Narcotics Anonymous

[Kaos General]

Ok i read something just now that really pissed me off. This doesnt just apply to NA this applies to AA, CA and all 12 step programmes. Here are the 12 steps for NA:

Step 1 - We admitted we were powerless over our addiction - that our lives had become unmanageable
Step 2 - Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity
Step 3 - Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood him
Step 4 - Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves
Step 5 - Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs
Step 6 - Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character
Step 7 - Humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings
Step 8 - Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all
Step 9 - Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others
Step 10 - Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it
Step 11 - Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood God, praying only for knowledge of God's will for us and the power to carry that out
Step 12 - Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to other addicts, and to practice these principles in all our affairs

Focus if you will on step 3, It says as we understood him. Now this has been changed recently to Higher Power because when it states god people assumed it meant religion. Now your god, or higher power could mean your family, your friends or even that fucking lamp stood in the corner. Its not about god or jesus or religion. NA literally saved my life and it pisses me right off when people who have no fucking clue what its about starts slagging it off because they heard the mention of the word god.

 

[me myself and i]

Question Wayne.............please

Why use the word "God"
I'm a bit perplexed to be honest, I know its used to mean focus or loved ones or whatever................
But its always going to bring religious connatations by its very definition of the word.
And im glad NA saved your life.

 

[Kaos General]

Question Wayne.............please

Why use the word "God"
I'm a bit perplexed to be honest, I know its used to mean focus or loved ones or whatever................
But its always going to bring religious connatations by its very definition of the word.
And im glad NA saved your life.

Because NA was originally copied of the original 12 steps of AA when religion was important. The first thing you learn doing 12 steps is god could mean anything, its just a word.

 

[me myself and i]

Makes sense now, thanks.

 

[Craig]

Such is our society. We love to piss and moan about details and in an effort to make things more 'socialy acceptable'.

I could never get past step 1 myself. I feel that it is willpower that keeps an alcoholic from drinking and an addict from using. Its willpower that makes us go to meetings and work the steps. I dont see how I could admit to being 'powerless' when its by that will power that I am reaching out for a program to get better.

Im glad they worked for you though.

 

[Kaos General]

Such is our society. We love to piss and moan about details and in an effort to make things more 'socialy acceptable'.

I could never get past step 1 myself. I feel that it is willpower that keeps an alcoholic from drinking and an addict from using. Its willpower that makes us go to meetings and work the steps. I dont see how I could admit to being 'powerless' when its by that will power that I am reaching out for a program to get better.

Im glad they worked for you though.

Thats the entire problem that everyone has with the 12 steps. They arent to be taken literally, its just a rough guide

 

[Axiom]

Didn't know that I actually looked it up because I thought it wasnt this. The god stuff would nark me off tbh. Trying to find the conceptual meaning inside each rule would be a pain since it's written with the perception of an externa being instead of just the person who is enduring the issues.
To each their own I suppose. I won't knock it or bash why I disagree with it, as these steps have defiantly helped so many people.

 

[Kaos General]

The reason it works so well is because when your addicted to something your life becomes a mess, all your 'friends' are all doing the same thing etc. When you finally do wanna stop and change then thats where NA and AA comes in. Addiciton is chaos, after addiction you need a focus and a social gathering of people who aren't using and know how you feel and have been their, its kinda like the real life version of this site. I mean the stuff people talk about on here, only we can relate because we have been their and experienced it. The 12 steps gives people something to focus on because its working on yourself and thats the hardest thing you can ever do. Believe me, it doesnt always work because giving up a substance is the second hardest thing to do especially as its the easiest option. Like everything you only get out what you put in, and for something like NA to work you need willpower like you wouldnt believe. Some of the stuff that came out when i went through it wasnt nice at all.

Anyway thats what i think it is and how it works. Its different things to different people though so what i think isnt what someone else is gonna think

 

[Axiom]

Well, it makes sense I agree, it's going to be different to each person. I haven't been there or actually ever read them. But I do see how structurally important they can be to focus and draw from.