Little White Booklet

Narcotics Anonymous® Anglicized 1 Foreword This booklet is an introduction to the Fellowship of Narcotics Anonymous. It is written for those men and women who, like ourselves, suffer from a seemingly hopeless addiction to drugs. There is no cure for addiction, but recovery is possible by a programme of simple spiritual principles. This booklet is not meant to be comprehensive, but it contains the essentials that in our personal and group experience we know to be necessary for recovery. Serenity Prayer God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Who is an addict? Most of us do not have to think twice about this question. We know! Our whole life and thinking was centred in drugs in one form or another – the getting and using and finding ways and means to get more. We lived to use and used to live. Very simply, an addict is a man or woman whose life is controlled by drugs. We are people in the grip of a continuing and progressive illness whose ends are always the same: jails, institutions, and death. 2 Narcotics Anonymous 3 What is the experience that those who keep coming to our meetings Narcotics Anonymous programme? regularly stay clean. NA is a non-profit fellowship or society of men and Why are we here? women for whom drugs had become a major problem. Before coming to the Fellowship of NA, we could not We are recovering addicts who meet regularly to help manage our own lives. We could not live and enjoy life each other stay clean. This is a programme of complete as other people do. We had to have something different abstinence from all drugs. There is only one requirement and we thought we had found it in drugs. We placed for membership, the desire to stop using. We suggest their use ahead of the welfare of our families, our wives, that you keep an open mind and give yourself a break. husbands, and our children. We had to have drugs at all Our programme is a set of principles written so simply costs. We did many people great harm, but most of all that we can follow them in our daily lives. The most we harmed ourselves. Through our inability to accept important thing about them is that they work. personal responsibilities we were actually creating our There are no strings attached to NA. We are not own problems. We seemed to be incapable of facing life affiliated with any other organisations, we have no on its own terms. initiation fees or dues, no pledges to sign, no promises Most of us realised that in our addiction we were to make to anyone. We are not connected with any slowly committing suicide, but addiction is such a political, religious or law enforcement groups, and are cunning enemy of life that we had lost the power to do under no surveillance at any time. Anyone may join us, anything about it. Many of us ended up in jail, or sought regardless of age, race, sexual identity, creed, religion help through medicine, religion and psychiatry. None of or lack of religion. these methods was sufficient for us. Our disease always We are not interested in what or how much you used resurfaced or continued to progress until in desperation or who your connections were, what you have done in we sought help from each other in Narcotics Anonymous. the past, how much or how little you have, but only in After coming to NA we realised we were sick people. what you want to do about your problem and how we We suffered from a disease from which there is no known can help. The newcomer is the most important person cure. It can, however, be arrested at some point, and at any meeting, because we can only keep what we have recovery is then possible. by giving it away. We have learned from our group 4 Narcotics Anonymous 5 How it works 10. We continued to take personal inventory and If you want what we have to offer, and are willing when we were wrong promptly admitted it. to make the effort to get it, then you are ready to take 11. We sought through prayer and meditation to certain steps. These are the principles that made our improve our conscious contact with God as we recovery possible: understood Him, praying only for knowledge of 1. We admitted that we were powerless over His will for us and the power to carry that out. our addiction, that our lives had become 12. Having had a spiritual awakening as a result unmanageable. of these steps, we tried to carry this message to 2. We came to believe that a Power greater than addicts, and to practice these principles in all our ourselves could restore us to sanity. affairs. 3. We made a decision to turn our will and our lives This sounds like a big order, and we can’t do it all over to the care of God as we understood Him. at once. We didn’t become addicted in one day, so remember – easy does it. 4. We made a searching and fearless moral There is one thing more than anything else that will inventory of ourselves. defeat us in our recovery; this is an attitude of indifference 5. We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another or intolerance toward spiritual principles. Three of these human being the exact nature of our wrongs. that are indispensable are honesty, open-mindedness 6. We were entirely ready to have God remove all and willingness. With these we are well on our way. these defects of character. We feel that our approach to the disease of addiction 7. We humbly asked Him to remove our is completely realistic, for the therapeutic value of one shortcomings. addict helping another is without parallel. We feel that our way is practical, for one addict can best understand 8. We made a list of all persons we had harmed, and and help another addict. We believe that the sooner became willing to make amends to them all. we face our problems within our society, in everyday 9. We made direct amends to such people wherever living, just that much faster do we become acceptable, possible, except when to do so would injure them responsible, and productive members of that society. or others. 6 Narcotics Anonymous 7 The only way to keep from returning to active will find answers to some of the things that may be addiction is not to take that first drug. If you are like us disturbing you now. you know that one is too many and a thousand never If you are not in an institution, the same holds true. enough. We put great emphasis on this, for we know Stop using for today. Most of us can do for eight or that when we use drugs in any form, or substitute one twelve hours what seems impossible for a longer period for another, we release our addiction all over again. of time. If the obsession or compulsion becomes too Thinking of alcohol as different from other drugs great, put yourself on a five minute basis of not using. has caused a great many addicts to relapse. Before we Minutes will grow to hours, and hours to days, so you came to NA, many of us viewed alcohol separately, but will break the habit and gain some peace of mind. The we cannot afford to be confused about this. Alcohol is a real miracle happens when you realise that the need for drug. We are people with the disease of addiction who drugs has in some way been lifted from you. You have must abstain from all drugs in order to recover. stopped using and started to live. What can I do? The Twelve Traditions of NA Begin your own programme by taking Step One from We keep what we have only with vigilance, and just as the previous chapter, “How It Works.” When we fully freedom for the individual comes from the Twelve Steps, concede to our innermost selves that we are powerless so freedom for the group springs from our traditions. over our addiction, we have taken a big step in our As long as the ties that bind us together are stronger recovery. Many of us have had some reservations at this than those that would tear us apart, all will be well. point, so give yourself a break and be as thorough as 1. Our common welfare should come first; personal possible from the start. Go on to Step Two, and so forth, recovery depends on NA unity. and as you go on you will come to an understanding of 2. For our group purpose there is but one ultimate the programme for yourself. If you are in an institution authority – a loving God as He may express of any kind and have stopped using for the present, you Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are can with a clear mind try this way of life. but trusted servants; they do not govern. Upon release, continue your daily programme and contact a member of NA. Do this by mail, by phone, or 3. The only requirement for membership is a desire in person. Better yet, come to our meetings. Here you to stop using. 8 Narcotics Anonymous 9 4. Each group should be autonomous except in Recovery and relapse matters affecting other groups or NA as a whole.

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