Forum name change?
 

Seems as if the Narcotics Anonymous furum has as many ( maybe more) posts from members of other programs or family of addicts than "members of NA" themselves.

Of course it could just be my perception.

Guess what I'm attempt8ng to state is I'm grateful for the hard asses in my area that kept the Narcotics Anonymous message alive and clear.

If i had run into some of these topics before knowing what NA was all about, I'd probably be pushing up dirt.

Feel free to dissassemble my statement and show me where I'm off te hook.
( but be prepared to catch a ration of quotes and literature from me if you beat me up too badly.)

was snowing here today .. maybe thats whats in my craw too. :abcn:

Ya think :thinking:

Anyways I know that I don't agree with everything that goes on here, but I am not sure is this a open or closed forum for NA? Kind of like a open or closed meeting right? I probably have no clue what I am talking about so maybe I better just listen on this one and maybe learn something new!

Love Vic :bananadan

If you were closer I would let you have my electric blanket!

Agreed...If the forum is called "Narcotics Anonymous" one would think it should follow NArcotics Anonymous traditions...just my $.02

You're absolutely right. But SR is free and available to anyone seeking help with recovery. Like Vic was alluding to, it's kind of like an open meeting. Everyone is welcome to post in whichever forum they find relevant.

Here's what I think, though - I think that those of us who are *traditional* NA members should be posting more threads about NA and sharing our own experience, strength and hope. The best way to keep the forum focused on NA is for the NAers to post a lot, IMO.

i think a start to making this a "narcotics anonymous forum" would be to not mix up the chat meeting that i occasionally see announced here.

granted in open meetings, anyone is welcome, but that doesn't make it a generic 12 step meeting. its still a narcotics anonymous meeting that follows narcotics anonymous traditions and reads narcotics anonymous literature...

although i can't find the chat link and haven't seen the meeting announced lately, so maybe its not happening anymore?

but if you click the link to "NA meetings" at the bottom of the page - over on the left you will see a variety of non NA links... including methadone and suboxone links.

so really, i dont see any way for this forum to follow the na traditions... the way its set up. i guess the best to hope for is those of us who are na members and choose to participate here, do our best to follow traditions.

Here is how I look at it! I usually post the Just For Today Meditations every morning, sure people look at them but rarely does anyone post on how it applies to them today. Also I have started threads like NA QUOTE OF THE DAY! Didn't get much response there either. If this is really a problem here then why are people not responding to them! Well none of us can decide which threads someone responds to and which ones that we don't. I do however know that Tradition 6 as long as with other ones are very important in recovery, my personal recovery also depends on tradition one. So we chose whcih ones to post on and which ones not to. Still we have what NA gives us and that is the freedom of choice.

Love Vic :bananadan

i rarely look at the jft's posted online because i know they aren't really supposed to be posted, unfortunately.
i went through this with another site that was having problems... posting the jft's to generate positive discussion, then went to just posting the JFT topic and sharing on it myself... a few people replied but not like the controversial topics!
are you aware of the FIPT? here's a link to the faq...
http://www.na.org/legal/fiptfaq.htm

here's a quote from it:
"4. Can members, groups, areas, or regions post NA literature or readings on the Internet or send literature out via email/list servers?

NAWS is the sole publisher of NA recovery literature and for that reason no other person or group is allowed to produce or post NA literature anywhere. NAWS does not encourage that any literature be posted because it puts the copyright for NA literature at risk. This includes websites/list servers that send out NA literature (or portions of it) via email on a regular basis. NAWS is experimenting with posting information pamphlets on its official website, www.na.org, so registered service bodies can provide links from their own websites and do not need to post the actual literature on their own site."

It doesn't put the copyright NA literature at risk if it is posted that it is a copyright. Maybe I am wrong here but I will wait to see what Gooch or Todd has to say about this. Of course I am probably wrong, and anytime that I see someone use the lieterature it is usually a So now we are going off of the topic that was originated which is Forum name change. Now from what I have read that we are suppose to keep on the topic of the origional post. It doesn't matter if I am right or wrong! Today I can allow myself to not be right.

They are not posted as personal stuff and they are daily not the whole book.

As the matter of fact, I posted the whole basic Text on here, it wasn't the 5th Edition it was the 3rd Edition, "The unapproved copy", Got it on line. I don't deny literature, I dont support the money makers telling Groups how to conduct business either.

Every thing we obtain and strive for in NA is to Get clean, learn a new way of life and help others. The 5th Tradition is supported by every Tradition, when we veer from our primary purpose, we start to wabble and the we weeble and then we ALL fall down.

It is just like at the Homegroup, if a newcomer comes to our meeting and they don't have money for a book, the book doesn't sit there, even if the book is never paid for, some day while working the 9th step, it will be.
What I believe my friend is geting to here is it seems to be Problems Anonymous not Narcotics Anonymous, and it just happens that it is getting soft. Everyone has there perceptions and opinions and they are not fact they are misguided opinions that can stnd on the ground. We have Blessing Blockers in here, (If I dont shine as bright as you, you should shine less for me). Get a hold of this Program and stop putting limitations on your life.

Peace,
Todd J.

How about........."Narcotic Anonymous Hardcore Members Only And The Rest Of You Can Go Jump In A Lake Of Fire And Suffer Eternal Damnation"

that'd be a good name.

:banana:

WOW?

I don't have to react today but thanks for the imput! :)

Are we going to have to listen to your inventory now too?:13:

God, please don't everyone (a few of ya) go trying to "organize" this board too. I'm probably one of the earliest registered members here and, as with what just happened at Earth Group, I would high-tail it from here to.

Just to paraphrase a quote from some of NA's literature "on traditions" I remind y'all that anything that has an impact, positive or negative, on an addicts ability to stay clean or grow spiritually is material for sharing. When talking about our message, let us never forget the first word of the short form, "Freedom."

in loving service and fellowship
andyaddict
Los Angeles

A couple of my longest and best friends have a couple of sons who fooled around with some smack and found themselves strung out. I recommended this site to them and the first thing they commented on was how useful it was for them to read about other addict's struggles and recovery. Even though they messed with psychedelics when they were younger they couldn't understand the process of addiction into recovery.

I believe family and friends of addicts are gonna want some input from us who have been there and managed to come out the other side. In my opinion it's a small issue. These people are going nuts, getting ripped off and being lied to and it's only natural they would be interested in reading the NA forum. We can share our experience, strength and hope with eachother and if a mom comes in here, ready to tear her hair out because she's at her wits end because of her son/daughters activities then IMHO I think it's up to us to share with her (them) what we can and then direct them to the Naranon board where they will really get the help they need.

that's my 2 cents

Remind me again about the "qualifications" for NA membership? I didn't realize we had to pass a test, or something. Is someone else going to take my inventory to determine if I belong?

Gah....

Sis, the only qualification for MEMBERSHIP in NA is a desire to stop using. THat's not what this topic is about, though. THere are qualifications on how groups and meetings should be run, they are called the traditions.

1. Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends on NA unity.
   
2. For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority—a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants, they do not govern.
   
3. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop using.
   
4. Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or NA as a whole.
   
5. Each group has but one primary purpose—to carry the message to the addict who still suffers.
   
6. An NA group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the NA name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property, or prestige divert us from our primary purpose.
   
7. Every NA group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.
   
8. Narcotics Anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special workers.
   
9. NA, as such, ought never be organized, but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.
   
10. Narcotics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the NA name ought never be drawn into public controversy.
    
11. Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films.
    
12. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.

Traditions 2, 7 and ESPECIALLY 6 jump out at me in regards to this topic and discussion.

This obviously cannot be an official NA meeting - for the reasons you state, Blake. This forum is not self-supporting - it is provided by an owner with his/her own agenda and is under "outside" influences and authority.

Similarly, the Family and Friends forum used to be Alanon - but was asked by the national organization to not use that title. I couldn't see why when I first got here, but as my home group worked traditions and I attended several Tradition studies face to face, I can better understand.

This is what I was reacting to. I may post mainly in the Anon forums, but I am the only one who knows if I 'belong' here.

Because this is the Internet, there is no one at the door saying - "Closed meeting, NA members only". There can be - just as there is at a live meeting - someone who can keep the topics on track. The topics. Not the people.

I just wanted to add that we "invaders" of the NA forum just come here to gather some of your ESH so that we can maintain a little hope for our addicted loved ones. Sometimes some of us may have a question because we DON'T understand what our addicted loved ones go through.

It gets pretty down when your husband uses drugs and you can't understand WHY or what he is going through. Being able to read another addicts experiences really does make a difference regardless of what folks think. Being able to read how they OVERCAME their addiction to whatever it is gives me hope that my husband can do it too.

We read so that we can understand.

Hey Blake,

Could you elaborate on how those apply to this situation. It's starting to sound like it's a violation of Traditons for this board to even be here, since there are advertisements and money being made from this website.

Paul