Do you have a particular meeting picked out? Regardless, I'll mention that you should prepare yourself to try a couple different meetings in your town...different groups can have very different vibes.
Other than that...
Near the start of the meeting, the chairperson will ask if there are any people at their first NA meeting. I strongly recommend that you do this. Just stand up and say "Hi, my name is simone3" or "Hi, my name is simone3 and I'm an addict"... whichever you prefer. Also useful here is to say, I'd love to talk with folks after the meeting (assuming you'd actually like that).
Also near the start of the meeting, the chairperson will ask if anyone wants a meeting list with phone numbers. I recommend getting one of these. And bring your list to your first few meetings...get as many numbers as you can, and try to use them between meetings, even if it seems awkward.
The meeting will start with people taking turns reading a few standard bits of preamble. If there are lots of people there, there's no need to grab one of the cards and read from it. But if the meeting is small and you're feeling good, I'd grab one of the shorter cards...maybe the yellow or blue one...probably not either of the white ones, as these are pretty long, and if you're like me, you won't feel like reading out loud for a long time when you're new to a group.
There's never any compulsion to share. Sometimes newcomers will share at their first meeting. Other folks choose just to listen. Either way is totally cool. Don't pressure yourself if you're nervous.
Lastly, I do recommend sticking around a few minutes afterwards to see if you can chat with any of the attendees. Often these 'meetings after the meeting' include some pretty nice conversation, and it's largely how I've gotten to know which people I like, and which people to stay away from.
In terms of staying away from certain people, keep in mind that at any NA meeting, there are going to be people who are serious about their recovery. But there will probably be people who aren't--they may be court-ordered, or they may just be shady. So you'll want to use common sense as you're getting to know folks. There's no need to give your number to anyone if you don't feel like it, etc.
You're going to this meeting for YOU. So the main advice I can give is just to go and get as much from it as you can. There's really no risk of embarrassment or doing the wrong thing...it's all been done a million times before!
Let us know how it goes... and good luck!
Sim
