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
"Be patient when you're learning to meditate," many of us were told. "It takes practice to know what to 'listen' for."
We're glad someone told us that, or many of us would have quit after a week or two of meditating. For the first few weeks, we may have sat each morning, stilled our thoughts, and "listened," just as the Basic Text said--but "heard" nothing. It may have taken a few more weeks before anything really happened. Even then, what happened was often barely noticeable. We were rising from our morning meditations feeling just a little better about our lives, a little more empathy for those we encountered during the day, and a little more in touch with our Higher Power.
For most of us, there was nothing dramatic in that awareness--no bolts of lightning or claps of thunder. Instead, it was something quietly powerful. We were taking time to get our egos and our ideas out of the way. In that clear space, we were improving our conscious contact with the source of our daily recovery, the God of our understanding. Meditation was new, and it took time and practice. But, like all the steps, it worked--when we worked it.
Spiritual Principle a Day
We may have hoped for easy answers to our drug problem when we attended our first meeting. We'd hoped for a quick fix, some simple formula to provide relief from our troubled existence; with that, we could be on our way. "I was hoping you'd cast a spell on me and then send me off with a reminder to take cold showers and sleep with a chicken bone under my pillow," one addict joked. To our disappointment, no one promised us instant liberation. Worse, it was clear that working all Twelve Steps would take some time.
Although the simple equation we sought proved elusive, we warm up to the idea that recovery is less like math and more like one of Grandma's unwritten recipes--a little of this, some of that, and so on. Our longing for respite or connection or awakening gets us to meeting after meeting. Without our fully recognizing it, willingness shows us the way.
We hear a member celebrating 30 days clean explain, "I went to meetings every day and didn't take anything in between." Duly noted. Could this be the formula we were looking for? It seems almost too simple and also impossible. But maybe it's a good start--hello, open-mindedness! We're willing to give it a try.
As our heads start to clear, we awaken to the possibilities of a better life. We gravitate toward another formula that seems doable: "Go to meetings, get a sponsor, read the literature." Check, check, and check. We willingly take these actions and practice humility by keeping things simple. We're handed a pink card with the "Just for Today" reading and, as we read it aloud, another light comes on. This seemed like a practical approach and we were willing to try it.
Our experience at 30 days reveals the value of taking action. We made it this far! Holding up our keytag, we share, "I'm celebrating 30 days today because I went to meetings every day and didn't take anything in between. I picked up the Basic Text and got a sponsor and I'm finding that there is life after drugs. As much as I wanted to figure out this recovery thing, I'm learning to just do what you do, and it seems to work." And just like that, we're carrying the message and offering hope to every addict in the room.
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!