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
Humility was an idea so foreign to most of us that we ignored it as long as we could. When we first saw the word "humbly" ahead in Step Seven, we may have figured it meant we had quite a bit of humiliation in store. Perhaps we chose to look it up in the dictionary, only to become even more confused by the definition. We didn't understand how "lowliness and subservience" applied to recovery.
To be humble does not mean we are the lowest form of life. On the contrary, becoming humble means we attain a realistic view of ourselves and where we fit in the world. We grow into a state of awareness founded on our acceptance of all aspects of ourselves. We neither deny our good qualities nor overemphasize our defects. We honestly accept who we are.
No one of us will ever attain a state of perfect humility. But we can certainly strive to honestly admit our faults, accept our assets, and rely on our Higher Power as a source of strength. Humility doesn't mean we have to crawl life's path on our hands and knees; it just means we must admit we cannot recover on our own. We need each other and, above all, we need the power of a loving God.
A Spiritual Principle a Day
Our relationships with other addicts in NA can teach us a lot about how to practice care in the way we relate to the people in our lives. Most of us have distorted ideas about exercising love, kindness, or concern for others when we get here. No matter what habits or hang-ups we come in with, recovery improves our ability to give and receive care.
Having a sponsor teaches us about letting others care for us. When we find a sponsor who's right for us, we soon get the chance to experience the genuineness and generosity described in the quotation above. Sponsors are often able to balance compassion with honesty as they help us to reconcile what's in our head with what's in our heart. We get to know what it feels like not to be in control of how another person demonstrates their care for us, which can be surprisingly freeing. Accepting help others offer, each in their own way, is a practice we can bring to all of our relationships.
Similarly, showing our concern for newcomers or sponsees teaches us how to practice care as a spiritual principle. Deep down, we know we truly want others to feel the hope and experience the freedom we've received in NA. Our care for newer members helps us listen deeply and then share our relevant experience. We learn to do our part and leave the results to a power greater than ourselves. Instead of filling every conversation break with our opinions, we practice our skills as caring, attentive listeners.
These lessons profoundly enhance our ability to develop and sustain loving relationships. We allow people to be there for us, and we're there right back.
