NA or AA

[R.I.P.]

i've been looking thru the different threads and i've noticed that a lot of folks have used AA terminology in The NA forum. now dont get me wrong i respectthe other fellowships and i owe my life to my predecessors. without one there would be no others. having said that and the risk of being bad mouthed i have to say that using aa language in a na forum may cause some confusion for newcomers.i was under the impression this was a na forum. if we are going to call it that then should we not abide by the traditions and the text. the text tells me we use the words addiction and clean when referring to my disease and abstinence. i am not writing this to be some kind of a SOB or a tradition thumper or the na ploice or anything like that. i just would like to see us not confuse the newcomers. if we want to encompass every one ,which i do not object too, then maybe we should change the name of the group so the name reflects the group better. i 'm sorry if this post upsets anyone, truly that is not my intention.

[irishpride]

while i see your point point i think this is more of a place for recovery in general it just so happens that the one SS who runs this joint is more actively involved in NA...me i can qualify for either group but i do the majority of my meetings AA style..it just works better for me..

[Sistersteel]

while i see your point point i think this is more of a place for recovery in general it just so happens that the one SS who runs this joint is more actively involved in NA...me i can qualify for either group but i do the majority of my meetings AA style..it just works better for me..

Yes. That is exactly it. I am more involved in NA and CA than AA. This is a place for recovery in general with the main focus of the forum being the NA traditions and text. I do not see a purpose to having a separate forum nor do I see a reason for renaming it, if that is my primary focus. In that case I should create forums for atheists in recovery who have no belief in any higher power then this entire forum will turn into a cluster fuck of random material that no one cares to read . I can hardly get anyone to drop in here once in a blue moon to post something of substance. I would hate to have 3, 4 subforums that will take tons of my time and get absolutely no views at all.

[DECABEATZ]

while i see your point point i think this is more of a place for recovery in general it just so happens that the one ss who runs this joint is more actively involved in na...me i can qualify for either group but i do the majority of my meetings aa style..it just works better for me..
hey if aa works for u -work it baby!! Me im na all the way alcohol never did it for me. I can count on both hands how many times i got drunk!

[Sistersteel]

hey if aa works for u -work it baby!! Me im na all the way alcohol never did it for me. I can count on both hands how many times i got drunk!


Same here..

[irishpride]

i would drink, snort, shoot or inhale anything to take me out of myself which is why i said i could qualify in either fellowship.its jsut for me, AA is my thing, i generally started the day or night off with a drink and ended the day or night off with a drink regardless of what i may or may not have ingested throughout..but like they say to each his own..i think both fellowships are just plain awesome..besides you see with many of the upcoming chemically addicted a good majority of them seem to be cross addicted..soon we may end up wiht just an addicts anonyomous LOL but we all know the old bulls from either fellowship wouldnt have it...

[Sistersteel]

i would drink, snort, shoot or inhale anything to take me out of myself which is why i said i could qualify in either fellowship.its jsut for me, AA is my thing, i generally started the day or night off with a drink and ended the day or night off with a drink regardless of what i may or may not have ingested throughout..but like they say to each his own..i think both fellowships are just plain awesome..besides you see with many of the upcoming chemically addicted a good majority of them seem to be cross addicted..soon we may end up wiht just an addicts anonyomous LOL but we all know the old bulls from either fellowship wouldnt have it...


Hahaha! aint that the truth IP, aint that the truth baby.

[R.I.P.]

i think i'm an old bull.

however, i would never tell anyone they didn't belong in NA. unfortunately, i did find that in AA. that was fucked up.

[Sistersteel]

i think i'm an old bull.

however, i would never tell anyone they didn't belong in NA. unfortunately, i did find that in AA. that was fucked up.


Honestly...you hit a nerve with that statement...because it is unfortunately very true. I love you all to death, but I have been to 5 different rehabs and half way houses all over the world and I can tell you that straight alcoholics have a tendency to display a holier than thou attitude towards other addicts. Again, this is not meant to insult anyone. I am the daughter of an alcoholic. This is only a personal observation...

I have noticed a difference in the attitude of people who tend to develop a drug problem versus those who develop an alcohol problem. I see it everyday...anyone else notice that?

[irishpride]

Honestly...you hit a nerve with that statement...because it is unfortunately very true. I love you all to death, but I have been to 5 different rehabs and half way houses all over the world and I can tell you that straight alcoholics have a tendency to display a holier than thou attitude towards other addicts. Again, this is not meant to insult anyone. I am the daughter of an alcoholic. This is only a personal observation...

I have noticed a difference in the attitude of people who tend to develop a drug problem versus those who develop an alcohol problem. I see it everyday...anyone else notice that?
i guess its different everywhere you go..as i said i attend mostly AA meetings and in a lot of AA meeting there are quite a few drug addicts who have never really abused alcohol but just choose AA for its fellowship and enjoy it better and never once has that been discouraged..by me we feel anyone who has an addiction whether drugs or booze can still relate somehow and identify..we dont turn anyone away..shit you can wonder into a all womans meeting if your hurting enough and they dont tell you to leave..they are both programs developed to help with the disease of addiction and emotional,spiritual and mental growth..all the NA meetings i used to go to i didnt like because it seemed to me at the time there was alot of glorification and alot of war story talk and not enough recovery talk for myself..but its not always like that and i know..i just found my niche in AA and have many many freinds who love their NA..but the fact of the matter is we suffer from a disease and both can learn alot from each other..

[Sistersteel]

[quote=irishpride;443506]\..shit you can wonder into a all womans meeting if your hurting enough and they dont tell you to leave..they are both programs developed to help with the disease of addiction and emotional,spiritual and mental growth..

Yup. Right on. I actually was speaker at an all men's meeting and was in the audience as well on several occasions. They actually enjoyed having me there rather than frowned on it. Recovery is recovery no matter how you label it, and recovery is for everyone who seeks it. Period.


all the NA meetings i used to go to i didnt like because it seemed to me at the time there was alot of glorification and alot of war story talk and not enough recovery talk for myself..
Ain't that the damn truth yo, lol, you just brought back so many memories right there....that is gospel. I remember my 90 days and we had a speaker who was picking up his 1 year chip and saying a few words that day...he went on and on to describe the entire ritual of getting rigged up and watching the blood fill in the syringe...yada yada yada...it fucks with me just to type that...dayum...and I was sitting there and listening and thinking to myself WTF?!!!!

And another thing about NA that I have noticed....every drug addict thinks he's had it worse than ANYONE else!!!!

[R.I.P.]

[quote]

Yup. Right on. I actually was speaker at an all men's meeting and was in the audience as well on several occasions. They actually enjoyed having me there rather than frowned on it. Recovery is recovery no matter how you label it, and recovery is for everyone who seeks it. Period.

Ain't that the damn truth yo, lol, you just brought back so many memories right there....that is gospel. I remember my 90 days and we had a speaker who was picking up his 1 year chip and saying a few words that day...he went on and on to describe the entire ritual of getting rigged up and watching the blood fill in the syringe...yada yada yada...it fucks with me just to type that...dayum...and I was sitting there and listening and thinking to myself WTF?!!!!

And another thing about NA that I have noticed....every drug addict thinks he's had it worse than ANYONE else!!!!
evryone,s bottom is their bottom. i am no better or worse than any other addict or alcoholic. i personally don't care if someone comes to an na meeting and primarily goes to aa. but if you come to my house respect my traditions as i would yours in your house.all i was saying was that is my experience. no one came to me and said anything like the person that said to me is fucked up. even the person that took me to the meeting didn't clarify it. what was i supposed to think.i was knew. i know better now. all i have is my expeience, strenghth and hope.

[ubermensch]

Whichever one you feel more comfortable at. Myself, in my area the majority of NA meetings are places to "pick up" new-comers which makes me sick and makes me want to take these piece of crap, selfish, opportunists into a room for 5 minutes without any legal repercussions. AA or NA. They are both good because you go for YOU and no one else. And it CERTAINLY is not the place for someone to go and take advantage(sexually/emotionally) of some gilr or woman who is a fresh new comer and doesn't know up from down let alone where she came from or who she is. Sorry, had to rant. Again, it is which ever one you feel comfortable at but not too damn comfortable because that can be bad too....complacency! The cause of death, the real cause of death amongst those like us. Peace and love to you my friend.

[R.I.P.]

give the newcomer a chance keep your dick or pussy in your pants.just something i've heard before in my area.

[Sistersteel]

give the newcomer a chance keep your dick or pussy in your pants.just something i've heard before in my area.

hahaha! true dat true dat

[ubermensch]

give the newcomer a chance keep your dick or pussy in your pants.just something i've heard before in my area.


Yes, I shouldn't let it bother me but it does. I can't stand slick talking mfer's who think they got it going on because they got a few years under their belt. TIME MEANS NOTHING TO ME!!! I can take a hot dose tommorow and what is that time going to do for me then. NOT A DAMN THING!!!

Who know's why this makes me so angry other than the obvious. It certainly isn't projection because I've never behaved like that in ANY NA or AA room. I can honestly say that. I like that saying though tim. It is so true.

[razorsedge]

I am a active member of AA with 15 years sobriety. My drug of choice was alcohol. Nothing pisses me off more when some AA tries to stop someone else from talking
about drugs. The usual weak justification is that they can't identify with the addict
because drugs are illegal, while booze isn't.
Bullshit. Since when did it become legally to be drunk and disorderly in public, which
every AA has been. Also, when did drunk driving become legal. Any drunk who says
that addicts shouldn't be able to talk about drug use a AA meetings needs to get off
his sanctimonious ass and look inside himself.

[Sistersteel]

I am a active member of AA with 15 years sobriety. My drug of choice was alcohol. Nothing pisses me off more when some AA tries to stop someone else from talking
about drugs. The usual weak justification is that they can't identify with the addict
because drugs are illegal, while booze isn't.
Bullshit. Since when did it become legally to be drunk and disorderly in public, which
every AA has been. Also, when did drunk driving become legal. Any drunk who says
that addicts shouldn't be able to talk about drug use a AA meetings needs to get off
his sanctimonious ass and look inside himself.


I think it has a lot to do with the fact that the self worth of any addict seems to be measured by their drug of choice. Addiction, is a behavior. It has nothing to do with the object of your obsession. The approach to recovery is exactly the same with a slight change in wording of the principles and steps. But they are the same.

I have noticed though that in NA meetings, everyone sharing starts out with.."Hello, My name is Jo and I'm an addict."

In AA, many will start with "Hello, my name is Jo and I'm an alcoholic"...

and then you have those who want to get even more specific with the labels and will add, struggling addict, recovering addict, recovered addict to their introductions.

Then you got the old school vets who will start out with "Hello everybody, I'm Jo and I'm a junkie and a drunk."

Semantics semantics...

Which reminds me of a chat I had with my sponsor one time...I was very upset because some cocaine addict did not want to room with me because I was an IV user....My sponsor is an older black woman and recovered IV heroin addict who ran hard for 15 years and lived under a bridge until her rock bottom whipped her into shape and she became an addiction counselor.
So there I am all flustered that no one wants to eat at the same table with me let alone room with me...and she takes me by the hand and goes:

Child, there was a woman once back in my recovering days who always belittled me for my IV use. She snorted her shit and had never smoked or injected any drug a day in her life, but her habit was bad enough to where we ended up in rehab together right around the same time.
So there is she running around talking shit about my, when I walked up to her and said: Bitch, you've put more shit up that nose than I EVER have up my arm. So shut the fuck up.

I thought that was hilarious. lol Anyone who has ever dabbled with injections would know that you need far less drug and get a far better hit than anything smoked or snorted.

That is why, though we should all be able to stroll in and out of each other's meetings when we need to without consequences, I still do believe that picking the right sponsor who can relate to you is important. I had a great sponsor once who was an alcoholic. She had messed around with drugs here and there but nothing serious. I loved her to death but I could not relate to her nor her to me and that led to us slowly losing touch and drifting apart..and I was left with no one to talk to. That can be very dangerous for the newcomer.

[irishpride]

give the newcomer a chance keep your dick or pussy in your pants.just something i've heard before in my area.
i fucking hate 13 stepping...nothing is more repulsive to me than someone praying on a person in a fog coming out of one of the worst things to ever happen to them..men with the men.. woman with the woman..its ok to have freinds of the opposite sex but you should be very careful taking a newbie of the opposite sex under your wing when they first walk in..they dont yet understand the complexities of their own feelings yet alone understand what your trying to do..i have many freinds in the rooms both men and female, gay and straight and i truly believe that chickenhawks like that should be punched repeatedly in the dick

[Big Sky Guy]

Good point Tim. That is why I try not to say too much here as I have no background in NA. I don't know what will or will not cause issues with symantics.

If this forum is going to be more about how you say things than WHAT you are saying, then ultimately less people will say much as they don't want to be judged. A significant number of people who are posting here have very little experience with any program and are looking for help. Those of us who have been around awhile know that recovery is a language of the heart more than words.

There are AA and NA sites on the internet and other places to have meetings, but this is one of the few Bodybuilding, Powerlifting, Strong Man sites to have any recovery atmoshpere...that is unique. I sure appreciated this atmospere and would hate for any of us that do not understand the exact wording symantics of NA to be ostracised for our desire to be helpful to others.

All that said, I understand exclusivity. God knows people in AA and even AA groups and can be as intolerant as any other group of people on the planet.

[cobra]

I bet some folks have tried to 13th step SisterSteel LOL!

[R.I.P.]

thanks for all the info and opinions. please do not misinterprep what i was saying. just be mindful.that was my whole point. share what needs to be shared. i will not judge.

[Androo40]

I just noticed this forum, glad to see it

Me I am in AA, but I do visit the other fellowships as I did enough drugs to sink the titanic

I guess you can call me a friend to all the fellowships

I year sober this past August 14, 2009. Took a one year cake/medallion this past Tuesday.

I dicked around in the 12 step programs since 1991 though, never actually working the program except going to meeting and bitching and moaning half the time. I estimated months ago that I accumulated over 11 years of dry time from 91, yet I have been truly sober like I said the past year.

Props to everyone here and our journey

[Sistersteel]

Oh I remember the bitching..but hey, we made it through the worst of it. Thanks for sharing and keep on coming back buddy!

[Androo40]

Oh I remember the bitching..but hey, we made it through the worst of it. Thanks for sharing and keep on coming back buddy!


thanks hun,

went into my house to cook something, was planning on going to the Fan expo (sci fi/horror nerd convention) Saturday and got nailed to speak at a nooner. by one of my house mates


my HP has a pretty good sense of humour:p

[irishpride]

Oh I remember the bitching..but hey, we made it through the worst of it. Thanks for sharing and keep on coming back buddy!
this statement is true and it made me start thinking of my early recovery..you know what was funny for me, when i first stopped drinking and using all i thought about was drinking and using..i thought that was the worst..then when i ventured farther into recovery i developed severe anxiety.i mean crippling at one point..it was horrible..what it stemmed from was the fact that i was over the hump so to speak..i didnt have the real urge to use (it bounced around in my head every so often and still does but nothing of that early recovery intensity) and what had me so anxious was the fact NOW was the time for real action in my life.Now i really had to work to make changes in my life.sure i was off the booze and drugs but i was stagnent as a person and unsure what was going to happen and what to do..once i began putting the work in and getting deeper into recovery (working the steps, being much more active in AA etc) thats when the real cool (but difficult) stuff began to occur..i began to really work and deal with character defects and make a life plan etc..it was one of the scariest things for me and when i used i was frequently in life or death situtations but never felt the real feelings i did in recovery..it was really eye opening to how crippled emotionally i had become..little things helped me build up confidence and really helped me progress..it was damn scary but so damn important..life is great..its tough but its REAL..and i cherish it..

[irishpride]

Which reminds me of a chat I had with my sponsor one time...I was very upset because some cocaine addict did not want to room with me because I was an IV user....My sponsor is an older black woman and recovered IV heroin addict who ran hard for 15 years and lived under a bridge until her rock bottom whipped her into shape and she became an addiction counselor.
So there I am all flustered that no one wants to eat at the same table with me let alone room with me...and she takes me by the hand and goes:

Child, there was a woman once back in my recovering days who always belittled me for my IV use. She snorted her shit and had never smoked or injected any drug a day in her life, but her habit was bad enough to where we ended up in rehab together right around the same time.
So there is she running around talking shit about my, when I walked up to her and said: Bitch, you've put more shit up that nose than I EVER have up my arm. So shut the fuck up.

I thought that was hilarious. lol Anyone who has ever dabbled with injections would know that you need far less drug and get a far better hit than anything smoked or snorted.

That is why, though we should all be able to stroll in and out of each other's meetings when we need to without consequences, I still do believe that picking the right sponsor who can relate to you is important. I had a great sponsor once who was an alcoholic. She had messed around with drugs here and there but nothing serious. I loved her to death but I could not relate to her nor her to me and that led to us slowly losing touch and drifting apart..and I was left with no one to talk to. That can be very dangerous for the newcomer.
i was reading this and it was funny to me..i remember being in rehab and listening to the crackheads and the dopers (herion users) always talk shit to each other..both groups thought they had it worse than the other group..looking back on it i think it was more personality dependant than drug..i mean look at stimulant users compared to downer users? a heroin addict has a hard time trying to imagine being fucking speedy for 20 straight hours and the constant maintance it takes to be like that..in 20hours your smoking or snorting a decent quantity of cocaine where as in 20hours a herion addict my spike themselves just several times and each time be pretty high for several hours at a clip..just a weird observation...drunks are funny too..they look at each (in early recovery not so much when you have real time and develp a real educated outlook) like i am better than you because i drank all my various types of booze out the proper glass and had cordials for after dinner etc LOL and the person buying 8$ gallons of mad dog 20/20 thinks he had it the worst because he was so desperate he drank that shit..when it really comes down to it, a drunk is a drunk, an addict is an addict and NONE of us got into the rooms of our choosing by fucking accident..we are there because its the last stop for us..we have exhausted all other options and chose lving instead of dying..my favorite saying in aa is "AA is for those who want it, NOT those who need it"