For Professionals

While Narcotics Anonymous is not affiliated with any organization, the NA Fellowship and the Bermuda Islands Area of Narcotics Anonymous cooperates with professionals and organizations by providing information about recovery through the N.A. Fellowship. Additionally, N.A. members are often available to make panel presentations in educational facilities, treatment centers and correctional facilities and other public venues.

 

The Bermuda Islands Area of N.A. also makes available Narcotics Anonymous literature for free and sale to professionals and treatment facilities. Below is information about the Narcotics Anonymous Fellowship that community professionals may find helpful. Additional information about the N.A. fellowship can also be found on our "What is N.A.?" and "NA: A Community Resource" pages.

 

N.A. Positions on related issues or institutions

In order to maintain its focus, Narcotics Anonymous has established a tradition of non-endorsement and does not take positions on anything outside its own specific sphere of activity. Narcotics Anonymous does not express opinions – either pro or con – on civil, social, medical, legal, or religious issues. Additionally, N.A. does not take stands on addiction-related issues such as criminality, law enforcement, drug legalization, penalties, other addiction related organizations, etc.

Narcotics Anonymous is entirely self-supporting and does not accept financial contributions from non-members. Based on the same principle, groups and service committees are run by N.A. members, for members.

Narcotics Anonymous neither endorses nor opposes any other organization’s philosophy or methodology. Our primary competence is in providing a proven platform upon which drug addicts can share their recovery and experiences with one another. This is not to say that Narcotics Anonymous believes there are not any other “good” or “worthy” organizations. To remain free of the distraction of controversy, N.A. focuses all of its energy on its particular area of purpose, leaving other organizations to fulfill their own goals.

 

Direct N.A. interaction with professionals and the community

Narcotics Anonymous communities have two primary ways in which they regularly interact directly with professionals and the community. The first interaction is at the public level. N.A. public meetings are sometimes held to present N.A. on a broad scale to an entire community. Local N.A. 'public information' committees also make regular presentations to community organizations, treatment administrators and clinical staff, policy makers, and researchers.

The other common interaction with professionals or the community is at the N.A. group level. When N.A. meetings are held on the grounds of a treatment facility, special care should be taken to explain the distinction between the facility and Narcotics Anonymous. It serves everyone well to maintain the distinction between the facility and N.A's addict-to-addict approach to recovery. The N.A. Fellowship is not affiliated with any other organization. When an NA meeting is held in a treatment facility for example, some explanation should be made to those attending that the N.A. group is simply meeting there but is not related to the facility.

 

Total Abstinence

The experience of our members has been that total, continuous abstinence from all drugs has provided them with a reliable foundation for recovery and personal growth. However, abstinence is not in itself the sole goal of N.A. members; more importantly, we seek a comprehensive change in attitude and lifestyle.

"Relapse" is seen as a sometimes "necessary" part of the overall addiction/recovery process for many individuals. Relapsers are not "shamed" but are encouraged to pick up the pieces, learn from their experience, and move on. Narcotics Anonymous views alcohol as a drug, and we find the "drug of choice" designation irrelevant to our program since we focus on the disease of addiction itself, not any particular drug or drugs.

 

Co-operating with Narcotics Anonymous

One general mission of the Bermuda Area of N.A. is to inform addicts and others in the community of the availability of recovery in Narcotics Anonymous. Although certain traditions guide our relations with other organizations, Narcotics Anonymous welcomes the co-operation of those in government, the clergy, helping professions, and private organizations. N.A’s non-addict friends have been instrumental in getting Narcotics Anonymous started in many countries and helping N.A. grow.

N.A. strives to co-operate with others interested in Narcotics Anonymous by providing contact information, literature, and information about recovery through the N.A. Fellowship. Additionally, N.A. members are often available to make panel presentations in treatment centers and correctional facilities, sharing the NA program with addicts otherwise unable to attend community-based meetings.


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