NA Meetings in Newfoundland and Labrador

Many people are helped by 12-step programs, including AA and similar groups such as Narcotics Anonymous (NA).

These self-help groups operate around the world and provide a social support system for recovery and a process for personal development that encourages looking inward and addressing issues obscured by alcohol and drug use. (Tuten, Jones, Schaeffer and Stitzer, 2013).

In general, this program should not be conceptualized as a form of treatment. Rather, the groups exist to support recovering alcoholics or drug abusers in their rehabilitation process.

NA Meetings are available almost everywhere. The recovering drug abuser can, usually find at least one meeting each day.

There are two types of meetings, open and closed. Anyone is welcome at the open meetings, where one or two members typically tell their own stories of “how I used to be” and “how I am now,” Only members are allowed to attend closed meetings because they tend to be much more personal and intimate. During these meetings, personal problems or interpretations of the 12 steps or 12 traditions are usually discussed.

Another important aspect of the self-help group can be found in it’s connection to the larger community.

Once people leave treatment, they sometimes find it difficult to connect with others. In contrast, “participation in mutual self-help groups enables individuals in recovery to realize that they are not alone in their worries and doubts and, at the same time, instills hope by introducing them to others striving positively to confront the challenges in their lives.”