"There is only one requirement for membership, the desire to stop using."
Basic Text, p. 9
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We all know people who could benefit from Narcotics Anonymous. Many people we encounter from all walks of life--our family members, old friends, and coworkers--could really use a program of recovery in their lives. Sadly, those who need us don't always find their way to our rooms.
NA is a program of attraction, not promotion. We are only members when we say we are. We can bring our friends and loved ones to a meeting if they are willing, but we cannot force them to embrace the way of life that has given us freedom from active addiction.
Membership in Narcotics Anonymous is a highly personal decision. The choice to become a member is made in the heart of each individual addict. In the long run, coerced meeting attendance doesn't keep too many addicts in our rooms. Only addicts who are still suffering, if given the opportunity, can decide if they are powerless over their addiction. We can carry the message, but we can't carry the addict.
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Just for today: I am grateful for my decision to become a member of Narcotics Anonymous.
