splendra

Bruce-

Are you try to figure out why you don't want to go to NA? or why you do?

Gmoney

"As any NA community matures in its understanding of its own principles (particularly Step One), an interesting fact emerges. The AA perspective, with its alcohol-oriented language, and the NA approach, with its clear need to shift the focus away from specific drugs, don’t mix well. When we try to mix them, we find that we have the same problem as AA had with us all along! When our members identify as "addicts and alcoholics" or talk about "sobriety" and living "clean and sober," the clarity of the NA message is blurred. The implication in this language is that there are two diseases, that one drug is separate from another, so a separate set of terms is needed when discussing addiction. At first glance this seems minor, but our experience clearly shows that the full impact of the NA message is crippled by this subtle semantic confusion.

It has become clear that our common identification, our unity, and our full surrender as addicts depends on a clear understanding of our most fundamental principles: We are powerless over a disease that gets progressively worse when we use any drug. It does not matter what drug was at the center for us when we arrived. Any drug we use will release our disease all over again. We recover from the disease of addiction by applying our Twelve Steps. Our steps are uniquely worded to carry this message clearly, so the rest of our language of recovery must be consistent with our steps. We cannot mix these fundamental principles with those of our parent fellowship without crippling our own message."

Excerpt from NAWS Bulletin # 13 - Some thoughts regarding our relationship to Alcoholics Anonymous

Sounds like this is where the "NA Clarity Statement" comes from, eh? Bruce musta been talking with AndyAddict!! LOL!!

Lily

Man Garry, where'd you dig this one up? Sometimes I accidently say clean and sober. I think it is cuz I went to AA meetings for the first 60 days. I am trying to stay true to NA now that I have learned from y'all. I no longer introduce myself as an alcoholic addict......

:-D

tiburon88

If they identify themselves as "alcoholics" they need to be escorted out of the meeting by the 2 biggest members.

kj3880

Really? You want them escorted out? I want NA to welcome anyone who has a substance abuse problem, alcohol, street drugs, glue, pills, whipped cream canisters, whatever, and if they mis-speak, then we can help educate them gently without alienating them. We might be saving a life when we welcome an alcoholic at an NA meeting. They can probably learn to say "addict" I guess. Maybe I'm just an ignorant newcomer.
kj

tiburon88

Of course I was being sarcastic. I personally say at NA meetings, I'm a alcoholic & addict. My drug of choice was MORE. I wish NA didn't consider alcohol a drug because then I could attend NA meetings loaded on booze & collect clean time chips!

Gmoney

Chill you guys! LOL!!

I actually dug this one up because a friend of mine who lives in Florida emailed me and asked where the NA Clarity Statement came from. I told her I didn't know, but it wasn't named, as such, at the NA website (Narcotics Anonymous, NA, homepage).

When she emailed me back, she said she had googled it and found several links that led to SR. I clicked on one and this is what I got. The excerpt from bulletin #13, I added just to throw in my two cents.

It is a general misconception that NA is trying to dictate how members refer to themselves in meetings. IMO, this is not what the NA Clarity Statement is saying. It is merely a request...based on a very good reason.

Tiburon is just joking.... I think? :rof

Lily

Where's Bruce and why did he keep yelling?

Gmoney

I dunno. I'm still wondering what happened to SaTiT?

Paulie

I have a freind with over 11 years clean that you can just see her shoulders tense up and her jar tighten when someone in an NA meeting uses the word sober...I do it on purpose when I am sitting right next to her - she says in NA we are clean.....not sober.
I think the whole debate is just silly.

As Gooch said it one of the earlier posts on this thread.....we just need to keep it simple.

tiburon88

Yeah I was just joking in my above comments.

Tib

kj3880

Oh, sorry, tib. I guess my sense of humor was broken yesterday!! Maybe it's part of the PAWS (I'm blaming everything on PAWS, hehehe).
kj

Gmoney

I, too, think we should keep it simple. Simple as, "when in Rome...." :rof

Her "jar tighten?" :rof (I know...a typo) But, yes, I've seen the same in both fellowships. There are those, in AA, who are intolerant of any talk of drugs other than alcohol. I believe we find out what we are when we're thorough with our 1st step. Afterwards, it's just a matter of respect of the Singleness of Purpose and the respective message of each program. I wouldn't go to AA meetings and identify myself as an addict...let alone share about drugs. But that's just me.

Lily

Since you mention it, I wonder where SaTiT is? Splashylanding, and just now I was going back on the NA forum and there are countless ppl I have never heard of. I wonder if these ppl just quit writing or went back out. Probably some of both. I used to write on Xanga everyday, and that died out. I think I update like twice a year now..... myspace, like never anymore.

Paulie

Yes Garry typo LOL
oops!

Sheila some of these people from a few years ago are gone, some have moved on to other sites and sadly I am sure some have gone back out, actually I know some have. And it is very sad.

I have been a part of SR since 2002, but I too was gone for a while, along while actually. Just took a break. But some of the main SR people that helped to build it into what it is today have gone off to start their own sites or just moved on. Like Jon.....he moved on. Jon started SR and he was a gift to us all.

navysteve

I have yet to meet anyone who left a meeting and got high because of the way someone announced themselves at a meeting. When I work one on one with another I explain why "I" announce myself as an addict only in an NA meeting. How they announce themselves is their business.

This same problem goes on in AA too, it is pointless. But at the core I agree with you, where I disagree is the attention given to how "others" practice this program. If I focus on having something to offer rather than what is going wrong in the meeting I tend to sleep better at night. I had to give up fixing stuff I am not qualified to...

If we are to be examples of recovery to the newcomer, then should we let words have this much power?

navysteve

I think we call these priviledged problems. Our lives are so great that we can focus on this???

Cool!

Gmoney

I agree with you again Steve. I must have a fever or something...

navysteve

Yeah man,
What's up with that????? Maybe you need to change avatars back or something

Gmoney

:rof