Narcotics Anonymous Meeting Report

Improved Essays
Observation of Narcotics Anonymous Meeting
Narcotics Anonymous (NA) is a community of members who have experienced the power of addiction of drugs. NA members attend NA in order to stay clean, offer support, and receive support from others. NA offers individuals a twelve-step program to follow that will guide them on the road to recovery with a drug free lifestyle (Information About NA, 2007).
I recently observed an NA meeting in a church, with a group of approximately fifty members. I was amazed at how many individuals had showed up to this particular meeting. The NA meeting started at 7:30 on the dot with no time to waste. The meeting started out with different speakers who read the Narcotics Anonymous text. The text explained the general
…show more content…
As I observed the NA group, it was clear the group had an instillation of hope. Group members are given a chance to enter NA with the possibility of change and growth. Hearing stories from members who are willing to share gives other members a sense of hope for a better future. Members are able to relate to these stories and experiences being told and use them to get their confidence and power back. Individuals hear these traumatic stories and become inspired to stay clean (Corey, Corey, & Corey, …show more content…
There was one part of the meeting that stuck with me, which was the ending when all members came together holding each other in a circle while speaking an NA prayer. All the members came together and realized they were all the same, addicts. Each member desires the road to recovery and understands this is not an easy task, however with the help and support of others, it makes the road not as scary. The reason this group moment resonates with me is because it commanded group cohesion. There was togetherness in the group like no other. Group cohesion gives members an incentive to keeping attending meetings. Group members feel they belong to something special when the group comes together cohesively. After group members struggle with pain, share their experiences, and take risks is when group cohesion is at it’s greatest (Corey, Corey, & Corey,

Related Documents

  • Decent Essays

    Mistie, thank you for sharing your observations with the Alcoholics Anonymous group. It is wonderful that you were able to recognize the strengths in each person. This is a wonderful quality to posses as a therapist. It also appeared that you came out of the meeting with a greater appreciation for those struggling with abstinence. It appeared as the group leader was taking the appropriate steps in having the individual recognize when they are entering the danger zone and what they did to stay out of it.…

    • 134 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Alcoholism and narcotic abuse seemed to cross all cultures and ages. There was one gentleman who decided not to attend the meeting if there was going to be an observer in attendance. The remainder of the al-anon group wanted us to stay observe and learn what we could from attending the meeting. I learned that many families enable the abuser…

    • 1020 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Many of the members had similar stories and testimonies. Although most of the members are still fighting the addition, it seemed to give people hope that they too can take one day at a time and walk the road to their sobriety. It is hard to pinpoint what development stage they were in currently. I think it is hard because you never know who will come to the meetings, and new people come each time. If I had to pick a stage, I would say that the groups were in the initial phase.…

    • 516 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    It first started with individual conversations amongst each other, then chairperson (the person in ‘charge’) opened up the meeting with a prayer. Next people went around and introduced themselves and the chairperson offered if anyone wanted a desire chip. A desire chip symbolizes being sober for at least 24 hours. The chip was also offered at the end of the meeting as…

    • 598 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    For this assignment, the 12-step program that I chose to attend was a narcotics anonymous group. After researching for the nearest NA and AA group, I was very surprised to find out with how many groups are located near me. I chose to visit and sit in the Lincoln Park Candlelight Meeting, because the time, location, and date was very convenient for me to attend. I was informed that this group has been around for over twenty years, and is held every Friday from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Before the meeting started, during the break, and when the group concluded, 50’s oldies music was provided. The group was setup in a square formation, with a candle that was lit after the break, because the lights were shut off.…

    • 405 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Last Saturday night, I went to an open Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in Joyful Servant Lutheran Church which is called the KISS fellowship. Each member of the fellowship has the chance to run the meeting, and most of them are alcoholics. It is basically a welcome of newcomers and sharing of personal experience and ideas. The meeting has about 33 people, including visitors and sponsors. Ages vary from young adult to old people, but most are at middle age.…

    • 940 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    is to create a fellowship where members stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety. They are united through their common problem, alcohol. As a result, men and women of all ages, social, cultural and economic backgrounds may attend meetings. The goal of A.A. is for members to stay away from one drink, one day at a time. Furthermore, sobriety is achieved through peers sharing their experiences as a way to provide strength and hope that recovery is possible.…

    • 543 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The 12 step meeting that I attended was an over eaters anonymous. When I arrived, I was greeted openly and the people were very friendly. I had to announced who I was and the purpose of me being there. I was surprise that I was accepted as part of the group. The group had given several pamphlets and invited me to attend their weekly meetings.…

    • 1124 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Decent Essays

    One thing I took away from the meeting is you can never base if a person is an alcoholic based off their “looks”. Honestly, when I thought of an Alcoholic Anonymous meeting I thought everyone would look trashy, homeless, poor, etc. I know that’s shallow of me, but that’s how AA meeting are portrayed in today’s media, especially in movies. In addition, I thought all alcoholic were jobless bums when in reality there are many functioning alcoholics, even as contradictive as that sounds. Like the two white women, and the Hispanic man all had job, like real nine to five jobs.…

    • 155 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    On Tuesday night, September twenty-seventh, my classmate Mariah and I observed an Overeaters Anonymous (OA) meeting at Woodford’s Congregational Church in Portland. The contact person for this meeting is Susie, though the person leading that night’s meeting was Edie, a recovering compulsive overeater herself. This was an open meeting, held biweekly, and had an attendance of thirteen people, Mariah and myself included. The feelings I had leading up to this meeting were very mixed and fluctuated a lot during my hour drive into Portland that night.…

    • 1414 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    According to Galanter, there are “two million members’ worldwide and 200,000 weekly meetings” (2014, p. 300). Expectations Having never attended an addiction meeting of any sort, I was uncertain as to what the atmosphere would be. Nevertheless, having watched movies that included these meetings, I assumed it would be a formal, organized atmosphere in which affiliates would stand at a podium, introduce themselves, and talk about their struggles with alcohol. However, even this thought did not prove to be fact, we were not in a sanctuary, there was no standing up for introductions, and it was certainly not an organized process.…

    • 1650 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    When one thinks of support groups, the most common one that comes to mind is Alcoholics Anonymous. However, there are a myriad of groups out there that address the need of almost every individual. One such is Narcotics Anonymous (NA). This is a nonprofit fellowship dedicated to help those who are addicted to drugs. I shall recount my experiences and thoughts after attending one of their meetings.…

    • 410 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Alcohol Anonymous Meeting

    • 837 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The person running the meeting who we will call “Saul” informed me that a different group from AA hosts this meeting each month. Hosting the meeting requires obtaining two speakers and setting up the room each week. As the meeting began Saul asked if there is anyone new attending this meeting for the first time or are there any AA anniversaries, which there was a man who…

    • 837 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    However, there were things that I did not like. Although, maybe they were things I just did not fully understand because I have never had an issue with drugs or alcohol. First, the meetings seemed a little too religious. Even though it was only said a few times, the serenity prayer and other prayers were recited.…

    • 1876 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Reflections of an AA Meeting Attendance by a Non-Alcoholic Support Meeting Reflection I attended an online Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. There were twenty-six participants there, including myself; two of which were moderators. I had actually logged on early, as is my habit attending seminars, and observed the other participants chatting beforehand. I was surprised by the lack of seriousness surrounding this whole process.…

    • 965 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays

Related Topics