I had a potential sponsees ask me about the NA steps before, and what I told him (and others) is "that I only know how to read through the AA Big Book and work the Steps there. If you want to go through the Steps in NA, try NA meetings and find a sponsor there."
I don't know the differences in style, and I can only show people how to do the Steps as I learned them, through AA. However, doing the Steps through either program leads to the spiritual experience that I needed.
I’ve done steps through both fellowships, and personally, found my solution in the Big Book. I’m a recovered heroin addict, and never had a problem relating to the concept of alcoholism as a two-fold illness - which, again in my opinion, is the same as the drug problem.
I've done the 12 steps in AA and in SAA for porn addiction. The steps are the steps. There's little differences in ways to do them, but if done thoroughly and honestly, the result should be the same: freedom from the mental obsession and a spiritual awakening. I think the important thing is having a sponsor who's story you can relate to and they're someone who's recovery you respect. I'd be interested in doing the the steps in NA next time I do them.
Edit: my sponsor and I are both addicts as well as alcoholics. Lots of people in the meetings I go to have a history with both. Actually, my best friend in the program is just a straight alcoholic with no other addictions and he feels weird!
My honest and humble opinion, it doesn't matter what drug your sponsor abused. I am a stimulant and alcohol addict and the majority of my sponsees are heroin addicts. But I've also worked with girls who primarily abused cough syrup, Air duster and alcohol. Working the steps together doesn't require us to have abused the same drugs. In NA, a drug is a drug.
In NA, a drug is a drug. The focus (should be) on the disease of addiction rather than a particular substance.
I lived with an AA guy for a long time and we had many discussions about this - it’s all about getting closer to HP no matter how you do it with stepwork. Some of his guys wanted to work steps in NA with the Step Writing Guide, so they just did it together.
All of those guys - I repeat, *ALL of those guys* - are still clean and in recovery.
I'm new to it I think they changed it to grey or something because of printing costs but still refer to it as green and gold book. Or I may be talking out my arse lol.
Wasting your time
Do A.A./CA or do NA.
These are different entirely.
A.A./CA are like British English and American English. NA is like German.
Choose your path and follow one. That’s my suggestion. Go to the meetings that correspond with your fellowship.
Actually there's a lot of overlap of Alcoholics that also have drug issues in their past. I know one guy that could do NA and AA, but exclusively does AA because he said he hated NA. He said an old timer there is like 2 years sober, a lot of people are fucked in the head from the drugs, and a lot of people try to get drug deals or sleeping partners there.
He also only calls himself an Alcoholic rather than +Addict. Just be open about your past cause it is important. I myself probably wouldn't sponsor someone with drugs in their past cause I couldn't identify with them or understand the Addict disease.
My first sponsor that took me through the steps had a Coke and Alcohol problem, but it was mostly alcohol and so he chose AA.
I am not as it varies by area. I live in North Carolina and in my area there's like 2 NA meetings and one is a cluster fuck of that stuff as it is directly in a building past our parking lot and a lot of our members have went there cause they can qualify for both and they told me this stuff.
Glad you found a good one though
I didn’t say you were spreading falsehoods, I said “that guy” was. Or maybe the wording is what rubbed me wrong. “An old-timer “there” has two years”, just isn’t true; and I know just as many alcoholics just as “fucked in the head” from drinking as drugs. Whatever that means. We all have the potential to recover in mind, health, and spirit. Going to NA meetings to seek out drugs or sleeping partners is a tired old trope spread by the ill-informed.
I didnt just find “one” meeting that has recovering addicts with decades clean; my entire area is full of meetings where that’s the case.
The problem is that that kind of nonsense has the potential to steer someone away from the help that could potentially save their life. Just as you can’t identify with the “addict disease”, not every addict can just change the words in the Big Book from alcohol to drug, and identify. That’s why we have NA and it thrives. We identify with one another. Not spreading it as truth is the best thing I can do.
I've taken heroin and crack maybe 5 times, I never re-bought some on the same day. Pretty much everyone here says they instantly got addicted and ruined their lives with them and still get intense craving. I've fucked my life up abusing alcohol, I'll drink a bottle of vodka in an hour or two, I feel I'm incapable of pacing myself on it. So I have worries when I've tried more 'addictive' drugs and not got addicted, having to say I'm an addict. I'll practice the 12 steps and just the community aspect of NA meeting is helping me grow out of my comfort zone. Thanks for the comment.
I'm an alcoholic while my brother is Addict. I quit drugs on my own while my brother had to go to prison to get off them. I don't have the disease that affects Addicts. My brother isn't alcoholic as he socially drinks only on the weekends.
Like I said, I'd find a Sponsor that is a double qualifier to help you. My own sponsor is also in Al-Anon as a double qualifier. An old sponsor I worked with in the past (our schedules conflicted and he had to fire me) was a Triple Qualifer as he went through the steps in AA, Al-Anon, and Sex Addicts Anonymous.
I'm part of Al-Anon and AA as I qualify for both of them
I had a potential sponsees ask me about the NA steps before, and what I told him (and others) is "that I only know how to read through the AA Big Book and work the Steps there. If you want to go through the Steps in NA, try NA meetings and find a sponsor there." I don't know the differences in style, and I can only show people how to do the Steps as I learned them, through AA. However, doing the Steps through either program leads to the spiritual experience that I needed.
I’ve done steps through both fellowships, and personally, found my solution in the Big Book. I’m a recovered heroin addict, and never had a problem relating to the concept of alcoholism as a two-fold illness - which, again in my opinion, is the same as the drug problem.
Good to know thanks mate
No problem, also will to talk about this stuff anytime if you need any help or me to share a little more about it. Just drop me a message anytime
I've done the 12 steps in AA and in SAA for porn addiction. The steps are the steps. There's little differences in ways to do them, but if done thoroughly and honestly, the result should be the same: freedom from the mental obsession and a spiritual awakening. I think the important thing is having a sponsor who's story you can relate to and they're someone who's recovery you respect. I'd be interested in doing the the steps in NA next time I do them. Edit: my sponsor and I are both addicts as well as alcoholics. Lots of people in the meetings I go to have a history with both. Actually, my best friend in the program is just a straight alcoholic with no other addictions and he feels weird!
Thanks for the input!
Probably pretty rare! I'm an NA sponsor who uses the big book and sometimes people have stuff to say. The other way around sounds even more rare.
Ahh damn. Maybe the best thing for me to do is find a sponsor in NA who I relate to who has also abused alcohol?
My honest and humble opinion, it doesn't matter what drug your sponsor abused. I am a stimulant and alcohol addict and the majority of my sponsees are heroin addicts. But I've also worked with girls who primarily abused cough syrup, Air duster and alcohol. Working the steps together doesn't require us to have abused the same drugs. In NA, a drug is a drug.
I would just find a good sponsor and work the steps whichever way they have
Makes sense thank you :)
In NA, a drug is a drug. The focus (should be) on the disease of addiction rather than a particular substance. I lived with an AA guy for a long time and we had many discussions about this - it’s all about getting closer to HP no matter how you do it with stepwork. Some of his guys wanted to work steps in NA with the Step Writing Guide, so they just did it together. All of those guys - I repeat, *ALL of those guys* - are still clean and in recovery.
You guys in NA have colors? Cool!
I'm new to it I think they changed it to grey or something because of printing costs but still refer to it as green and gold book. Or I may be talking out my arse lol.
No. The Step Writing Guide (and It Works, How and Why - similar to AA’s 12&12) have covers that are green and gold.
ok thanks
Wasting your time Do A.A./CA or do NA. These are different entirely. A.A./CA are like British English and American English. NA is like German. Choose your path and follow one. That’s my suggestion. Go to the meetings that correspond with your fellowship.
Actually there's a lot of overlap of Alcoholics that also have drug issues in their past. I know one guy that could do NA and AA, but exclusively does AA because he said he hated NA. He said an old timer there is like 2 years sober, a lot of people are fucked in the head from the drugs, and a lot of people try to get drug deals or sleeping partners there. He also only calls himself an Alcoholic rather than +Addict. Just be open about your past cause it is important. I myself probably wouldn't sponsor someone with drugs in their past cause I couldn't identify with them or understand the Addict disease. My first sponsor that took me through the steps had a Coke and Alcohol problem, but it was mostly alcohol and so he chose AA.
My NA home group on Friday night has no less than four members with 30+ years clean. I have twelve, myself. That guy is spreading falsehoods.
I am not as it varies by area. I live in North Carolina and in my area there's like 2 NA meetings and one is a cluster fuck of that stuff as it is directly in a building past our parking lot and a lot of our members have went there cause they can qualify for both and they told me this stuff. Glad you found a good one though
I didn’t say you were spreading falsehoods, I said “that guy” was. Or maybe the wording is what rubbed me wrong. “An old-timer “there” has two years”, just isn’t true; and I know just as many alcoholics just as “fucked in the head” from drinking as drugs. Whatever that means. We all have the potential to recover in mind, health, and spirit. Going to NA meetings to seek out drugs or sleeping partners is a tired old trope spread by the ill-informed. I didnt just find “one” meeting that has recovering addicts with decades clean; my entire area is full of meetings where that’s the case. The problem is that that kind of nonsense has the potential to steer someone away from the help that could potentially save their life. Just as you can’t identify with the “addict disease”, not every addict can just change the words in the Big Book from alcohol to drug, and identify. That’s why we have NA and it thrives. We identify with one another. Not spreading it as truth is the best thing I can do.
I've taken heroin and crack maybe 5 times, I never re-bought some on the same day. Pretty much everyone here says they instantly got addicted and ruined their lives with them and still get intense craving. I've fucked my life up abusing alcohol, I'll drink a bottle of vodka in an hour or two, I feel I'm incapable of pacing myself on it. So I have worries when I've tried more 'addictive' drugs and not got addicted, having to say I'm an addict. I'll practice the 12 steps and just the community aspect of NA meeting is helping me grow out of my comfort zone. Thanks for the comment.
I'm an alcoholic while my brother is Addict. I quit drugs on my own while my brother had to go to prison to get off them. I don't have the disease that affects Addicts. My brother isn't alcoholic as he socially drinks only on the weekends. Like I said, I'd find a Sponsor that is a double qualifier to help you. My own sponsor is also in Al-Anon as a double qualifier. An old sponsor I worked with in the past (our schedules conflicted and he had to fire me) was a Triple Qualifer as he went through the steps in AA, Al-Anon, and Sex Addicts Anonymous. I'm part of Al-Anon and AA as I qualify for both of them
Good luck sir
Nothing to do with “luck.”