NA local and virtual meetings focus on our personal experiences and the ways addiction and recovery affect our lives. If you’re new to NA or planning to go to a Narcotics Anonymous meeting for the first time, it might be nice to know a little bit about what happens in our meetings. The words we use and the way we act might be unfamiliar to you at first, but hopefully this information can help you get the most out of your first NA meeting or help you feel more comfortable as you keep coming back. Showing up early, staying late, and asking lots of questions before and after meetings will help you get the most out of every meeting you attend.
NA meetings are not classes or group therapy sessions, nor do we teach lessons or provide counseling. Consequently, our members simply share our personal experiences with addiction and recovery. If you are not an addict, look for an open meeting, which welcomes non-addicts. If you’re an addict or think you might have a drug problem, we suggest a meeting every day for at least 90 days to get to know NA members and our program.
While attending NA local and virtual meetings, please respect the anonymity of all of our members. We ask that people who attend our meetings not talk about who our members are or what they share.
We often meet in churches, treatment centers or other facilities since these places tend to be affordable, available or convenient. However, NA is not a part of nor connected to any other group, organization or institution. NA has no membership fees or dues, but it does cost money to hold meetings and provide other services to further our primary purpose. Our members make voluntary contributions to support the group, therefore, non-members are asked not to contribute. As a result, NA can remain fully self-supporting.
Our program of recovery begins with abstinence from all drugs. This includes alcohol. Sometimes people come to NA meetings while still using drugs. Others may be detoxing from drugs or on drug replacement therapy. We are not concerned with types or amounts of drugs used; we focus on the ways addiction and recovery affect our lives. Regardless of what you may be taking when you first come to NA, you are welcome.