WEST MILFORD MEETINGS LOCATION CHANGE!
Both the Recovery in the Mountains (Sundays, 7 PM to 8 PM) and Serenity in the Sticks (Fridays, 8 PM to 9:15 PM) meetings in West Milford have moved from St. Josephs Church on Germantown Rd. to:
The Almond Branch Church at 184 Marshall Hill Rd.
For direction and details visit the Meeting List page.
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
In the animal kingdom, there is a creature that thrives on others. It is called a leech. It attaches itself to people and takes what it needs. When one victim brushes the leech off, it simply goes to the next.
In our active addiction, we behaved similarly. We drained our families, our friends, and our communities. Consciously or unconsciously, we sought to get something for nothing from virtually everyone we encountered.
When we saw the basket passed at our first meeting we may have thought, "Self-support! Now what kind of odd notion is this?" As we watched, we noticed something. These self-supporting addicts were free. By paying their own way, they had earned the privilege of making their own decisions.
By applying the principle of self-support in our personal lives, we gain for ourselves the same kind of freedom. No longer does anyone have the right to tell us where to live, because we pay our own rent. We can eat, wear, or drive whatever we choose, because we provide it for ourselves.
Unlike the leech, we don't have to depend on others for our sustenance. The more responsibility we assume, the more freedom we'll gain.
Spiritual Principle a Day
Independence comes in many forms in NA. The most obvious comes in the form of freedom from active addiction. Waiting to feel like we can truly make choices for ourselves, independent of our disease, can be like watching a pot before it boils. We get a little freedom when we stop using drugs, but we gain a greater sense of independence by actively participating in our new way of life. We go to meetings, share with other addicts, and read NA literature. Many of us have shared that we don't even recall losing the desire to use. "I kept coming back, and I followed suggestions," one member wrote. "At some point, I realized it had been weeks since the last time I felt like getting high."
Independence in other areas often comes about in a similar way. Many of us had become dependent on so much more than just the substances we used. We relied on defense mechanisms, escapist behaviors, antisocial tendencies, and much more. We may have relied on others to steer our life choices, even in recovery. Steps Six and Seven help us break our dependence by showing us what keeps us from making our own choices. An addict shared about gaining independence by asking, "What would my life look like if I weren't afraid?"
Practicing independence allows us to be creative. "In early recovery, freedom sometimes felt like a punishment or a chore because I didn't know what to do with myself," one member wrote. "Deciding to get serious about recovery was one of my first truly independent choices. I got the courage to take responsibility for my life, gain stability, become a part of society. I used to depend on others for everything. Now, people in my life can depend on me!"
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!