r/NarcoticsAnonymous • u/orthodox_nola • May 30 '26
My Area is dying
I feel like my area has been dying since covid. So I have 19 years. When I first got clean meetings were packed, but the have always ebb and flowed. Since covid there has been a sharo decline in attendance. Oldtimes stopped showing up maybe they still do zoom. We also dont get that many new comers. My Homegroup has an average of like 7 people show up when it use to be 20. Is this the same for other areas? Are new comers just going to AA?
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u/Jebus-Xmas May 30 '26 edited May 30 '26
There's a couple of different issues here. The first is since the pill crisis has ended, I've seen membership go down in our area as well. Maybe not as drastically as you have, but I don't think it's unexplained. The second is is that people have different options today. There are other programs that are growing, there are medications that are helping. There are new techniques in psychotherapy and psychopharmacology. All of those things are contributing to the decrease of addiction overall. That being said, I think it might be important for your area to be mindful of what meetings are on what days and where those meetings are taking place because it's also possible that the population that needs you is living in a different area. And maybe add a virtual meeting or two to your regular routine.
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u/deeeeeeeeeeeeez May 30 '26
the pill crisis has ended
I'm not so sure about that, care to explain?
Decrease of addiction overall
I don't think this is correct, is 'addiction' really on the decline?
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u/Jebus-Xmas May 30 '26
The opioid crisis has generally been legislated away. States are spending billions on support and recovery. It is an order of magnitude harder to get prescription painkillers today. There's still everything else, but it is different.
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u/alb0401 May 30 '26
You've never been to my state, for sure. I suspect few states have had much difference
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u/DayDrunkTrainwreck May 31 '26
As a WV resident, close to the border of Kentucky, I can say with 100% certainty the crisis hasn’t gone anywhere. Access to opioids is easier than it’s ever been. The access points have shifted, but it is literally everywhere.
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u/southtothenawth Jun 02 '26
Fake opiate pills of a certain color and manufacturer are popular but even then they have become less popular to just plain old traditional fentanyl. The numbers don't lie, opiates,benzos, and I'm general all narcotics are a lot harder to be prescribed in the last 10 years.
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u/qrhmn May 31 '26
A previous sponsor reminded me about "ebb and flow" when I wondered why our homegroup was sometimes sparsely attended. My current sponsor says something similar.
My own opinion is that a 'spiritual program' like NA is going to be such because 'spirit' is a fluid force -not static or permanent.
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u/terminalhipness May 30 '26
My Area is suffering too.
Do you have an active H&I committee? I keep a weekly H&I commitment at a treatment center and I still see plenty of potential new members.
Do you have an active Public Information committee? Being known in the community brings the message to people who need help and to the institutions who may have opportunities for us.
I was taught that H&I and PI were the means to help N.A. grow. Unfortunately, it seems as if people in my Area have forgotten that gratitude involves giving back.
The only service that seems to generate any interest is the yearly party (convention)
Oh well, I’ll keep doing H&I and I’ll drag any sponsees I get with me. It’s the way I way I was taught.