What values guide us in supporting our fellowship? How many times was the Basic Text viewed within thirty days after it was posted at www.na.org? What defines and strengthens our home groups? Can we “get by” if we’re not working the steps or connecting with a sponsor? These questions—and more—are addressed in this issue. Of course, there are no definitive answers to some, but our members’ experiences certainly provide valuable insight.

We’re grateful for the ideas submitted for the new public relations column name, which is brought to us each issue by your world board. We chose a simple and succinct name: “Public Relations News.” We hope you’ll continue to respond to information in the PR column and the rest of the magazine, because The NA Way depends on your input and responses.

We also want to say thanks for all the “ah-ha” experiences shared during the past year. Now, we challenge you with a new idea: We want to hear about your funniest recovery encounters, embarrassing moments, fall-on-the-floor, laugh-out-loud experiences. We know it’s all about carrying the message, so let’s fulfill our primary purpose with a big dose of laughs and giggles mixed in!

De J, Editor

Do you remember when you first “got” the NA message—when it was finally clear that you had real hope for recovery? And what about other experiences later in recovery when the clouds parted and everything seemed to come together like a bright ray of sunshine in your life? These are what we call our “ah-ha” moments.

My “ah-ha” moment came when I had been in NA three months. I was twenty-eight years old and had partied for fourteen years, so I had serious doubts and fears about staying clean.  I understood about changing people and playgrounds, and I did make those changes, but I had a “what if?” in the back of my mind. What if someone offered me a drug? Would I be able to turn it down, or would I snatch it up like a long-overdue fix? At three months, just such a situation happened. An old acquaintance who knew I was clean, but had forgotten, offered me my all-time favorite. My response was as smooth as silk. I said, “No, thanks, I don’t do that anymore,” which took me totally by surprise. I couldn’t believe that came out of this addict! This is really what I call a double “ah-ha” moment, because at that time I knew there was hope for me and that there was a Higher Power. I wasn’t alone that night, and for that I am grateful.

Melody J, Nebraska, USA

“Dr. Death”?

The point of the public relations column in the January NA Way is well taken. Being a pharmacist in recovery, I remember going to a regional workshop and being shunned by another NA member who was making a public information presentation to members of my profession. I still remember being called “doctor death.” Medical treatment seems to be a gray area for both healthcare professionals and recovering addicts. Society pushes the notion that drugs are the cure-all for every situation and symptom. The truth of the matter, for me, is that neither NA nor the healthcare profession addresses this problem clearly.

 NA has changed my life, but I still have high blood pressure. Antibiotics, cough drops, and anti-depressants seem to be thrown out the window when we talk about total abstinence. This is part of that gray area. I am not one to cite passages from the Basic Text, but this one has helped in my recovery:

There is no safe use of drugs for us. Our bodies don’t know the difference between the drugs prescribed by a physician for pain and the drugs prescribed by ourselves to get high. As addicts, our skill at self-deception will be at its peak in such a situation. (Basic Text, p. 98)

As addicts, we must be aware of this. A healthcare professional will not know of our addiction unless he or she is told. Most have no experience being an addict, nor do they have a concept of recovery. Our literature also states that we are ultimately responsible for our recovery. Working closely with a sponsor, working the steps, and being honest about our disease are all great suggestions. As addicts, we can share our concerns with healthcare professionals by providing information about addiction and recovery. This will, at minimum, make them aware that our recovery is a primary concern during a time of illness, and that they are a part of our recovery.

Don B, Texas, USA

Gracias NA Way

I am sending you this letter to thank you for sending me the magazine these past eight years. It is a very important part of my recovery. The magazine has been my companion all this time. The first time I sent a letter requesting a subscription, I doubted that you were really going to send it to my house, since I live so far away. I lacked faith and, after a month waiting for it, I gave up and no longer expected it to be delivered. I didn’t know the magazine was published quarterly! I cannot explain to you the excitement and joy I felt when I received my first copy. I felt that I was a part of something big, really big.  More than ever, I felt that I was not alone anymore, that I had fellow friends all over the world who feel the same things I feel: happiness, new discoveries, sadness, and every feeling a recovering addict goes through. I started sharing the magazines with the group and a lot of friends in the fellowship, and we read of new information and experiences. The information about service and the wisdom other members share are a very important part of my recovery. For all this, I am eternally grateful. I love you. Good luck, and keep on!

Ariel A, Buenos Aires, Argentina

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