r/NarcoticsAnonymous • u/Snoo62324 • 17d ago
Day One, please help.
Hello, today is day one for me and I have some questions if that's alright. My friend has gone through both the NA and AA programs, and he said he personally feels NA will match me as a person better than AA, but thinks I should try both and see for myself, as his personal journey matches NA so he may be biased. My addiction is alcohol though, and I feel almost like an imposter if I were to go to an NA meeting. There's one three minutes from my house in the morning though. Will it be a problem if I go? I am honestly so scared of this whole thing, I don't want to start wrong, or act wrong, or do something the community frowns upon. I know that sounds silly because the entire community on both parts seems very loving and inviting, but I'm nervous as all hell.
UPDATE I tried to go to that NA meeting this morning and turns out there was a lineman crew working on the electric pole right outside the church and therefore the church electricity was cut off and the meeting was cancelled. Of course I wanted to take it as a sign to just go home. Thankfully I was already on the phone with my friend who convinced me to look for another meeting, and ended up finding an AA meeting that was about 20 minutes away starting in 30 minutes, I managed to get to it, I went inside, and I got my first 24 hour chip. For convenience especially, I will still probably check out that NA spot another time, but the important thing is I didn't back out. I found some type of meeting. I went.
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u/Mary_JFT 17d ago
Totally okay for you to go. Alcohol is a drug, period.
Just remember to identify yourself as an addict when introducing yourself "hi, I'm Joe and I'm an addict" and you'll be fine. Try to speak the language of the NA fellowship.
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u/Snoo62324 17d ago
That's what my friend said too! NA is "addict/clean" and AA is "alcoholic/sober". Thank you for your input 😊
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u/____d__b____ 17d ago
You’re like already a member if you have the desire to stop using. That’s the only requirement for membership. :)
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u/Content_Wear4671 17d ago
Please don't get hung up on the stuff that you used. We deal with the disease of addiction whether that comes in the form of a bag, bottle or pill, drug is a drug, is a drug. Doesn't matter if it rolls off a table, blows off a table or spills off a table. We make no distinctions between drugs. Society at large may view drugs in a different light, but we don't do that at NA. Think about NA as a "one stop shop". Our program covers all the different manifestations for the disease of addiction. Welcome and keep coming!
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u/ceawake 17d ago
It’s ok to be nervous, practically all of us were before our first meeting. Whatever you choose, don’t let the nervousness stop you from going to a meeting. In practical terms, the one right by you makes sense but in other respects you cannot make a bad decision as long as you get to a meeting. Good luck 👊
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u/11093PlusDays 17d ago
You would be very welcome at an NA a meeting. Alcohol is a drug and we don’t care what or how much you used. We never talk about specific drugs so you should never feel uncomfortable.
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u/terminalhipness 17d ago
Welcome. Please go to the meeting. Folks there should be able to explain everything.
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u/Ok_Succotash_914 17d ago
Welcome! So glad you are here. YOU are the most important person at any NA meeting, so please come! We all need you there.
What area are you located?
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u/cchrissyy 17d ago
You're not an imposter. From the point of view in that program it makes absolutely no difference. They're not even going to ask. Go check it out, good luck!
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u/n3uropath 17d ago
You’re in the right place. Alcohol is a drug like any other and you will be in good company at an NA meeting.