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Welcome to Narcotics Anonymous

What is our message? The message is that an addict, any addict, can stop using drugs, lose the desire to use, and find a new way to live. Our message is hope and the promise of freedom.

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“When new members come to meetings, our sole interest is in their desire for freedom from active addiction and how we can be of help.”

It Works: How and Why, “Third Tradition”

Is NA for me?

This is a question every potential member must answer for themselves. Here are some recommended resources that may be helpful:

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NA meetings are run by and for addicts. If you're looking for help for a loved one, you can contact Narcotics Anonymous near you. 

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Never before have so many clean addicts, of their own choice and in free society, been able to meet where they please, to maintain their recovery in complete creative freedom.

Basic Text, “We Do Recover”

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Narcotics Anonymous sprang from the Alcoholics Anonymous Program of the late 1940s, with meetings first emerging in the Los Angeles area of California, USA, in the early Fifties. The NA program started as a small US movement that has grown into one of the world's oldest and largest organizations of its type.

Today, Narcotics Anonymous is well established throughout much of the Americas, Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Newly formed groups and NA communities are now scattered throughout the Indian subcontinent, Africa, East Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. Narcotics Anonymous books and information pamphlets are currently available in 49 languages.

Information About NA

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Daily Meditations

Just for Today

May 05, 2026

Any lengths
Page 131
“…I was ready to go to any lengths to stay clean.“
Basic Text, p. 132
“Any lengths?” newcomers ask. “What do you mean, any lengths?” Looking back at our active addiction and the lengths we were willing to go to in order to stay high can help to explain. Were we willing to drive many miles to get drugs? Yes, we usually were. Then it makes sense that, if we are as concerned about staying clean as we were about using, we will try anything to find a ride to a meeting.

In our addiction, didn't we often do crazy, insane things or use unknown substances at the direction of others? Then why do we often find it so hard to take direction in recovery, especially when the direction is designed to help us grow? And when we used, didn't we often, in desperation, turn to our Higher Power, saying, “Please, just get me out of this one!” Then why do we find it so hard to ask for God's help in our recovery?

When we used, we usually had an open mind when it came to finding ways and means to get more drugs. If we can apply this same principle of open-mindedness to our recovery, we may surprise ourselves by how easily we begin to grasp the NA program. Our best thinking, it is often said, got us into the rooms of Narcotics Anonymous. If we are willing to go to any lengths, follow directions, and stay open-minded, we can stay clean.
Just for Today: I am willing to go to any lengths to stay clean. I will become as open-minded and ready to take direction as I need to be.

A Spiritual Principle a Day

May 05, 2026

Gratitude for All of Life's Challenges
Page 130
“When we feel the deepest gratitude, we can look back and see that our path to that moment was neither short nor straight.“
Living Clean, Chapter 1, “Keys to Freedom”
“I'm so grateful for the life I have, thanks to NA.” The speaker was then quiet for a moment, wiping away tears, before continuing: “Grateful for my sponsor and the Steps . . . and even for the bad stuff that's happened along the way.”

For someone who's new, witnessing gratitude from a member for “bad stuff” can sound illogical, overly virtuous, impossible, even undesirable. Why on earth should we be grateful for our addiction, our mistakes, and our poor decision making? Do we really have to feel grateful for pain and loss to recover in NA?

Reframing our past hardships or current challenges with a deep awareness of gratitude is not an easy path, nor is it a quick one. For one thing, we rarely, if ever, start our journey in recovery with a clear and broad perspective on our lives. This doesn't happen just from being abstinent and going to a few meetings–and talking about being grateful. It requires effort, a lot of it. We do our stepwork thoroughly. We develop and learn to rely on a power greater than ourselves. We try to apply spiritual principles in all our relationships. We work on forgiving others and ourselves. We make amends for our mistakes and find compassion for ourselves when we mess up again. We consistently surrender in the face of new adversity and strive to find the lesson in it.

“My flaws and mistakes are part of what makes me who I am today,” the speaker continued. “They are what inspire me to work to be a better person. My ability to get through some of the worst times in my life–bruised and battered but still clean–is a huge gift. I am grateful for this life.”

Gratitude is not a destination. It's an awareness and a process. Though we recovering addicts don't feel grateful all the time, there are times when we do feel it deeply. When we're feeling ungrateful, we've learned what to do: help another person on their journey in recovery.
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Today I will do some work to learn from my mistakes and from hardships. I will strive for gratitude for the “bad stuff” as well as the good.

Do you need help with a drug problem?

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“If you’re new to NA or planning to go to a Narcotics Anonymous meeting for the first time, it might be nice to know a little bit about what happens in our meetings. The information here is meant to give you an understanding of what we do when we come together to share recovery…” 

An Introduction to NA Meetings

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