What Is Narcotics Anonymous?
As you begin to work on and develop your path toward sobriety and thriving in recovering, you will learn several tools are available to you that you can tap into that will help you remain sober and continue to grow your support network. If you have struggled with an addiction to drugs, then during your time in treatment, you will learn more about Narcotics Anonymous, also known as NA meetings, and the incredible benefits that committing to this type of program brings with it.
Alcoholics Anonymous was a program developed in the 1930s to help other alcoholics work through their addiction. While certain aspects of this program can be beneficial to those struggling with drug addiction, it was quickly seen that it was explicitly geared toward alcoholics. It didn’t take long for Narcotics Anonymous (NA) to develop. Those specifically struggling with an addiction to drugs had a safe and sober environment with a group of people they could lean on for help.
At the heart of Narcotics Anonymous are the 12 steps. Followers of the NA program hold to the fact that as long as you remain sober and you have a commitment to wholeheartedly working through these steps, you will be able to achieve and maintain that sobriety throughout the rest of your life. The 12 steps of NA are:
1. We admitted that we were powerless over our addiction, that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. We humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. We made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. We made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. We continued to take personal inventory and, when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.
11. We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to addicts and to practice these principles in all our affairs
It’s important to remember that the 12 steps are not meant to be something that you navigate by yourself. NA meetings in Burbank are intended to provide a person with the group setting and the support they need to work through different aspects of their addiction or the challenges they face in working through that addiction. Therefore, before you begin to tackle the steps, it’s strongly recommended that you engage a sponsor.
A sponsor is another person in NA that has worked through the steps before with their own sponsor. Your sponsor will gently guide you through working on each step, so you understand the importance of that step and how it plays a factor in thriving in recovering. Keep in mind that there may be steps that you need to work on or go over more than once while thriving in recovering. The steps are not meant to be something you tackle once and forget about. Instead, they become a road map that will help you maintain your sobriety and navigate the challenges you may face as you continue to develop and grow now that you are a sober individual thriving in recovering.
What Happens at NA Meetings?
One of the questions that a person who has never been to an NA meeting before may have revolves around what actually happens at an NA meeting. Many people are hesitant to go to an NA meeting simply because they are concerned about its format. The reality is that the structure of an NA meeting is almost identical to a group therapy session that you would have experienced while you were in addiction treatment.
During NA meetings for Burbank residents, you and your fellow meeting goers will have the opportunity to share your hope, strength, and experience regarding the topic at hand for that particular meeting. It’s possible that you may feel encouraged to share that day and that getting out something that you’ve been holding inside of you will help you to feel better overall. There may be other days where you feel as though you want to sit and listen to the shares of those around you. The beauty of NA is that there is no right or wrong answer regarding how much or how little you share. Simply being present and genuinely absorbing what is going on around you and sharing when you feel that you are ready can be enough to help you remain focused on maintaining your sobriety while thriving in recovering.
The Benefits of Attending NA Meetings While in Recovery
The advantages of taking the time to attend NA meetings in and around the Burbank area are seemingly endless. Here are just a few reasons why it’s always recommended that you always make NA meetings part of your thriving in recovering routine:
Friendship
Feeling as though you’re not alone in your recovery journey is critical when it comes to your sobriety. When you decide to go to a Burbank NA meeting, you will meet people from all over the area who may have had similar experiences as you. You may even find that you can build and develop relationships with them, which can help you grow your own system of support.
Routine
Any person who has experienced addiction will tell you that during the time they were in active addiction, they felt as though their life was out of control because they had no structure or basis in their life except for their drug of choice. Committing to NA meetings can help provide you with a sense of structure and routine that may have been missing in your life. This continuous schedule will help you remain consistent in other aspects of your life and your sobriety.
A learning experience
More often than not, you will find that other people in your group may have had similar experiences as you during their addiction. Where you may feel overwhelmed when it comes to dealing with this situation in your life, listening to the experiences of others can provide you with the insight that you need to navigate it in such a way that will not cause you further stress.
Burbank NA Meetings
One of the best things about Burbank NA meetings is that they are always available to attend. The builders and developers of these types of arrangements understand that you could struggle with addiction at seemingly any time on any day. Therefore, it’s always possible that you may be able to find an NA meeting. Here are some of the options that you have available in the Burbank area:
Spirit of Studio 12
The Spirit of Studio 12 meeting is an example of a meeting that takes place at different times throughout the week. For instance, you can decide to attend this meeting at 10 AM on a Sunday or Wednesdays at 12:15 PM. Regardless of when you choose to go, you will undoubtedly find the support you need through this format.
6006 Laurel Canyon Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91606
Chandler Lodge meeting
In many cases, the weekends can be the most challenging time for a person, specifically for someone new to their sobriety. The Chandler Lodge meeting allows you to start your weekend off right by starting it with a meeting at 8 PM on a Friday. This is an open meeting which means that any person, even friends or family members, can attend.
11455 Chandler Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91601
BHS Hollywood Recovery Center
The BHS Hollywood Recovery Center offers an abundance of meetings throughout the week. There are many open meetings, but there are also several speaker meetings that can help to give you the support and reassurance that you need to know that you are on the right track.
6838 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028
For more information about taking the first steps toward thriving in recovery or NA meetings for Burbank residents, please reach out to us today at (800) 426-1818. A member of our intake team is always available to provide you with any addiction treatment resources that you need.
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source https://musetreatment.com/blog/burbank-na-meetings/
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