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
By the time we came to NA, our inner voices had become unreliable and self-destructive. Addiction had warped our desires, our interests, our sense of what was best for ourselves. That's why it's been so important in recovery to develop our belief in a Power greater than ourselves, something that could provide saner, more reliable guidance than our own. We've begun learning how to rely on this Power's care and to trust the inner direction it provides us.
As with all learning processes, it takes practice to "pray only for knowledge of God's will for us and the power to carry that out." The selfish, ego-driven attitudes we developed in our addiction are not cast off overnight. Those attitudes may affect the way we pray. We may even find ourselves praying something like, "Relieve me of this character defect so I can look good."
The more straightforward we are about our own ideas and desires, the easier it will be to distinguish between our own will and our Higher Power's will. "Just for your information, God," we might pray, "here's what I want in this situation. Nonetheless, I ask that your will, not mine, be done." Once we do this, we are prepared to recognize and accept our Higher Power's guidance.
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.
