December 28
Depression
“We are no longer fighting fear, anger, guilt, self-pity, or depression.”
Basic Text, p. 27
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As addicts, many of us experience depression from time to time.  When we feel depressed, we may be tempted to isolate ourselves.  However, if we do this, our depression may turn to despair.  We can’t afford to let depression…[Read more]

October 16
The simplest prayer
“praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.”
Step Eleven
How do we pray? With little experience, many of us don’t even know how to begin. The process, however, is neither difficult nor complicated.
We came to Narcotics Anonymous because of our drug addiction. But underlying that,…[Read more]

June 9
Old dreams needn’t die
“Lost dreams awaken and new possibilities arise.”
Basic Text, p. 91
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Most of us had dreams when we were young.  Whether we dreamed of a dynamic career, a large and loving family, or travels abroad, our dreams died when our addiction took hold.  Anything we ever wanted for ourselves was cast away in our pursui…[Read more]

June 3
Direct and indirect amends
“We make our amends to the best of our ability.”
Basic Text, p. 40
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The Ninth Step tells us to make direct amends wherever possible.  Our experience tells us to follow up those direct amends with long-lasting changes in our attitudes and our behavior—that is, with indirect amends.…[Read more]

June 1

Keep coming back

“We don’t have to be clean when we get here but, after the first meeting, we suggest that newcomers keep coming back and come back clean. We don’t have to wait for an overdose or a jail sentence to get help from Narcotics Anonymous.”

Basic Text, pp. 10-11

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Very few of us arrive in NA brimming with willingne…[Read more]

May 31
Keep it simple
“We live a day at a time but also from moment to moment.  When we stop living in the here and now, our problems become magnified unreasonably.”
Basic Text, p. 99
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Life often seems too complicated to understand, especially for those of us who’ve dodged it for so long.  When we stopped using drugs, many of us came…[Read more]

May 27
Meeting the day’s challenge
“…the decision to ask for God’s help is our greatest source of strength and courage.”
Basic Text, p. 26
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A challenge is anything that dares us to succeed.  Things new and unfamiliar serve as challenges, whether those things appear good or bad to us.  We are challenged by obstacles and opposition…[Read more]

May 26
The Power in the group
“Our understanding of a Higher Power is up to us…. We can call it the group, the program, or we can call it God.”
Basic Text, p. 24
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Many of us have a hard time with the idea of a Higher Power until we fully accept the depth of our own powerlessness over addiction.  Once we do, most of us are at least will…[Read more]

GBR (Gray Book Reflection)
Input and review material
5/25
“Relapse is never an accident. Our knowledge of addiction is not enough to stop us from using.”
Gray Book, p. 124
Lines 34-35
Chapter Seven
Relapse is never an accident, and it’s not part of recovery. To relapse is to die, therefore it is part of the disease. The continuing process…[Read more]

May 24
Risking vulnerability
“As we grow, we learn to overcome the tendency to run and hide from ourselves and our feelings.”
Basic Text, p. 85
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Rather than risk vulnerability, many of us have developed habits that keep others at a safe distance.  These patterns of emotional isolation can give us the feeling we are hopelessly locked be…[Read more]

May 23
Amends and sponsors
“We want to be free of our guilt, but we don’t wish to do so at the expense of anyone else.”
Basic Text, p. 40
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Let’s face it:  Most of us left trails of destruction in our wakes and harmed anyone who got in our way.  Some of the people we hurt most in our addiction were the people we loved most.  In an effort…[Read more]

May 22
Symptoms of a spiritual awakening
“The steps lead to an awakening of a spiritual nature.  This awakening is evidenced by changes in our lives.”
Basic Text, p. 49
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We know how to recognize the disease of addiction.  Its symptoms are indisputable.  Besides an uncontrollable appetite for drugs, those suffering exhibit self-centered,…[Read more]

May 21
Keep coming back!
“Meetings keep us in touch with where we’ve been, but more importantly, with where we could go in our recovery.”
Basic Text, p. 56
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In many ways, addicts are different.  When we came to Narcotics Anonymous we found others like ourselves, people who understood us and whom we could understand.  No longer…[Read more]

May 20
Coming out of isolation
“We find ourselves doing and enjoying things that we never thought we would be doing.”
Basic Text, p. 102
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Active addiction kept us isolated for many reasons.  In the beginning, we avoided family and friends so they wouldn’t find out we were using.  Some of us avoided all nonaddicts,…[Read more]

May 19
A growth inventory
“We review our past performance and our present behavior to see what we want to keep and what we want to discard.”
Basic Text, p. 29
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As each day winds to a close, many of us reflect on the past twenty-four hours and consider how we can live differently in the future.  It’s easy for our thoughts to remain tra…[Read more]