Chattanooga Area
of Narcotics Anonymous
Drug Problem?
Find a Meeting
November 12, 2026 |
Our own story |
| Page 330 |
| “When we honestly tell our own story, someone else may identify with us.” |
| Basic Text, p. 98 |
| Many of us have heard truly captivating speakers at Narcotics Anonymous conventions. We remember the audience alternating between tears of identification and joyous hilarity. “Someday,” we may think, “I’m going to be a main speaker at a convention, too.” Well, for many of us, that day has yet to arrive. Once in awhile we may be asked to speak at a meeting near where we live. We might speak at a small convention workshop. But after all this time, we’re still not “hot” convention speakers–and that’s okay. We’ve learned that we, too, have a special message to share, even if it’s only at a local meeting with fifteen or twenty addicts in attendance. Each of us has only our own story to tell; that’s it. We can’t tell anyone else’s story. Every time we get up to speak, many of us find all the clever lines and funny stories seem to disappear from our minds. But we do have something to offer. We carry the message of hope–we can and do recover from our addiction. And that’s enough. |
| Just for Today: I will remember that my honest story is what I share the best. Today, that’s enough. |
| Copyright (c) 2007-2026, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved |
November 12, 2026 |
Removing Barriers to Inclusiveness |
| Page 327 |
| “We start to look more carefully at what makes a meeting feel safe and welcoming.” |
| Living Clean, Chapter 4, “Disability” |
| We know the struggles of addiction firsthand, the danger and degradation. We remember what it was like to walk into our first meeting–to feel that initial spark of hope. We pray for the addict who still suffers, and we feel for them because we’ve been there. Our empathy helps us see our meetings, meeting places, and all of the social interactions surrounding them through others’ eyes. We genuinely want every addict seeking recovery to feel safe and welcome when they walk through the doors. When we’re on our spiritual A-game, empathy guides our choices and ensures that we are inclusive. It’s easy to get lazy, however. We neglect the proper consideration of others’ needs. We may even justify our complacency and squash new ideas with the classic: “This is the way we’ve always done it.” Experience has a way of nudging out such smugness. When a home-group member comes to need a wheelchair, it highlights the necessity of an accessible meeting place. When a hard-of-hearing member explains the importance of visual cues in communication, we follow their lead. We change the room setup with attention to lighting, acoustics, and sight lines. When new members come from outside the dominant culture, we go out of our way to welcome them. If diversity challenges us personally, perhaps we need to examine our reservations about the NA message. We recommit to the proposal that any addict can find recovery in NA. Empathy, generosity, and inclusiveness guide us toward a new perspective on helping addicts find a safe and welcoming place to surrender. As the First Tradition suggests, we put our common welfare first. We plan for needs that haven’t yet surfaced. We remove barriers to participation–physical, perceptual, or cultural–and do what’s in our power to make NA truly available to us all. |
| I will look at my home group with fresh eyes and imagine how someone different from me might experience it. What can I do to make first-time attendees feel safer and more welcome? |
| Copyright (c) 2007-2026, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved |
About NA
Anonymity
The basic premise of anonymity allows addicts to attend meetings without fear of legal or social repercussions. This is an important consideration for an addict thinking about going to a meeting for the first time. Anonymity also supports an atmosphere of equality in meetings. It helps insure that no individual’s personality or circumstance will be considered more important than the message of recovery shared in NA.
Who are members of NA?
Anyone who wants to stop using drugs may become a member of Narcotics Anonymous. Membership is not limited to addicts using any particular drug. Those who feel they may have a problem with drugs, legal or illegal, including alcohol, are welcome in NA. Recovery in NA focuses on the problem of addiction, not on any particular drug.
How does NA work?
Addicts helping each other recover are the foundation of NA. Members meet regularly to talk about their experiences in recovery. More experienced members (known as sponsors) work individually with newer members. The core of the NA program is the Twelve Steps. These “steps” are a set of guidelines outlining a practical approach to recovery. By following these guidelines and working closely with other members, addicts learn to stop using drugs and face the challenges of daily living.
Narcotics Anonymous is not a religious organization and does not mandate any particular belief system. It does teach basic spiritual principles such as honesty, open-mindedness, faith, willingness, and humility that may be applied in everyday life. The specific practical application of spiritual principles is determined by each individual. Recovery in NA is not a miracle cure that happens within a given period of time. It is a process, ongoing and personal. Members make an individual decision to join and recover at their own pace.
NA Meetings
Financial contributions from non-members are not accepted. Most NA meetings are held regularly at the same time and place each week, usually in a public facility. There are two basic types of meetings those that are open to the general public and those closed to the public (for addicts only). Meetings vary widely in format. Some formats are: participation, speaker, question and answer, topic discussion, and some have a combination of these formats. The function of any meeting is always the same: to provide a suitable and reliable environment for personal recovery.
NA’s primary approach to recovery is its belief in the therapeutic value of one addict helping another. Members take part in NA meetings by talking about their experiences and recovery from drug addiction. NA meetings are informally structured, held in space rented by the group, and are led by members who take turns opening and closing the meeting. NA meetings and other services are funded entirely by member contributions and the sale of recovery literature.
Reprinted from A Resource In Your Community.
Anonymous World Services, Inc.
PO Box 9999, Van Nuys, CA 91409
November 12, 2026 |
Our own story |
| Page 330 |
| “When we honestly tell our own story, someone else may identify with us.” |
| Basic Text, p. 98 |
| Many of us have heard truly captivating speakers at Narcotics Anonymous conventions. We remember the audience alternating between tears of identification and joyous hilarity. “Someday,” we may think, “I’m going to be a main speaker at a convention, too.” Well, for many of us, that day has yet to arrive. Once in awhile we may be asked to speak at a meeting near where we live. We might speak at a small convention workshop. But after all this time, we’re still not “hot” convention speakers–and that’s okay. We’ve learned that we, too, have a special message to share, even if it’s only at a local meeting with fifteen or twenty addicts in attendance. Each of us has only our own story to tell; that’s it. We can’t tell anyone else’s story. Every time we get up to speak, many of us find all the clever lines and funny stories seem to disappear from our minds. But we do have something to offer. We carry the message of hope–we can and do recover from our addiction. And that’s enough. |
| Just for Today: I will remember that my honest story is what I share the best. Today, that’s enough. |
| Copyright (c) 2007-2026, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved |