Narcotics Anonymous

by Narcotics Anonymous

First published in 1983, NA’s primary book was revised in 2009 to incorporate new personal stories in the Sixth Edition. “Our Program” contains ten chapters explaining the NA Fellowship and our program of recovery. “Our Members Share” includes personal stories from NA members worldwide.

Genres: Self Help, Addiction, Nonfiction, Psychology, Health, Spirituality, Mental Health

489 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Narcotics Anonymous is a non-profit fellowship or society of men and women for whom drugs had become a major problem.

Resources:
A History of Alcoholics Anonymous by Oliver Clark - this visual and auditory history of AA covers the period 1932-1971.

Reviews

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although my membership is in AA, this NA book is an easier read,most likely because it began about 15 years later than AA, and it applies to drug addiction, which also includes the disease of alcoholism

[Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The "meat and potatoes" of the NA fellowship. When I first got sober, this book gave me sanity. Not many other books can hold this claim. Personally, i feel the stories in the back of this book better than the one's featured in the AA Big Book. Anyone who doesn't know what recovery is about, or wants to get sober should read this book.

[Johnbracco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something that is vital in recovery, some parts are repetitive yeet still easy to understand for someone who may just be tyring to straighten their life up and understand addiction better.Great look into the thought process of addicts

[Batoul Mashhour · Rating 5 out of 5]

كتاب مفيد جدا لمن يرغب في التعافي من الادمان.. ايا كان نوع الادمان.. كتاب حنون ومتفهم ويشعرك بانك لست وحيدا.. بالنسبة لي لم يكن سوى اطلاع وثقافة على اجتماعات المدمنين وما يحدث فيها لكنني وضعت الخمس نجمات كي لا اظلم الكاتب المميز والمحتوى الجميل لكنني لا ارى انه ذو فائدة عظمى لغير المدمنين.. اذا لم تكن مدمنا او شديد الفضول بشأن اجتماعات المدمنين فلا تضيع وقتك.. :)

[CHERYLE O'MALLEY · Rating 1 out of 5]

THIS BOOK IS RECOMMENDED FOR ALL RECOVERING ADDICTS. I HAVE BEEN CLEAN AND SERENE SINCE APRIL 10, 2015

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great guide for recovery from drug addiction.

[Elizabeth O'Connor · Rating 2 out of 5]

simplified solution-not wrong, but not my thing.

as for the meetings: n.a. = no answer.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read for dark nights. I will definitely re-read.

[Daniel O'Neill]

"It works, if you work it."

[Jiro Dreams of Suchy · Rating 5 out of 5]

.
While using, we thought that we had fun and that non-users were deprived of it. Spirituality enables us to live to the fullest, feeling grateful for who we are and what we have done in life. Since the beginning of our recovery, we have found that joy doesn't come from material things, but from within ourselves. We find that when we lose self-obsession, we are able to understand what it means to be happy, joyous, and free. Indescribable joy comes from sharing from the heart; we no longer need to lie to gain acceptance.

Another recovery banger- easier to digest than the AA big book because it is about 40 years younger - a little easier on the old time slang and a less enthused reader would find it more appealing.

[Charlie · Rating 1 out of 5]

They say a camel is a horse designed by committee. This is how a group of anonymous recovery types put together their business about addiction (sic). What seems to be written by everyone is for everyone who has ever wanted to escape the trials and tribulations of drug addiction. At least the Big Book of AA had some God~inspiration, this one is a bit more analytical, perhaps because the group who collectively "chanelled" their Higher Power were trying to please too many people with too many angles on the same old story. Or maybe one too many in the bunch had doorknobs and broomsticks as a God of their understanding (sic). It is a true garbage bin liner, rubbish. Nevertheless NA has helped millions of people escape the horrors of chronic drug addiction and some of these good folk are not too literate, and so overall the book is mostly harmless.

[Katarina · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a non-addict I can say this book is an interesting read and gives an insight into what recovering addicts need, and it's not surprising that it mentions things we all need as human, and some good advice on how to be a decent human being all together.
An an atheist I was sceptical by how often the word "God" and "Force" appeared but I ended up quite liking the vague definition of the terms - it's really a name for an anchor we all need in difficult times.
I would recommend this book to everyone who has some kind of personal contact with someone recovering.

[Kevin Catarino · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent book. It does a good job of explaining the addict mentality. It's a little preachy though (hurr hurr ya think?) and it's written on like a 4th grade level because most of us have turned our brains into spam. Still, it's informative and the essays are interesting.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book, and will still occasionally flip through it, when I need a refresher. Never ashamed to seek the wisdom this book offers.

[Micah Rasmussen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who has read this book already knows how great it is. It has helped me through so much.

[Hilary Tesluck · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book saved my life in November 2018. I was only 22 years old but I felt like 100. It showed me what it truly meant to recover from the disease of addiction and changed my life forever. The fellowship of NA is unlike any other community I’ve experienced.

Well, these principles got away from me over the years despite this revelation. I found myself creating new rules for myself. Suddenly it was okay to start drinking socially again and using nicotine. Marijuana was okay too, since it eventually legalized. I gave myself all these passes slowly over the years and unfortunately lost the spirit of recovery that NA gave me. I thought it was okay because I stopped engaging with the community. I thought I didn’t need this anymore and that it was a problem for only my past selves… I had forgotten that addiction is a lifelong/chronic/incurable (but treatable) disease.

“One is too many and a thousand is never enough”. I used to think this sentence to myself over and over - how true it is for me… this book helped me realize there are so many others just like me when I thought I was all alone with my suffering in this world. I am happy to say I’ve begun my reread and have recommitted to my sobriety as of May 2024. The relief of knowing I have control over my life will always beat the momentarily relief of any substance. I’m looking forward to rediscovering my new NA community and learning new insights that perhaps I missed the first time around. These concepts will change your life if you are willing to put in the effort to help save yourself.

HT

[Hanem Elsayed · Rating 4 out of 5]

ولكل هدف طريقة للوصل ، وأفضل الطرق هى المجربة والتى اثبتت صحتها على مر الايام ، و تضاعف نجاحها ليشمل العديد من الافراد ،، كذلك طريق الادمان الوعر ،، فافضل الطرق للتخلص من الادمان هى المساعدة من اشخاص اجتازوا المحنة ،

[Isabelle Grey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whether or you're in recovery or not, this book is worth reading. Whether you like the 12 Steps or not, you can't deny they changed the lives of millions of people.

To anyone reading this who's struggling with their addiction, you can recover. It's never too late if you're still breathing.

[Vladimir · Rating 2 out of 5]

Out of date science, dangerous all or nothing thinking, religion through the back-door.

[Nico Starlight · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the foundation of the program of recovery in Narcotics Anonymous.

“If you are an addict, and you have found this book, please give yourself a break and read it”.

[Cortez]

It has aided me in establishing a strong foundation for my recovery.

[Ralph N · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a nice book and program! Like many other non-religious folks, I had been originally turned off by 12 step programs because of what I imagined were their religious undertones. But considering the program was written in the 30s, what could I have really expected?

And I thought the programs were going to be $$, but they’re free (donation based).

Very cool. Some of the steps are powerful ones, even for non addicts. Step 4, in particular, the self inventory, could be beneficial for everyone.

I believe the low efficacy rate of NA could be due to the fact that they accept anyone and everyone. Perhaps if you pay a boatload of money for a rehab program, you have better support and better motivation? Who knows? But I am happy the fellowship exists

[Alia Saleh · Rating 5 out of 5]

" لن نكون يوماً كاملين فلو تحقق الكمال لن نكون آدميين ".
اشباع الرغبات ادمان .. الخوف من المجهول ادمان القلق الذنوب الكسل النزعة لتدمير الذات و احساسنا تجاهها بالدونيه .. كل دي مشاعر ادمان .. عشان كده كلنا مدمنين .. كلمه " المخدرات" معناها مش مقتصر علي تعاطي المواد المخدرة لكن تعاطي المسكنات المعنوية من تسويف و تأجيل و هروب .. كلنا مدمنين و كلنا في أمس الاحتياج لمواجهة أنفسنا .
الكتاب حالة انسانيه فريده .. أقوي من كل كتب التنمية الذاتيه .. و البرنامج الموجود فيه طريق لحياة سليمة حقيقيه .
شعرت اني مدمنه مثلهم .. تشابهت معهم في كل المشاعر و اختلفت معهم في بعض الظروف و في أني فقط لم أتناول مخدر مادي ..
ممتنة جدا للكتاب و للزمالة و لاجتماعاتها المفتوحه ال بتسمح لغير المدمنين الحضور فيها .. ممتنه فعلا ..
" ربما لم نكن مسئولين عن مرضنا لكنا مسئولين عن تعافينا و نحن بالفعل نتعافي ... "
فلنعيد تعريف كل شيء و لنعلم أن الصبر جزء هام من تعافينا :)

[Justin]

This book saved my life. It is a book that will never leave my "Currently reading" shelf. It is a book written by addicts for addicts but it so much more than words on a page. I have read some previous comments and they explained the book as a book which is fine but is is not a book to just be read, it is a book to be lived. It's is only though understanding and application that they work...and the crazy things is, it works if you work it. At different times I read the same chapters over and over and every time I get something different every time. If your an addict and you want something differnt then this book can help you if you let it. above all, remain honest, open-minded and willing everything else will come one day at a time. we do recover.

[Adam Rashed · Rating 5 out of 5]

هو كتاب من ادبيات التعافي و احسبه هنا هو النص الاساسي
ليس بكتاب عن الإدمان ولكنه كتاب عن التعافي لطالما قرأنا عن الإدمان و اضراره ولكن لم نقراء التعافي و ما يعنيه
مبادئ الكتاب ليس بالضروره موجه للتعافي من المخدرات بل رقعه المعارف داخل الكتاب قد تشمل كل الناس
حيث اري ان الكتاب قد يحتوي اي شخص يعاني من مشاكل تحكم او اداره للحياه و الإدمان بشكل عام يأتي في صور كثيره منها الطعام و العلاقات و غيره
الكتاب قائم علي الخطوات الاثني عشر للتعافي و اقترح لمن يريد شرح وافي لهذه الخطوات و فهم اعمق بمتابعته سلسله التعافي ل د.عماد رشاد علي يوتيوب

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

An everyday "bible" for anyone who's ever faced addiction issues - drugs or otherwise. This book has been, and continues to be, a life-saving tool for addicts. I've read this book numerous times over the years and it continues to motivate and inspire me.

[Connie Beard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love the Basic Text! Without it, I don't think I would still be clean or be a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor. If you are an addict who really wants to quit using, you should read the Basic Text and give the NA program a chance. It works if you work it!

[Marilyn Diamond]

This fellowship has helped to change my thoughts, behaviors and ideas for over twenty one years

[Anisa Tabaco · Rating 5 out of 5]

The foundation on which we built our live.
like a parachute.. it only works if you open it
like a bar of soap you cant get clean with out it.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

No matter how many times I read this book, I find so much value in it. This book is so important to my recovery.