chancho9965

Having been around since mid 1987 and attended both fellowships and Ive noticed that the literature in AA happens to be centered in God and the awareness of my shortcomings and complete need for Him and the NA literaure is more on "me" centered where I would end up saying how great I am and things of sort. What have you experienced?

Zencat

From N.A. (Reprinted from Newsline Vol. 2, No. 6.)

N.A.:
1. We admitted we were powerless over our addiction, that our
lives had become unmanageable.

A.A.:
1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol, that our lives had become unmanageable.

The link to the article below explains the difference between the powerless over our addiction or alcohol.

Some thoughts regarding our
relationship to Alcoholics Anonymous

Right away I can see in N.A. with regards to step one the behavior of addiction causes unmanageably and in A.A.'s step one the substance causes unmanageably. Then I conclude the 'locus of control' for the N.A. member is internal and for the A.A. member its external.

Very interesting, good question.

Missybuns

I agree the AA book is go God and the NA literature is more of an awareness of myself focused. Depending on how well I go from healing from obsessive self-centeredness in my active addiction to selfless service in my recovery would determine how I feel about myself.

The literature is a guide...it doesn't give me a false sense of who I am. I don't think it causes me to do or say anything except to identify with a unified program proven to help addicts recover.

If there was no literature I would still have a desire to learn a different way to live than in the throws of addiction.

The literature makes it easier to pass along the message of recovery. Steps were taken and recalled to work again and again. The literature is a great resource but isnt where my recovery is....my recovery is within myself.

I changed. I chose to change. The literature is a tool. A good one and valued a great deal by many. However, it is my desire to grow and reap spiritual well being, that makes me a 12 stepper.

I am grateful for the literature. The literature doesnt make me any certain way...I just am.

A friend of mine who is an addictions counselor has helped me see the answer lies in the clientele of the different fellowships.

AA focus is on a specific substance, alcohol, and is legal so is socially acceptable. NA focus is on addiction and not a specific substance and more often than not illegal so aren't socially acceptable. These attract different types of people.

Im an NA member...the "me" literature suits me because my problem is me...I have to get out of the way to let a higher power (or god) in.

I use the steps to get out of my own way.


In recovery 3 years,
thanks for asking,
Missy

CarolD

The reason I committed to AA ... rather than NA ... is
alcohol was my DOC.

:I'm a real "keep it simple" kinda woman.

zakari

No, really people are still sick in both programs.

dirtyjerz08

I would say that either program is what you make of it. Personally I go to AA, although I have been to NA meetings as well. My first DOC was alcohol, which lead me to doing anything else under the sun. Once I quit drinking I got hooked on opiates. I still went back to AA. For me either program is in essence about recovering from a hopeless state, and improving one's self on a daily basis. The God concept was easy for me to swallow, but that is just a part of AA. It is really about not drinking/drugging and working on those ever present character defects. In my case my own will never really got me anywhere positive, so doing God's will (i.e not using, doing the next right thing, helping the next suffering person) is a very positive change. I don't claim to know much about NA, but in my opinion either fellowship is excellent and vital to any person trying to recover from an addiction. Heck, I think the 12 steps should be mandatory for all those "normal" people too. The world would be a better place.

CAPTAINZING2000

NA DRIED UP WHERE I LIVE. WE LET EVERYONE IN OUR AA MEETINGS.

I DON'T THINK, GOD SORTS US OUT BY OUR DISEASE!!

I stay around the tables to help anyone I can find a God of their understanding, to teach them to pay it forward

doorknob

Very little.

Boleo

I have never been to a NA meeting so I don't know much about it. I have meet dozens of AA members who started out in NA and switched to AA to find better
sponsorship and spiritual growth.

doorknob

I believe much of that is due to AA's greater numbers and wider availability. And fellowship flavor varies greatly from place to place.

Tommyh

you`re telling my story too
same here but NA is weak and sparatic.NA meetings come and NA meetings go
around here.I left NA in 88 and followed AA because of the long term sobriety,the old timers and the larger fellowship.I agree with some of the posts that NA does not seem to me to focus on the Power Greater than Ourselves as much as AA does.The few local NA members do not seem as happy and free as the AA`s does.

YouveGotStyleKi

My opinion here folks, so don't flip out.

In the big book, it even says in the doctor's opinion that Dr. Silkworth was a specialist in alcoholic AND drug addiction, but from that point it centers on alcohol.

In NA, they consider ANYTHING mood or mind altering to be a drug. It even includes in How It Works that alcohol IS A DRUG.

I'm an NA kinda guy, and it might be because I'm such a youngin, but I like NA better because it's all inclusive. It doesn't discriminate like AA does, and even if you're an alcoholic, you're still an addict. Don't get me wrong. I'm very grateful to AA for imposing the principles that it did to NA, but I'm more focused on working out my defects of character as opposed to letting God or a HP take them away from me... I understand that I need to trust in God throughout the steps, but it's more important that I'm self-aware, not self-centered.

Also, around here, it's kinda taboo for anyone whose DOC isn't alcohol to step into an AA meeting. The old timers in the AA meetings I've been to are very closed minded and think that I have no place coming into their meetings because I was an Oxy/heroin addict.

Kallista

The NA meetings that I've been to have been younger for the most part. There are more young people there, maybe because drugs can force you to the bottom a bit faster than alcohol. NA members also seem to have harder bottoms -- lots more police involvement and often more serious police involvement.

There's also a bit less tolerance for smoking at NA meetings in my area. There's a lot more people who will speak up and say that nicotine is an addictive drug and NA members should quit it. AA is just about alcohol, so there's not much advice given re. smoking.

Peter

I got sober/clean in AA.

AA saved my life, but after nearly four years in AA I still had a lot of unanswered questions about God and Life and Spirituality.

NA's broader perspective on the problem of addiction helped me to develop a better understanding of myself.

I have made my home in NA because to me it is the true core of most other 12 Fellowships.

Pinkcuda

That about sums it up right there.
Addicts use because they have a craving they need to fix and for the Alcoholic the consumption of Alcohol triggers a craving.

kj3880

I agree that AA seems more religious, they say the Our Father at meetings around here and talk about God a lot here. But in NA in my area, God is usually referred to, if at all, as Higher Power. Also, NA in my area is a younger crowd generally, and they socialize with each other more. NA'ers here tend to go to meetings every day even after years of recovery, not so much at AA. NA'ers tend to date each other more here, too. NA'ers in my area take a couple of years to work through all 12 steps typically, where AAers here get them done in only a couple months or even less (that's one difference I envy. I want to get through them faster, too). In my area, a lot of addicts do go to AA and NA, but not vice-versa.
KJ

doorknob

I haven't been to an NA meeting in the Spokane area yet. I do plan on checking them out. I preferred them in the last area I lived in, for the reasons you mentioned. Most of the NA meetings in Spokane are held at a clubhouse which is located in the drug zone, which is why I haven't gone yet .

cookconfay

Ok, just my opinion so no offense ok....around here....years ago, AA had the bad reputation for shunning addicts. WELL, that has changed, now AA is so accepting of anyone, I mean if you're sick and need recovery, who are we/they to say no you can't come? Now NA around here totally flips out if you mention Alcohol or the Big Book!!!! It's so stupid and I've seen people get shunned and go out and die!!!! I qualify for any recovery program, I've overeaten, I used to smoke, I drank, I did all different kinds of dope, all different kinds of ways. So.....with that said, my doc ended up being heroin. I do AA and have not done any NA in about 8 yrs. Around here they are what I would call NA Nazis and besides there's no real substantial amount of time in the rooms, too much talking about what it was like too. I'm into what it's like now......my sobriety/clean date is Aug 23 '97

searching4zen

i don't feel comfortable in AA, it's far too Christian in my area.
i'm not Christian, i am trying to become spiritual though.
NA i feel is very flexible as to what you believe. unfortunately they say the our father at one of the NA meetings i go to (it's my favorite meeting regardless.)
i worry this pushes out non-Christians if it's their first meeting and they say a Christian prayer at the end. it sends the wrong impression in my mind.

sct

I'm recovering from Cathoholism, the "GOD" thing isn't an big turn-off for me. I simply don't relate to alcoholics as well as drug addicts. I am an addict. NA, is one disease, one fellowship.

... for a little clarification, the reason that other fellowships literature isn't discussed in NA meetings is because it dilutes the message. NA has a very specific message, that any addict can stop using, lose the desire to use, and find a new way to live in Narcotics Anonymous. Endorsement of other fellowships implies that the 'real' solution is still somewhere out there. For me, that isn't the truth.

Sorry, brief rant. I'm a Traditions Junkie.