Serving West Tn, Desoto County, West Memphis & Forest City
What Is the Narcotics Anonymous Program? NA 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. This is a program of complete abstinence from all drugs. There is only one requirement for membership, the desire to stop using.
Questions we have asked ourselves:
Do we understand that we have no real control over drugs?
Do we recognize that in the long run, we didn’t use drugs—they used us?
Did jails and institutions take over the management of our lives at different times?
Do we fully accept the fact that our every attempt to stop using or to control our using failed?
Do we know that our addiction changed us into someone we didn’t want to be: dishonest, deceitful, self-willed people at odds with ourselves and our fellow man?
Do we really believe that we have failed as drug users?
Do we understand that we have no real control over drugs?
Do we recognize that in the long run, we didn’t use drugs—they used us?
Did jails and institutions take over the management of our lives at different times?
Do we fully accept the fact that our every attempt to stop using or to control our using failed?
Do we know that our addiction changed us into someone we didn’t want to be: dishonest, deceitful, self-willed people at odds with ourselves and our fellow man?
Do we really believe that we have failed as drug users?
JUST FOR TODAY
Once we are entirely ready to have our character defects removed, many of us are entirely ready! Ironically, that's when the trouble really starts. The more we struggle to rid ourselves of a particular defect, the stronger that shortcoming seems to become. It is truly humbling to realize that not only are we powerless over our addiction, but even over our own defects of character.
Finally, it clicks. The Seventh Step doesn't suggest that we rid ourselves of our shortcomings, but that we ask our Higher Power to rid us of them. The focus of our daily prayers begins to shift. Admitting our inability to perfect ourselves, we plead with our Higher Power to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. And we wait.
For many days, our program may stay on Step Seven. We may experience no sudden, total relief from defects--but we often do experience a subtle shift in our perceptions of ourselves and others. Through the eyes of the Seventh Step, we begin to see those around us in a less critical way. We know that, just like us, many of them are struggling with shortcomings they would dearly love to be rid of. We know that, just like us, they are powerless over their own defects. We wonder if they, too, humbly pray to have their defects removed.
We begin evaluating others as we have learned to evaluate ourselves, with an empathy born of humility. As we watch others, and as we keep watch on ourselves, we can finally say, "I understand."