Central Ohio Narcotics Anonymous

New Feature Coming Soon! Submit your recovery story or message here on the web site and it will be published in the web newsletter — anonymously of course by your first and last initial. New entries will be picked monthly by the PR Committee. Check back in the month of July.

June 2010

What is the deal with … topic discussion?

Many of us have heard something similar to this in the format of topic discussion meetings … “a member may bring up any topic relating to recovery or a problem you are having today in recovery. The floor is now open for topics, is there anything anyone would like to get some experience, strength, or hope?” Many of us struggled early in recovery to bring up topics relating to our recovery. Some topics that the fellowship as a whole has found to be helpful include:

H.O.W. (honesty, open-mindedness, and willingness)
Surrender
Acceptance
The basics (Don’t use, meetings, phone numbers, literature, sponsor, and the steps)
H.A.L.T.S. (Don’t get too: hungry, angry, lonely, tired, or serious)
Being responsible for our own recovery
Freedom from active addiction
Identify rather than compare
Spiritual, not religious, program
Going to any lengths
Transition to the fellowship from treatment
Tools of the fellowship
Letting go
Dealing with feelings clean
Learning to trust
Giving up old playmates, playgrounds, and playthings
Living just for today
The first three steps
Denial
Reservations
Sponsorship

From the Hospitals & Institutions Handbook

Hey! What’s the Basket For?

Many members ask this question because we are told that membership in NA costs nothing. NA groups are self-supporting, declining outside contributions. So how does the basket work? From the money members put into the basket, the group pays its meeting expenses: NA pamphlets and books, recovery tags and tokens, refreshments, and rent. When the group is financially sound enough to meets its monthly expenses and establish a prudent reserve, it passes the excess group donations on to the ASC to help further our primary purpose.

What is a Narcotics Anonymous group?

When two or more addicts come together to help each other stay clean, they may form a NA group. Here are six points based on our traditions which describe an NA group:

All members of a group are drug addicts, and all drug addicts are eligible for membership.
As a group, they are self-supporting.
As a group, their single goal is to help drug addicts recover through application of the Twelve Steps of NA.
As a group, they have no affiliation outside NA.
As a group, they express no opinion on outside issues.
As a group, their public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion.

In stating the points that differentiate an NA group from other kinds of groups, we place greater emphasis on drug addiction than almost anywhere else in our service literature. By clarifying our groups’ sole membership requirement and primary purpose in this way we free ourselves to focus on freedom from active addiction in the bulk of our service literature, certain that our groups are providing grounds for identification to those seeking recovery. NA groups are formed by addicts who wish to support one another in recovery, carrying the message, and in participating in the activities & services of NA as a whole. One of the primary means an NA group uses to fulfill these ends is to conduct NA meetings where addicts can share their recovery experience, supporting one another and carrying the message to others. The quality of an NA meeting is directly dependent on the strength and solidarity of the NA group which sponsors it. NA groups, not meetings, are the foundation of the service structure. The NA groups are responsible for making decisions that directly affect them and what they do in their meetings as well as those that affect the identity of NA.

Area Service Inventory

Our service committee is conducting an inventory of services using the area inventory tool from the area planning tool. You can get these forms from your group service representative or at the area service office. Group or individuals can fill out the forms. Forms needed to be returned by the June area service committee meeting so a report can be generated for the July area service committee meeting.

Our Own Story

“When we honestly tell our own story, someone else may identify with us.” 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.

Narcotics Anonymous Basic Text, p. 95

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Inspire love daily with this 14-month calendar (Oct 09 – Dec 10). Decorated with some favorite quotes from NA literature and unique artwork designed for WCNA 33: Amor sin fronteras – Love without Borders. Limited supply.

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One dozen ways to share a message of love, recovery, and your own personal thoughts. This package includes twelve postcards inspired by the theme of WCNA 33 in Barcelona: Amor sin fronteras – Love without Borders. Limited supply.


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June 2010

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