Welcome to Narcotics Anonymous of NJ. Our Message Is…
That an addict, any addict can stop using drugs,
lose the desire to use, and find a new way to live.
Helpline
If you feel you have a problem with drugs, call our helpline
Events
See upcoming NA events and activities in NJ
Narcotics Anonymous is a nonprofit fellowship or society of men and women for whom drugs had become a major problem. We are recovering addicts who meet regularly to help each other stay clean.
– Narcotics Anonymous Basic Text, page 9
Recovery from addiction is possible and available through the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions of Narcotics Anonymous.
Narcotics Anonymous is FREEDOM from active addiction.
Narcotics Anonymous is an international, community-based association of recovering drug addicts with over 61,000 weekly meetings in over 131 countries worldwide.
Just for Today
Before coming to NA, we used many excuses to justify our use of drugs: "He yelled at me." "She said this." "My partner left." "I got fired." We used these same excuses for not seeking help for our drug problem. We had to realize that these things kept happening because we kept using drugs. Only when we made recovery our first priority did these situations begin to change.
We may be subject to the same tendency today, using excuses for not attending meetings and being of service. Our current excuses may be of a different nature: "I can't leave my kids." "My vacation wore me out." "I have to finish this project so I can impress my boss." But still, if we don't make recovery our first priority, chances are that we won't have to worry about these excuses anymore. Kids, vacations, and jobs probably won't be in our lives if we relapse.
Our recovery must come first. Job or no job, relationship or no relationship, we have to attend meetings, work the steps, call our sponsor, and be of service to God and others. These simple actions are what make it possible for us to have vacations, families, and bosses to worry about. Recovery is the foundation of our lives, making everything else possible.
A Spiritual Principal a Day
The freedom we find when we stop using drugs is incredible. We regain so much in terms of the time, energy, and other resources that were previously devoted to sustaining our addiction. Saying \"no\" to our disease frees us up to say \"yes\" to things we\'d been missing out on. As we revel in our newfound ability to say \"yes\" to ourselves, some of us find ourselves looking for relief from other behaviors. \"Getting clean saved my life, but I gained so much weight my first year clean that I got stretch marks!\" Another member shared, \"The money I\'d been spending on drugs was diverted to buying crap I didn\'t need. I tried to fix myself with retail therapy--but I was still unhappy.\" Discipline can sometimes feel like a punishment--like we\'re denying ourselves things we really enjoy. If we\'re free, why do we have to say \"no\" to ourselves? Our freedom has its limits, as do our resources. Discipline helps us shift our thinking. Instead of focusing on what we deny ourselves--that extra piece of cake or the quick fix of an online purchase--we think about what we gain by using our resources wisely and keep our eyes on the financial security and peace of mind we\'re striving for. Discipline is the willingness to say \"no\" to things that feel good in the moment but cost us later. We do so as a Fellowship when we say \"no\" to money from outside NA--and \"yes\" to our ability to make our own choices as a Fellowship, remaining free from the influence of outside entities. In our personal recovery, we say \"no\" to momentary impulses for the sake of our longer-term peace of mind. Would we rather have a little bit of fleeting comfort right now or a deeper, lasting sense of comfort and security over time? The choice is ours.
