rebec

Why is there Narcotic anonymous and AA/ Aren't these one of the same. I hear this alot from people in the seperate groups. Are the addictions different? Is a crack addict different then an alcoholic?

hope213

it is the same other than one is addicted to alcohol , the other to drugs. addiction is addiction, same steps. they do not mix the two,just as over eaters does not mix with them.

sojourner

well, isn't that a coincidence. Just yesterday i was thinking of posting on this same subject. I'm usually on this substance abuse board. Only occasionally do i go to the alcohol board, and when i do that it seems to me i read of different issues. It seems a lot of the people on the alcohol board are distressed because they've spent so many years in a relationship with a drinker. It's as if an alcohol addiction takes a long time to manifest - long enough for the person to have established themself in a marriage, job, etc. Whereas with drugs, the behavior gets very crazy very quickly so us friends/family are dealing with people who have extreme social problems that manifest very early in drug use which means there seems to be more of us who are family of origin dealing with people in their late teens/20s where with alcohol it seems to be an older set of people. Add to that the fact that alcohol is legal where drugs are not and so friends/family are also watching the drug addict deal with a more broad-range set of legal problems.

Now i know there are exceptions to this, but i'm just looking at the trend of it all... but to me it seems that drug use/abuse/addiction is a quicker, more severe thing. That might be a blessing in the long run, i don't know.

winnie12

the programs are the same - in fact alanon program is basically the same as AA.
i think its just a matter of being around people who have similar experiences becuase that's how we help each other. But i do know several drug addicts who have said they prefer AA over NA - not sure why.

Callie

My DA husband prefers AA over NA - not sure why.

BayAreaPhoenix

I have sat in on open meetings in both. NA accepts alcohol as a drug and it's part of the opening readings to think of alcohol as a drug. In AA they stick strictly to alcohol with no mention of drugs (that I've heard anyway). I'm not sure why the difference but as said above, the "anon" groups are also based on the 12 steps and the 12 traditions. There might be some different common issues with one as opposed to the other - not sure about that, however, if an alcoholic finds more help in the NA rooms, or a drug addict in the AA rooms, I believe they are welcome wherever they feel the most comfortable and the most helped, same as for us. At least in my experience.

Seren

There are no Nar-Anon programs where I live, but many Al-Anon programs. I understand from reading what people say on these boards that the steps are the same.

As far as alcoholics and crack addicts being the same or different....well....my fiance's son was not violent or vile while drinking, but is very mean, nasty, and threatening while on crack. I guess that's just the different effects of the chemicals on the brain, but I don't really know.

HG

Daisy09

I have no experience with AA or NA, but I agree with Sojourner in that the experiences seem to be different. Alcohol is legal, and generally socially acceptable, so a person could be openly drinking heavily for a long time without others being aware of a problem. A drug problem, however, tends to be hidden, partly because of legal concerns and social stigma, which causes a different set of problems. Just my thoughts...

Daisy

justtired

My abf is an alcoholic and drug addict. He does not drink anymore, but did when we met. Now he's addicted to his pain meds. Having been through both sides with him, what I noticed is that the mentality behind the two are slightly different. For example, he used to drink in front of me no problem as drinking alcohol is legal and "socially acceptable". Abusing pills or other drugs is not acceptable so I definitely notice more of a secretiveness with this addiction. People aren't on the streets buying alcohol. There are just certain differences between the two that I'm sure would make one meeting maybe more relevant than the other in terms of hearing others' stories etc. When it comes down to it, abf was able to admit he had a drinking problem and remove himself from the situation, but doesn't feel he can remove himself from the pills as he has pain and does not want to live in pain, thus thinks he needs the meds. I've heard several people say that their addict prefers AA over NA and it sounds to me like it doesn't matter which you go to as long as they go and take working the steps seriously!

Anyway, hopefully that all made sense. I have to scoot so I tried to make it quick, but may have lost some clarity!

Abundance

My guy prefers AA to NA, as well. He says it's because they are more folks with clean time in AA than NA. He also thinks alcoholics have it much harder than drug addicts because alcohol is legal and the alcoholic has way more temptation. So - maybe it's a respect thing?

I dunno.

I agree with the secretiveness..... although alcoholics try to hide it as well... but the pills are easier to hide (in the beginning).

I also agree with how quickly the difference of progression is between the two.

My guy was socially using drugs and alcohol for years..... but then started with the pills (casually) in 2006 - and in 2008 he was in rehab - after spending the 18 months progressing heavier in pill abuse. Started out taking to the oxy for "fun" ... to then taking it to get going in the morning and using xanax to sleep. Or having to have the xanax to help with the coming down and the stressing out of not having the oxy. He was self medicating ... resulting in higher tolerance and then full blown addiction. He used to justify that the pills "helped" him work...... ugh - he now realizes just how false THAT was! The pills RUINED his work on so many levels.

Okaaaaaaaay.... don't know where all that came from?!

I think the different forums/rooms - is because it's easier to relate to one another. There are also different kinds of substance abuse rooms as well, although not as available as the AA rooms.

laurie6781

On June 10, 1935 AA came into existence when Bill W and Dr Bob got together.

Now for a long time after that AA was about "Alcoholism." Even when I came into the fellowship in 1981 you just did not talk about 'drug usage' in an AA meeting. However, 'dually addicted' people had been and were showing up more often, and earlier in the '70's some addicts had gotten together, and using a lot of the AA program started Narcotics Anonymous.

Now for a long time, and even to some degree today, in NA meetings you did NOT talk about alcohol and in AA meetings you did not talk about drugs.

However, there are many that prefer AA to NA as I guess the 'dogma' is a bit different between the groups. I have attended NA, and trust me in a pinch, if I NEEDED a meeting and NA was that was available I would go, but I too prefer AA.

Al-Anon, of course, was started to help the friends and family of the alcoholic and later Naranon came along. Naranon, not being near as big or as well known as Al-Anon does not get the members that Al-Anon does.

Part of the problem I M H O between AA and NA is our (the addict/alkie's) innate ability to suffer from 'terminal uniqueness' rofl. It has only been in recent years, as the medical profession and psychiatric profession have moved closer together that it has become apparent to all that Addiction is Addiction be it alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, etc

With all that being said, there are still folks, alkies that have never done any drugs, addicts that have really never indulged in alcohol that feel more comfortable in one or the other programs.

The basic principles of all 4 ARE THE SAME:

Principles Of The Steps

1. Admission of powerlessness. / Honesty

2. Reliance on a Higher Power. / Hope

3. Total surrender to God. / Faith

4. Moral inventory. / Courage

5. Admission of the exact nature of our wrongs. / Integrity

6. Commitment to total change. / Willingness

7. Prayer for wholeness. / Humilty

8. Total willingness to amend. / Brotherly Love

9. Making amends where possible. / Reconcilation

10. Continuing inventory. /Perserverance

11. Prayer meditation, leading to improved conscious contact with God. /
Awareness of God

12. Spiritual awakening, carrying the message and practicing the
principles in all our affairs. / Service.


I hope the above helps to clear some things up for y'all and not muddy the waters further, rofl

Love and hugs,

rebec

Thanks I have never seen the twelve steps explained so perfectly I will download for my records This place is GREAT!!!!!!!

Chino

My 21 y.o. daughter told me she prefers AA to NA. She said listening to an addict that was still using was too much for her to handle. She said most of the people in AA here are oldtimers.

NeedingHelp7

My AH prefered AA over NA for years because he denied his substance crack abuse and pill addiction. He is dually addicted.

I know a drug is a drug, but I see a slight differences with alcoholics than narc addicts.
You can tell the difference just by sitting in a meeting and listening to each.

There seems to be a more difficult recovery for addicts due to the progression, brain damage, etc involved, rather than alcoloholism. Some may prefer AA because of this. My AH told me a few week ago that in NA here many don't make it past a year before another relapse happens. The reason....many NA's don't work the steps. Very few step meetings.
Most AA's concentrate on step work.

So...Personally I see a difference between the both.

laurie, thankyou too for posting the principles of the steps. Thats a post I wish I had a printer for.