Hello everybody! this is my first time on this message board! I am a member of another 12 step program ( you can probably guess) and I thank God everyday for blessing me with these steps and a new fabolous way of life! I have heard thru the grapevine( hehe!) that a lot of the members of NA drink alcohol. As far as the group in my area of southern Indiana. I am really hoping that this IS just a rumor because I would like to start going to some of the NA meetings in my area, but not if there is some truth to this. If anybody can tell me how it really is that would be awesome!
Alcohol is a drug, period! It's in our readings. It's simple if your drinking you don't have any cleantime. Rumor; Some AAs smoke pot and still pickup their chips. Not where I go to meetings. I work both programs because I qualify, but when I'm in a NA metting I'm an Addict and when I'm at AA I'm a Alcoholic. There all kinds of people in recovery and some are sicker then others. If you're really interested about what goes on in NA I sugguest that you attend a meeting and see for your self rather then be influenced by rumors.
As imperfect people SOME go to NA meetings high to get their chips, just as SOME AA's get their chips after getting drunk. In our version of how it works it is specifically stated that "Alcohol is a drug...... we are recovering addicts who must abstain from all drugs in order to recover".
It does depend on the quality of recovery within the rooms. I know of one town in our state where the aforementioned behavior used to go on. NOT an atmosphere of recovery as far as I can see.
Visit a meeting and see what you think.
Lon
__________________
Courage is not the towering oak that sees storms come and go; it is the fragile blossom that opens in the snow.----Alice Mackenzie Swaim
thank you very much for your imput. What you say is VERY TRUE!!! I've met many so called "big book thumpers" that were definately not what they said. those type of people are everywhere, even in NA and AA, it's who you choose to associate with that will or won't affect your recovery.
freedom for the individual comes from the Steps,, the Steps are our survival kit and growth plan !!!
in my city of about 10 million, there was a RUMOUR last December, that for Christmas, 10 terrorists were walking around,live bombs waiting to explode and create mayhem !!!
Sms, word of mouth etc happened and the city was gripped with terror and panic, later it was found to be a rumour, based on one single incident of a shooting by a terrorist !!!!
That incident proves to me one thing,RUMOUR and gossip is a terrible life threatening thing !!!
Many who want to may not come into recovery because of rumour !!
based on one single example we cannot reject the whole Program.
addictive logic wants everything easy, in black and white and thinks in absolute values.
Its not only the alcohol, its the other addictions that tamper with my serenity.
Lons right, it does say that in NA alcohol is considered a drug and if we drink alcohol,we lose our clean date.
'' IN NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS STAYING CLEAN COMES FIRST"
In NA staying clean does come first indeed, but later we address other things such as food,nicotine,gambling,sex and other addictions we may have cultivated alomg with narcotics !!1 was basically into many mood changing and mind altering narcotics, including grass, booze,smack,lsd,and downers !!!
But now I find that my addiction was present long fore i used inasmuch as attitudes were concerned !!!
for example=,In sitiations where someone else won ,got more attention or did better than me, I was jealous and i used gossip and rumour to tarnish,,, which is what rumours are all about,, an intent to paint the wrong picture, character assasination,make out to be a bad character etc,,,
in order to quiten my disturbance caused by jealousy,,,
nowadays my thinking has changed ,,, and i believe i am a winner too.Time and practice have given me grace to congrajulate a winner,read about an exalted artiste in the news without getting crazy,admire a winners ways etc !!
, just for today use ,i wil not use those old practices of jealousy !!!
but instead stick with the winners !!!!!
thats where i recover !!!
And basically inspite of the rumours and slander,, the bright part is NA has grown and we have, even in this wonderful meeting group, many with substantial clean time !!!
Public Information efforts are on all over the World to correct any wrong impressions the public may have of us and to attract many more addicts into our Program of recovery !!
Here in my city we try and keep well within the rules of the institutions we meet in and to present the correct image of NA !!
I for one ,who was once a desperate ,dyingaddict,, lost without a hope,
now live to love and love to live the NA WAY
God Bless yall !!
Keep Coming Back, It Works !
Raman
clean and serene
-- Edited by Raman at 00:03, 2006-03-19
-- Edited by Raman at 00:04, 2006-03-19
-- Edited by Raman at 00:11, 2006-03-19
-- Edited by Raman at 00:13, 2006-03-19
__________________
Raman an addict clean and serene just for today in NA Worldwide ; live to love and love to live the NA Way !!!
