UPCOMING MEETINGS
The NA White Booklet
If you are new to Narcotics Anonymous, we recommend the Narcotics Anonymous White Booklet, also known as “The Little White Book” and as NA’s first piece of Literature. It’s a great introduction to the program to get you started! Click on the image to download the booklet. You can also explore one of the other informational pamphlets found on the Literature page of this website..
What is NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS?
~ Narcotics Anonymous Basic Text, page 9.
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Narcotics Anonymous is an international, community-based association of recovering drug addicts with over 58,000 weekly meetings in over 131 countries worldwide
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Recovery from addiction is possible and available through the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions of Narcotics Anonymous.
Just For Today
Perhaps one of the most difficult truths we must face in our recovery is that we are as powerless over another's addiction as we are over our own. We may think that because we've had a spiritual awakening in our own lives we should be able to persuade another addict to find recovery. But there are limits to what we can do to help another addict.
We cannot force them to stop using. We cannot give them the results of the steps or grow for them. We cannot take away their loneliness or their pain. There is nothing we can say to convince a scared addict to surrender the familiar misery of addiction for the frightening uncertainty of recovery. We cannot jump inside other peoples' skins, shift their goals, or decide for them what is best for them.
However, if we refuse to try to exert this power over another's addiction, we may help them. They may grow if we allow them to face reality, painful though it may be. They may become more productive, by their own definition, as long as we don't try and do it for them. They can become the authority on their own lives, provided we are only authorities on our own. If we can accept all this, we can become what we were meant to be--carriers of the message, not the addict.
Spiritual Principle a Day
When we read "Just for Today"--as we do at many meetings--we're reminded to cultivate a better perspective on life. Open-mindedness is one of the keys to attaining this improved outlook. Without an open mind, we limit ourselves to what we already know. As one member pointed out, "If I knew how to fix myself, why would I come to NA?" Knowing we don't have all the answers can be a real asset. Such humility helps us to stay teachable.
In addition to looking within, we can find lessons and teachers in our experience and all around. Desperation, no matter the degree, can be a teacher. It has a way of opening our minds to the possibilities recovery has in store. When we're open to finding teachers, we're quicker to detect life's guardrails and correct course to avoid some of the harshest lessons. When things don't go our way, open-mindedness helps us find opportunities to stretch ourselves. New ideas seem less like a personal attack and more like a chance to increase our understanding. Instead of avoiding criticism, we seek to learn from it without getting defensive.
Once we stop using and lose the desire to use, the job of finding a new way to live is a lifelong project we chip away at each day. It takes on new meaning as we mature in recovery. "The new way to live I found when I was 20 and new to NA would kill me today," one member shared with a wink. "I need to be in bed by ten!" Regardless of our preferred bedtime, it helps to remain open and teachable if we want to continue to learn and grow. Life never stops offering new lessons. Instead of resenting life's twists and turns, we try to focus on what we can discover about ourselves as we navigate them.
Meetings Every Day of the Week!
The meeting list page of the Passaic Area website lists all of the meetings happening every week in our area as well as links out to meetings statewide and even worldwide!
Current Events & Activities
Keep an eye on this section to find out what fun and informative activities, events, group celebrations and special presentations are going on in our Area! Also, check the Events and Activities page for a full listing of everything that’s happening!