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narcotics anonymous australians

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dogsoldier

Bluelighter
Joined
Sep 2, 2007
Messages
73
Location
Perth Australia
Was 5 months clean from not using meth relapsed two nights ago.
Im thinking of attending narcotics anonymous group but im really nervous.
Ive been battleing meth for 6 years now and im just over everything.
Any advice from people who have been to these groups would be cool.
Just dont really no what to expect.
 
Hey dogsoldier <3 so sorry to hear you relapsed after 5 months. That was a serious accomplishment. It's a good sign though that you are not going to let this set you back too far. And are ready to go head on back into the battle against your addiction.

I am in the US and NA meetings here are pretty standard. Basically for both NA and AA the structure of the meeting is the same. The meeting consist of someone, a person active in the NA community, telling a story of their addiction. The story is intended to identify similarities with others in the room and to point out the path that addiction often leads. The meeting usually lasts an hour and once the person is done telling their story of the night they will pass out chips for 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, etc. When you make it to a week you can get your first chip.

I think the chip idea is pretty cool. You are supposed to keep it in your pocket so when you pull out your money to pay for your alcohol or drugs you will see the chip and it will remind you. (I don't know anyone who pays for meth with change but I could be wrong.) But regardless I think it's cool to keep it in your pocket or wallet as one last reminder. It's also a tangible thing that symbolizes how far you've come.

Some meetings can be different. I was very used to attending meetings that were on the standard structure of the "audience" listening to the speaker and never having to give feedback. I did however stumble upon a meeting once at a new place where it was a more a "group" meeting where everyone talked back and forth. It was a bit intimidating that first time there since they honed in on me being new and were on me all night trying to engage conversation.

Also bring a dollar or some change with you. At some meetings they pass around a little bowl where people donate money. I guess it helps pay for the coins/chips and also the coffee and hot cocoa they have standard at most meetings. I had been so used to attending meetings that didn't do the money bowl that when I stumbled in on one that did I had left my bag and all of my belongings and money in the car and I felt like a schmuck. I'm sure it's not a big deal either way but I get awkward out easily.

Goodluck!! <3
 
Also if you've never attended one before I think a common miss conception is that in order to attend AA and NA you have to begin working the steps. This is not the case. You can choose to take full advantage of what NA has to offer by attending the meeting, finding a sponsor (someone who is deeper into their steps and has been sober for a while) someone you look up to and think you can trust to be a good role model to you, and also working the steps.

You can attend meetings, even the same meeting religiously without ever fully using all of the features. You won't be frowned upon for not seeking further help such as a sponsor. There is a very cool openness about AA and NA and a universal kind of acceptance. You can simply attend the meeting to have something to do in your day, and to listen to a speaker to remind you to stay on track. If that is all you want.

Also don't get scared off by the steps and them mentioning them at the meetings. I believe they read the steps at the beginning of the meeting. The steps were formed on a religious basis mentioning god and such but the cool part about them is they are universal. If you are atheist or agnostic like a few people I met the "higher power" they speak of in the steps can mean anything you believe to be a greater stronger power than yourself it doesn't have to be god.

Someone I met in NA actually told me when he was in a rehab center he combatted his councilors by telling them he didn't believe in a god or higher power and therefore the steps were useless to him. His particular facility was located along the coast and the councilor took him onto the beach and told him to stand in the water. She asked him if he could control the waves or make them stop. She explained that as being a "higher power" something greater than you that you have no control over. That example was a bit obscure but it made sense to me when he told me the story. I'm not sure if I retold it accurately enough to get the point across. But basically a higher power can be anything greater than yourself that you have no control over. If you want to work the steps you will find something that will work for yourself, I know it :).

Please keep us updated on how it went and how you are doing! We are a close community (at times similar to the type of community and support you can find at meetings like AA and NA) and we like to know how everyone is doing. Stick with us too :).
 
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Will def keep you up to date. Gave NA a call today but they must not be open on a sunday so I left a message.
I think ive finally relised im going to need some help. Might as well start at 23 years old :)
 
In the US there are meetings going on around the clock. Like 9am-11pm at different locations. (usually churches or fire halls, sometimes their own location) They do this for a reason. A lot of people use NA and AA as a means to combat cravings so for example at any time of the day if you have a craving you should be able to find a meeting in your surrounding area to attend. That way you can tell yourself that you have to go to the meeting FIRST before you can score. It's supposed to put a reasonable buffer between you and the drug so you can think it over and hopefully be deterred in the meeting.

Try this site:
http://portaltools.na.org/portaltools/MeetingLoc/

If that doesn't work you may have to do google search for ones that are more focused on Australia. We also have a moderator from Australia in this section who should be able to check this within the next day or two and give you better advice than myself.

You should be able to find meetings around the clock during the day. Are you going to be okay for tonight/today?
 
Yea I should be Ive never really been the sort of person that uses daily. Ive always been the sort to spend 1500 to 2 grand and use the hole lot over two days... Bingeing?? Im still coming down now from using on friday arvo.. Just wish i could stop.. I was doing so well until now.
 
Okay <3 I know what you mean about the binging cycle. Good thing comedowns give you time sometimes (especially to find a meeting to get yourself on tract). There are always people here to talk to if you need someone spur of the moment. I am here and there are a lot of other people as well.

Check out some other treads also if you want to keep your mind off of other things if you don't want to talk about serious topics. There are a lot of light hearted threads and discussions to keep you busy.
 
I'm from Aus too and I've been to a few NA meetings (for meth too, incidentally). I have been to a few different locations and found the meeting in each place differed quite substantially. One for example was quite small, with maybe 10 or 15 people, and it was very much a group thing where everyone interacted with one another. Another one was in a church hall and contained more than a hundred people and that meeting had a very different feel to it - much more impersonal, and the speakers would get up on stage and address the crowd as if you were at a uni lecture or something. Personally I liked the first type a lot more, as I felt it was a lot easier to disengage in the larger meetings where you feel like you're being talked at, rather than being part of a group.

They do go around and ask everyone to say there name and how long they've been sober and I found that quite intimidating, as well, at the end everyone holds hands and says the serenity prayer, which also made me feel awkward as I don't like physically touching strangers like that, and I didn't know the prayer.

Overall though it was a lot easier than I'd worked it up to be in my head before I walked in. I'm a shy person naturally and I remember sitting in the car before the meeting absolutely shitting myself and being almost sure I'd just have to go home. I've always found people very friendly and welcoming at these places though, and I've never encountered any negativity or anything like that for not knowing what to do.
 
I attend regular NA meetings in Melbourne. 7 a week usually, sometimes more. I am only a few days clean at the moment (I have had about 4 months up before) but I have found that the unity of the fellowship helps a great deal. There's quite a few sayings around the "rooms" but one pertinent one is "the therapeutic value of one addict helping another is without parallel."

NA is a 12-step based recovery group, sort of a splinter cell from the original (AA), which in turn originated from the Oxford Group in the early 30's (if memory serves, cbf researching atm). If you go and like what you see and hear and decide to throw in the towel and surrender, you'll have to work the steps. Some do it in weeks, some in months, some in years but it is a steps program and they DO work.

Each meeting tends to be different. There is always a "chair-person", who calls people from the floor to share their experience, strength and hope. Sometimes the chair-person tells their personal story of recovery, sometimes (if it is a steps-based meetings), the chair-person will share their experience in working a particular step and ask the speakers to do the same. Some meetings are "tag-share" meetings, where the speaker picks the next one. There's even a meeting in Melbourne where you volunteer yourself to share, no-one is asked.

Meeting sizes range from 5 people-100's. Conventions can be huge (500 plus, probably more in the States).

Don't be afraid. Members are mostly always welcoming to the newcomer, will happily give advice and remember all too well their own first time's, so hopefully you won't be berated and brow-beaten about anything. You'll be told to "keep coming back" and will quite possibly be given phone numbers by people who will tell you to call them ANY time, and they mean it too.

I was lucky because I'm not generally shy by nature, so I was willing to approach people at meetings, and I'm always ready to greet a newcomer. However, if you are shy by nature, maybe a way of getting to know a member would be to volunteer to wash the mugs at the end of a meeting. Usually one washes and one drys, so that's a good way to get a conversation up.

If by any chance you're from Melbs, PM me and I can take you to a meeting if you're nervous about going alone. If you're from elsewhere, meetings list can be found here. http://www.na.org.au/community/index.php

Good luck in your journey mate.
 
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Wish i was in melb as that would be a big help. But i live in perth. I tried ringing the phone number but only got the answer phone left a message on sunday havent called me back yet. Might look at going to a meeting next week hope im not to nervous :-/
 
Just thought id keep you guys up to date went to my docter today he referred me to a counseller so ill be see her this thursday and im going to go to a NA meeting on sunday night :)
 
^that's good news dog! I hope that you like the counselor and feel comfortable working with him or her. I'll be looking forward to hearing how it all went. Stay positive!:)<3
 
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