Support groups can be an enormous benefit for someone who is considering quitting from opiates (even if you may not think so, if you are truly dedicated to quitting you should be able to at least see some benefit from such a group). You may have some misconceptions about such groups.
Narcotics Anonymous Logo
Narcotics Anonymous(NA) is probably the most widely known support group, is based on a 12 step program. This program may also involve appeals to a higher power. This may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but there are alternatives. These elements are not enforced on members, however, and NA is a top resource for recovering addicts. From the NA website:
Membership is open to all drug addicts, regardless of the particular drug or combination of drugs used. When adapting AA’s First Step, the word “addiction” was substituted for “alcohol,” thus removing drug-specific language and reflecting the “disease concept” of addiction. Narcotics Anonymous provides a recovery process and peer support network that are linked together. One of the keys to NA’s success is the therapeutic value of addicts working with other addicts. Members share their successes and challenges in overcoming active addiction and living drug-free, productive lives through the application of principles contained within the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of NA. These principles are the core of the Narcotics Anonymous recovery program. Narcotics Anonymous itself is a non-religious program of recovery; each member is encouraged to cultivate an individual understanding-religious or not-of the spiritual principles and apply these principles to everyday life.
There are no social, religious, economic, racial, ethnic, national, gender, or class-status membership restrictions. There are no dues or fees for membership; most members regularly contribute in meetings to help cover the expenses incurred for the rent of a facility space.
Narcotics Anonymous is not affiliated with other organizations, including other twelve step programs, treatment centers, or correctional facilities. As an organization, NA does not employ professional counselors or therapists, nor does it provide residential facilities or clinics. Additionally, the fellowship does not provide vocational, legal, financial, psychiatric, or medical services. NA has only one mission: to provide an environment in which addicts can help one another stop using drugs and find a new way to live.
In Narcotics Anonymous, members are encouraged to comply with complete abstinence from all drugs including alcohol. It has been the experience of NA members that complete and continuous abstinence provides the best foundation for recovery and personal growth. NA as a whole has no opinion on outside issues, including prescribed medications. Use of psychiatric medication and other medically indicated drugs prescribed by a physician and taken under medical supervision is not seen as compromising a person’s recovery in NA.
Another option to consider is SMART (Self-Management and Recovery Training) Recovery. SMART Recovery is a nationwide, nonprofit organization which offers free support groups to individuals who desire to gain independence from any type of addictive behavior. This program adheres to four points:
1) Enhance and maintain motivation to abstain
2) Cope with urges
3) Manage thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
4) Balance momentary and enduring satisfactions
They also differ from traditional 12 step programs in that they approach addiction from a scientific standpoint, rather than through appeals from a higher power:
SMART Recovery® has a scientific foundation, not a spiritual one. SMART Recovery® teaches increasing self-reliance, rather than powerlessness. SMART Recovery® views addictive behavior as a maladaptive habit, rather than as a disease. SMART Recovery® meetings are discussion meetings in which individuals talk with one another, rather than to one another. SMART Recovery® encourages attendance for months to years, but probably not a lifetime. There are no sponsors in SMART Recovery®. SMART Recovery® discourages use of labels such as “alcoholic” or “addict”.
In addition to recovery groups such as these, there are many helpful communities online that encourage peer interaction. This helps when your resolve weakens, it often only takes a good listener at times. One such community is SupportGroups.com (not only focused on narcotics also).
SupportGroups.com is a growing online support groups community. Our goal is to bring people together around life’s challenges by providing concise, up-to-date information and a meeting place for individuals, their friends and families, and professionals who offer pathways to help.
If you are considering getting in touch with a support group, the contact numbers can be found below:
PO Box 9999
Van Nuys, California 91409 USA
Telephone (818) 773-9999
Fax (818) 700-0700
Find A Meeting in Your Area
7304 Mentor Avenue
Suite F
Mentor, OH 44060
Toll free: 866-951-5357
Tel: 440-951-5357
Fax: 440-951-5358
Find Meetings in Your Area