Chapter 1
Introduction to Recovery
Welcome to "It Works: How and Why," a guide to the principles of recovery used by Narcotics Anonymous. This book is a journey through the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, designed to help you understand and apply these principles in your own life.
As addicts, we have each experienced the pain, loneliness, and despair of addiction. Before coming to NA, many of us tried everything we could think of to control our use of drugs. We tried switching drugs, limiting our use to certain times or places, and even vowed to stop using altogether. But nothing we tried had any lasting effect. Our active addiction continued to progress, overpowering even our best intentions.
Chapter 2
Step One: Admitting Powerlessness
The first step in our recovery is to admit that we are powerless over our addiction, that our lives have become unmanageable. This admission is not just a conscious acknowledgment; it is a deep acceptance of our condition. When we accept our addiction, we gain the hope of recovery. We begin to believe on a deep level that we, too, can recover. We start to let go of our doubts and truly come to terms with our disease.
Many of us begin the process of surrender when we identify ourselves at an NA meeting with our name and the words, "I am an addict." Once we admit that we are addicts and that we cannot stop using on our own, we are able to stay clean on a daily basis with the help of other recovering addicts in Narcotics Anonymous. The paradox of this admission is evident: as long as we think we can control our drug use, we are almost forced to continue. The minute we admit we're powerless, we never have to use again. This reprieve from having to use is the most profound gift we can receive, for it saves our lives.
Chapter 3
Steps Two and Three: Belief and Surrender
After admitting our powerlessness, we come to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. This belief is crucial because it opens us up to the possibility of recovery. We do not have to understand this Power fully; we simply need to be open to the idea that there is something greater than ourselves that can help us.
The next step is to make a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understand Him. This is not about surrendering to a specific deity but about surrendering our own will and ego. It is about recognizing that our way of living has not worked and that we need a new approach. When we surrender, we find that the desperation that drives us to our knees fuels the passion that carries us forward.
Chapter 4
Steps Four to Seven: Self-Reflection and Amends
We then make a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. This step is about honesty and self-reflection. We look at our past, our actions, and our motivations. We admit to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. This process helps us understand how our addiction has affected us and others.
Next, we become entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. We humbly ask Him to remove our shortcomings. This is not about self-improvement but about spiritual growth. We recognize that we cannot change on our own and that we need help from a Higher Power.
We make a list of all persons we had harmed and become willing to make amends to them all. Making direct amends to those we have harmed is a crucial part of our recovery. It helps us heal and rebuild relationships. However, we must do this in a way that does not harm others; sometimes, making amends means not taking certain actions that could cause further harm.
Chapter 5
Steps Eight to Twelve: Continuous Growth and Service
We continue to take personal inventory and, when we are wrong, promptly admit it. This step keeps us grounded and honest. We seek through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understand Him. We pray only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we try to carry this message to addicts and to practice these principles in all our affairs. This is the heart of our recovery: sharing our experience and helping others. By doing so, we keep our own recovery strong and help others find the same freedom we have found.
Chapter 6
The Twelve Traditions: Principles for Living
In addition to the Twelve Steps, we have the Twelve Traditions, which are principles for living and for the functioning of our fellowship. These traditions ensure that our meetings and our fellowship remain safe and supportive for all members.
For example, the First Tradition reminds us that our common welfare should come first, and personal recovery depends upon NA unity. This tradition helps us understand that our individual recovery is tied to the health of the fellowship as a whole.
The Third Tradition states that the only requirement for NA membership is a desire to stop using. This tradition keeps our doors open to anyone who wants to recover, regardless of their background or circumstances.
Chapter 7
Living the Program
Recovery is not just about abstaining from drugs; it is about living a new way of life. Our negative sense of self is replaced by a positive concern for others. We learn that our spirit is not apart from us; it is a part of us. We gain awareness of the exact nature of what is right about us. Our fractured personalities come back together into an integrated whole. Integrity is the state of being fully integrated: our actions, our thinking, our feelings, our ideals, and our values all match up.
It takes time for us to get to this place, and longer still for us to feel like it’s real. More and more, we are able to bring our behavior into alignment with our values and beliefs rather than our feelings and reactions.
We also learn that it’s not recovery that is painful; our resistance to it is what hurts. Our disease involved much more than just using drugs, so our recovery must involve much more than simple abstinence. We must face our problems within our society, in everyday living, and become acceptable, responsible, and productive members of that society.
Chapter 8
Maintaining Recovery
To maintain our recovery, we must continue to practice the principles of the program. We cannot afford to be indifferent or intolerant toward spiritual principles. Honesty, open-mindedness, and willingness are indispensable for our recovery.
We emphasize that the only way to keep from returning to active addiction is not to take that first drug. If you are like us, you know that one is too many and a thousand never enough. We put great emphasis on this because we know that when we use drugs in any form, or substitute one for another, we release our addiction all over again.
Thinking of alcohol as different from other drugs has caused many addicts to relapse. We cannot afford to be confused about this: alcohol is a drug, and we are people with the disease of addiction who must abstain from all drugs to recover.
Chapter 9
Conclusion: A New Way of Life
Recovery is a journey, not a destination. It is a new way of life that offers great joy and happiness, but it does not exempt us from pain. Living life on life's terms combines moments of happiness with moments of sadness. Wonderful events are mixed with painful ones. We will experience a full range of feelings about the events in our lives.
By honestly looking at what we have become in our addiction, we recognize the powerlessness and unmanageability of our lives. Moving beyond our reservations, we accept our addiction, surrender, and experience the hope that recovery offers. We realize that we can no longer go on as we have been. We are ready for a change. We are willing to try another way.
This journey is not easy, but it is worth it. With the help of Narcotics Anonymous, we can find a new way of living that is free from the grip of addiction. We can find connection to others, connection to a Higher Power, connection to the world around us—and, most surprising of all, connection to ourselves. We find here what we were looking for all along: a life of purpose, integrity, and joy.
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