anyone would give me some experience, strength, and hope on the 12th step, it would be much appreciated. I am just trying to get some brief outside influences. Thanks again	Mike T	3	329	Mar 28, 2013 by Mike T
	eBook taken from my diary before and after entering a Salvation Army rehab center. (Preview) Here are some exerpts from my eBook Rehabilitatin' We may begin to comprehend addiction by looking at it as though it were a game. Lets call it the Lie Till You Drop game. The name sounds innocent but dont let that fool you. It is a brutal and deadly game that rarely has any survivors. It is built on the pr...	EAlmen	2	503	Mar 28, 2013 by avid
	JFT March 27 Looking for the 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 pi...	Dave R	0	228	Mar 27, 2013 by Dave R
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