Over the past few years, the word “diversity” has been heard with increasing
frequency in Narcotics Anonymous. Workshops on the topic of diversity have begun appearing on learning day programs.
Convention committees are striving to make sure the diversity of the fellowship is represented in their speaker
lineups. In fact, diversity
is often appearing as the central theme at conventions, including the upcoming world convention. But what is diversity,
and how did it get to be our strength when it so easily could have become our weakness?
NA has had to deal with diversity since its inception. NA’s founders wanted to adapt the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics
Anonymous for a program for drug addicts, but they faced a challenge. How could they promote an atmosphere of identification—so
necessary for recovery—when there were all different kinds of addicts?
A simple shift in focus proved to be the answer to a tough dilemma. NA’s founders could have had the First Step
read, “We admitted that we were powerless over drugs. …” Instead, they used the word “addiction,” knowing that
all addicts, no matter what their drug of choice, suffer from the disease of addiction, that thing inside us that
makes it impossible for us to control our use of drugs. An issue that had the potential to divide and destroy instead
became one of the strongest ties binding the fellowship together.
This, however, wasn’t the end of diversity-related challenges. In the late Eighties and early Nineties, several
areas of concern began surfacing.
First, there were “special interest” meetings—women’s meetings, men’s stags, gay and lesbian meetings, HIV-positive
meetings, young people’s meetings, etc. Many people took the existence of these kinds of meetings for granted.
They appeared in meeting schedules around the fellowship, and people either went to them or did not.
But some members felt the existence of these meetings were a violation of the principle of unity. Men attended
women’s meetings—and vice versa—as an act of protest. Some area service committees decided that such meetings wouldn’t
be printed on the local meeting list. One letter to the WSO said, “Special interest meetings exist solely [for]
a special segment of our fellowship. They are therefore out of keeping with the spiritual foundation of our traditions.”
Another countered, “[Special interest meetings] are a place for us to feel safe enough, long enough, to learn the
acceptance of self that we all must acquire for the steps to work.” The argument heated up. Fingers were pointed,
and cries of “tradition violation!” became more and more frequent.
Supporters of special interest meetings were not encouraged by the passage at WSC’87 of the Convention Guidelines,
which contained language saying that special interest meetings were inappropriate at the world convention.
Finally, the controversy came to a head at WSC’88. At that conference, an ad hoc committee was formed to “help
us as a fellowship come to grips with and perhaps [come to] a solution to the issue of special interest meetings.”
The ad hoc committee reported back at WSC’89. The upshot of the report was that there didn’t seem to be anything
in the Twelve Traditions that contradicted special interest meetings, and that if a need existed for them they
would flourish; otherwise, they wouldn’t.
Another plank in the diversity platform became apparent at WSC’92. A panel presentation had been scheduled on the
topic of prejudice.
Panel members shared personal perspectives on their struggles with prejudice—racism, sexism, etc.—in NA. Then the
microphone was opened to attendees. Within seconds, the line waiting at the mike was ten-deep. Everyone, it seemed,
had felt the sting of prejudice. People talked about feeling excluded because of skin color, gender, body image,
age, religion, disabilities, educational level, and so on. As people shared, a feeling of identification swept
the room. People related to one another because of their differences, because of their…diversity.
Finally, NA’s worldwide growth sparked some of the deepest concerns about diversity. Was the concept of a God of
our own understanding strictly a Western idea? What would happen in countries where admission of drug addiction
was an offense punishable by death? What about sponsorship? Did our message really transcend cultural differences,
as was asserted in a resolution adopted at WSC’92?
Again, it seems that NA’s worldwide growth has only added to its strength. As meetings have sprung up in new countries,
the need for recovery literature in a variety of languages has grown. The fellowship as a whole has responded to
that need, time and again establishing the translation of NA literature as a priority.
NA meetings themselves are one of the finest examples of our fellowship’s diversity and why it’s so good for addicts
seeking recovery. In most developed NA communities, you can go to a speaker meeting, a discussion meeting, a topic-oriented
meeting, or a combination of those formats. You can go to a large meeting where the atmosphere is happy and boisterous
and there may be many people you don’t know. You can go to a small, intimate meeting where the atmosphere is quiet
and low-key and a regular group of members attend each week. You can go to a meeting that’s streamlined (very few
readings, no keytags or anniversary celebrations) for maximum sharing time, or you can go to a meeting where recovery
anniversaries are the main focus and are celebrated with a birthday cake and singing. With so many different styles,
formats, and moods represented in our meetings, each addict can find a meeting that answers his or her needs.
The Twelve Traditions are often cited as rigid boundaries we dare not cross—and they do give us a secure space
within which to carry the message. Encompassed in this space, we are safe from anything that might tear us apart.
We need not fear the differences that make up our membership. In fact, the more strength we have as individuals,
the stronger NA as a whole will be when we join together in our common purpose. When we surrender our individual
wills to NA’s ultimate authority—a loving God—we tap into the strength of a power greater than our own.
The controversies that could have torn NA apart have instead led us to recognize our diversity, accept it, and
even celebrate it. The fact that these controversies arose—accompanied by high drama and predictions of NA’s demise—peaked,
and then faded away gives us living proof that the ties that bind us together are indeed much stronger than those
things that would tear us apart.
By Craig R, Chairperson
WSC H&I Committee
Can you imagine spending three solid days with prison wardens, correctional administrators, and parole and
probation officers?
No, it’s not a using dream. It’s the American Correctional Association Winter Conference. The ACA is the largest
organization of correctional officials in the world, and its winter conference, held in San Antonio, Texas, was
attended by more than 3,400 ACA members. ACA conferences are a bit like our own conventions. There are meetings
and workshops, but there are also a great number of displays—portable jail cells, security devices and sensors,
prisoner uniforms—everything from guns to bibles.
I had the opportunity to attend the conference while serving as the WSC H&I Committee chairperson along with
Bob Stewart, the WSO marketing director. What a milestone for NA, and what an exhilarating experience for me personally!
Though this was the fourth ACA conference at which we’ve set up a booth and displayed information and literature
about NA, it was the first time we were able to make a presentation. We were asked to participate in a workshop
along with presenters from Hazelden and the Cornerstone Treatment Network. The theme of the workshop was “The Effectiveness
of Twelve-Step Programs vs. Other Treatment Modalities.” With sixty-five to seventy people in attendance, we presented
information about NA and how we carry our message into hospitals and institutions. What an exciting experience!
The panel fielded questions from the audience, and many of the questions reminded me of some we usually hear at
an NA learning day. For example, I was asked to explain the difference between AA and NA. I thought for a minute
that one of my NA friends had “planted” that one just to keep me on my toes.
As you might imagine, we left with a sense of gratitude and optimism. My gratitude revolves around how NA has changed
my life and how I am privileged to share that fact with others. My gratitude deepens when I realize that these
efforts will almost certainly result in more addicts being able to experience our way of life. I appreciate the
efforts of NA members who served before me. Their foresight and vision made it possible for us to attend and participate
in these kinds of events. I have great hope that NA’s best days are ahead as we become known and recognized as
a viable program of recovery.
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By Jeff Gershoff,
WSO Group Services Coordinator
“I have been a member of NA for six years. I attend meetings three or four times a week. I have a sponsor
who is also a member of NA. I follow sponsor direction. I work the steps to the best of my ability. I have written
on the steps under sponsor direction. When I came into the fellowship I weighed 158 pounds; now it’s 190. I’m only
am 5’ 8” tall. Why have I gotten so fat; why can’t I lose weight? I must not be working a program. I eat all the
time and can’t seem to control my eating. Every day I say that I’m going to cut down on my eating, and every day
I fail and eat cookies and chips all night in front of the TV until it is time for bed. I feel discouraged.”
You can take the example above and substitute any one of a number of scenarios for the one given: “I can’t stop
shopping, I can’t stop smoking, I can’t stop going to prostitutes or cruising singles bars, I can’t stop gambling.
What is the matter with me? Why can’t NA cure me of all of these problem behaviors?”
We hear addicts complain about these things all the time, at meetings, at coffee after the meeting, on the telephone.
This can give rise to a perception that either NA is failing many people who come here for help, or else the addicts
themselves are failing in the execution of their program. Is this so, or is there some other explanation? Is NA
not delivering the goods, or is it possible that people expect NA to be more than it is. In other words, to be
all things for all people.
Our first step states that “We admitted that we were powerless over our addiction, that our lives had become unmanageable.”
To try and dispel any notions about what type of addiction the first step is addressing, I’ve researched our literature:
In WSB Bulletin #17, “What is Addiction?” it says: “What about other kinds of addiction? By the word addiction
we do, in fact, mean drug addiction. Our Third Tradition says, The only requirement for membership is a desire
to stop using. Clearly, we mean ...a desire to stop using drugs. . . If we were to broaden our focus beyond drug
addiction to include other types of addiction, we believe we would seriously damage the atmosphere of identification
in our meetings.”
In our Basic Text, on page 3, it says: “Very simply, an addict is a man or woman whose life is controlled
by drugs.” and finally on page 12 of It Works How and Why, we find “No matter how hard we fought, we finally
reached the point of surrender where we realized that we couldn’t stop using drugs on our own. We were able to
admit our powerlessness over our addiction. We gave up completely.”
It would certainly seem by all that is said above, and by other passages in our literature, that Narcotics Anonymous
is simply a program focused on recovery from active addiction to drugs, and that any other benefits that might
come along are completely gratuitous and are not necessarily within the scope or control of an individual addict,
or of the Twelve Steps of Narcotics Anonymous.
But what if we look deeper in our literature. Is it possible to find statements seemingly in conflict with the
above? Again, from page 12 of It Works: How and Why: “The disease of addiction can manifest itself in a
variety of mental obsessions and compulsive actions that have nothing to do with drugs. We sometimes find ourselves
obsessed and behaving compulsively over things we may never have had problems with until we stopped using drugs.
We may once again try to fill the awful emptiness we sometimes feel with something outside ourselves. Any time
we find ourselves using something to change the way we feel, we need to apply the principles of the First Step.”
And from page 9 of the same source, “We address obsession and compulsion here as they relate to our drug use because,
when we first come into the program, our drug addiction is how we identify with each other and the program. As
we continue in our recovery, we will see how these aspects of our addiction can manifest themselves in many areas
of our lives.”
It appears that what seemed black and white initially is really much more ambivalent than we had previously assumed.
Because Narcotics Anonymous has no professionals, and is a program of suggestions rather than “musts,” there are
many instances where there is not a definitive right or wrong way of doing something. This is not always the case
(as might pertain to our traditions, etc.) but in this situation, i.e. applying the Twelve Steps of Narcotics Anonymous
to behaviors in our life causing us grief, other than drug addiction, it seems that the individual member must
ultimately determine what works for them and what doesn’t. In interviewing some members with substantial amounts
of recovery in NA, one thing is clear: almost every NA member with whom I spoke believes that our Twelve Steps
can be applied to virtually any area of one’s life where obsession and compulsion have taken root and refuse to
leave. It is also clear by the spate of other self-help fellowships, Overeaters Anonymous, Sex Addicts Anonymous,
Gamblers Anonymous, Prostitutes Anonymous, etc., that the belief that the steps will work in other problem areas
as well as drug addiction, is widespread.
In concluding, I’d like to offer a couple of observations. Number one is that in Narcotics Anonymous we are all
drug addicts. There should be no mistake about this. There is one requirement for membership in our fellowship
and that is the desire to stop using (drugs). Number two is that some of us might have to loosen up a bit on our
too tight grip on what the Twelve Steps might or might not be applied to. Although in Narcotics Anonymous our focus
is on the desire to stop using drugs, it appears that the Twelve Steps might help many addicts as well with other
problem areas in their life in addition to drug addiction. Number three is that we are confident in the outcome
when someone applies the Twelve Steps of NA to their drug addiction, but this outcome is not nearly as clear when
the same 12 Steps are applied to other areas. In other words, bottom line, NA is a program for recovery from drug
addiction. Granted our methods for this recovery may be applied to other areas of our lives, however the results
are not nearly as predictable and are, by definition, not the province of Narcotics Anonymous.
By Melissa W, Advisory Member
Monika C, Pool Member
WSC PI Committee
As simply stated in the Fifth Tradition, NA’s primary purpose is to carry the message to the addict who still
suffers. This principle assures us that regardless of age, race, sex, sexual identity, creed, religion, or lack
of religion, we have a home here.
Now contemplate this principle while thinking about the community in which you live. Then look around your meetings
and see, really see, who is there. Even more, notice who is not there. How can we help that still-suffering addict
find the rooms and relate to the things we all share?
It is our responsibility as NA members, as well as members of PI committees, to notice our local membership and
to formulate plans to reach out to those who are missing. Start within your own home group. Do the familiar faces
you see every week reflect the make-up of the surrounding community?
At first this task may prove difficult. If they’re missing from our rooms, how are we supposed to know who they
are? But it’s really quite simple. Think about the entire range of people in your community: for example, seniors,
youth, people with disabilities such as hearing or vision impairment, single parents, people from a variety of
ethnic backgrounds, men and women, professionals and the working class—you get the idea. If our meetings do not
reflect the diversity around us, it’s probably not because those subgroups don’t have any addicts. It is more likely
that we have not, as yet, successfully reached those addicts.
At this point you may find yourself asking, “What’s so important about diversity anyway? And what exactly does
this have to do with public information? And me?”
Diversity is an essential part of NA’s foundation. In the essay on Tradition One in It Works: How and Why, it says,
“[We] all have an interest in maintaining the unity that underlies [NA’s] common welfare… The importance of unity
encourages our groups to look beyond their own little worlds to the common needs of the worldwide NA Fellowship…
With an attitude of open-mindedness, we seek to understand other perspectives … When we work to ensure the vitality
of NA, we’re not working just for ourselves but for those yet to join us . . . Our ability to survive as a fellowship
and to reach out to others depends on our unity.”
In the essay on Tradition Five, it says, “Our primary purpose is to carry the message to the addict who still suffers.”
In our Basic Text we are reminded that “the only thing that will defeat us in our recovery is an attitude of indifference
or intolerance toward spiritual principles. Three of these that are indispensable are honesty, open-mindedness,
and willingness.
We’d like to focus on the open-mindedness part of that quote for a minute. Encouraging diversity is open-minded
work. It requires an open mind to see that we as individuals or committees may not be doing everything in our power
to make NA a welcoming place. It also requires honesty to admit our shortcomings and willingness to change. If
there are addicts out there who haven’t heard of NA or don’t come to NA because of something we’ve done or failed
to do, then we’re letting the suffering addict, the fellowship as a whole, and ourselves down. Narcotics Anonymous
was here for us when we came in. It’s up to us to do what we can to ensure it’s here for all addicts who need NA.
Why should we make a special effort to reach out to addicts who aren’t represented in our meetings? Won’t traditional
PI efforts reach everyone eventually?
Not necessarily. As much as we’d like to live up to our Third Tradition—having no membership requirements other
than a desire to stop using—we often find that the ways we carry the message do in fact create requirements.
For example, if an addict can’t read, he or she can’t hear about NA through a billboard or a newspaper announcement,
or by picking up the Basic Text at a public library. Or perhaps all our meetings in a particular area are inaccessible
to wheelchairs; that would create a “membership requirement” that you must be able to walk. What if all our posters
are put in parts of the city that certain addicts will never see? What if our public service announcements are
all in one language, and it isn’t the language that half the people in our city speak? What if these PSAs aren’t
closed-captioned? What if you did go to a meeting and found it filled only with people who weren’t at all similar
to you in regard to class, race, gender, etc.? You may not stay long enough to hear the suggestions to the newcomer
to focus on the things we all have in common—addiction and recovery.
In certain places our membership is growing by leaps and bounds, but only in numbers, not in diversity. The newcomers
are, by and large, of the same ethnic background and class as those already represented in the meetings. If that
were simply a reflection of the surrounding community, there would be no problem, but that is often not the case.
We can view such a situation as signifying that there has been success in carrying the message to particular segments
of the community. It’s now time to take that success and adapt it so it reaches all the addicts in all our communities.
One way to begin is to conduct an inventory of your group, area, or region. It should focus on the different aspects
of your group, how well you’re carrying the message, the general composition of your meetings, location characteristics
such as wheelchair accessibility, availability of supplies such as large-print literature, and literature in the
appropriate languages. The WSO product catalog provides a complete listing of NA literature and service material,
including large-print editions and various languages. For information about conducting inventories of groups or
service committees, please see A Guide to Local Services in Narcotics Anonymous. Knowing the resources that are
available and having a clear picture of both your local fellowship and the surrounding community will give you
a starting point from which to target your PI efforts.
Consider choosing a segment of your local community that is not represented in your meetings and develop a specific
plan to help get NA’s message out to that part of your community. Here are a few ideas:
The goal of public information work is to let the public, all of the public, know what NA is and how to find us. How and where we provide information about NA is central to encouraging the growth of a diverse fellowship. Every effort we make, no matter how small, has an impact. The results are worth the effort.
By Javanne P, Voting Member
WSC H&I Committee
All of my feelings about carrying the message to adolescents come from our H&I Handbook and my personal
experience. One of the most rewarding and challenging service commitments I’ve ever had was chairing an NA meeting
at an institution for young women.
It was challenging because I didn’t get clean until I was thirty-eight and I never had children of my own. My first
impulse was to tell these “girls” not to waste their lives and to say I wish I had gotten clean at their age. But
before I went to this meeting the first time, I read the H&I Handbook. It said that addicts are addicts
regardless of age. This stuck in my mind and allowed me to show respect for these young women who were addicts
just like me, and who had suffered just like me. By me showing respect for them, they were able to return that
respect.
It was rewarding because I was able to carry the message. Although none of these women believed they were too young
to be addicts, they might not have known about NA if it weren’t for the meeting we brought in. It was rewarding
to let these women know there was a place for them, where people just like them have fun and help each other get
clean and live lives that before were only a dream.
Whenever I carry the message, it’s important for me to remember what I was like before I got clean. I rebelled
whenever anyone told me what I needed to do and how I needed to do it. I felt “less than” when people talked down
to me, expressing how they knew more than I did. How easy it was for me to tune out anyone who came off as older
and wiser . . .
I was very grateful to have the H&I Handbook to look in for experience, strength, and hope. I’d like
to say thanks to the people who shared with me through the handbook. When I have faith in NA and surrender to the
program, I am able to practice that faith by following the suggestions given to me by the addicts who came before
me.
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by Jimmy K, Puerto Rico
WSC H&I Voting Member
When I first got involved in H&I, I had no idea how much it would help me in my personal recovery. Early
in my recovery, I was asked to be the panel leader in a detox. At the time we didn’t have any formal elections
or procedures by which we selected panel leaders. We just did things as they came up. Because the H&I Handbook
wasn’t yet available, we often had to learn by trial and error.
At the H&I committee meetings in my area, I learned how to do the commitment the right way. We talked about
our problems and asked each other questions, and that helped us not to make the mistakes others had made.
My sponsor at the time had started H&I efforts in our area. In succession, two of his other sponsees took the
chairperson’s commitment. Little did I know that I was carrying on a tradition in our “bloodline.” What started
as a favor, filling in for someone who was ending a commitment, led to a devotion to carrying our message of hope
and freedom from active addiction.
This commitment was the beginning of many that would help me understand the importance of Twelfth-Step work as
carried out through H&I. The level of gratitude we feel from such efforts far exceeds the energy we put into
it. When I was feeling down, or even maybe like using, those H&I commitments helped me “keep it green” and
keep things in perspective. The gift of seeing a patient, inmate, or client from an H&I presentation at an
NA meeting, clean, was always especially rewarding.
I also didn’t know about the gift of contact with other members when I first started H&I work. I’ve since made
many friends, and it’s only because I was willing to take a commitment and then show up.
I’ve done many different kinds of service in our fellowship, some geared toward social events and fundraisers and
other areas necessary to our continued existence. But it’s H&I service work that is solidly grounded in my
heart. Because there’s no great credit or recognition for doing this work, it helps me stay focused on recovery-oriented
service.
By David R, Vice Chairperson
WSC Policy Committee
In early spring of this year I had the opportunity to attend a regional conference weekend (MARLCNA). I was
invited to a policy workshop scheduled for early Saturday morning. I attended the workshop and, as I might have
expected, once I was introduced to the group (of eight addicts), one of them said, “I want to hear from the world
policy guy.”
Well, this was my cue to give the disclaimer spiel. You see, the World Service Conference Policy Committee, unlike
most other WSC committees, has (or by now it may be “had”) a very limited focus: WSC policy. We generally didn’t
communicate regularly with regional and area committees when the conference was not in session, unless we were
contacted for a particular reason.
Once I ran through the disclaimer, as I might have expected, there was a bit of disappointment in the group. They
were hoping for feedback on a few problems they were having. They did end up with some input, just not from the
source they expected.
So where does a member go to get policy guidance? Where do area and regional committees turn when there is a question
of procedure? I’m not sure that there is any “one” answer; instead, I think there are a variety of resources that
we can use to help get some direction.
The first that comes to mind is our Twelve Traditions and Twelve Concepts. Just as the answer to our living problems
is usually in the Twelve Steps, the answer for policy questions is somewhere in these guiding principles.
Don’t expect it to work like a textbook in which you can go to the index, look up “voting,” for instance, and find
the code of law dealing with all aspects of voting. Instead, the concepts and traditions point us toward ideals
of how we should interact, what we should expect of others, and our own responsibility in matters. If we are willing
to take the time (and it might take considerable time), we usually can find something that relates to our problem.
My own experience is that what I find may not be what I “want” to find. The answer sometimes requires me to take
an action that I don’t want to take. I guess this is where the steps come in!
The next resource is our (not so) “new” Guide to Local Services in Narcotics Anonymous. Yeah, I know. Lots
of members have yet to read their copy. You’re not the only one by a long shot. Well, maybe it is time. There are
many options, based on past experience, for avoiding or resolving policy and procedure problems on the group, area,
and regional levels. One of the most important simple principles maintains that “form should follow function.”
It means simply that we should be careful to not create any more structure than we need to get the job done. Valuable
guidance, I think.
Another very valuable resource can be found in other groups and committees. Our problems are usually not unique.
Others have often dealt with the struggles we find ourselves in, just like in our personal recovery. So how do
we get to these other groups and committees? A great place to start is at our ASC and RSC meetings. Another opportunity
is attending workshops like the one described above.
Finally, the World Service Office is a great resource for policy and procedure questions. No, there isn’t a “policy
expert” on staff there, either. But there are examples of guidelines used by other committees from all over. Copies
can be sent to you; just ask. You can reach the Fellowship Services Department of the WSO by phone, fax, email,
or regular post.
I guess it would be irresponsible for me not to mention Robert’s Rules of Order. Groups and committees like our
own have been using Robert’s for, well, 100-plus years! I think that the larger the group, the more we need Robert’s
Rules, and, of course, vice versa. While Robert’s has its good points, it sometimes causes us to perform confusing
and confounding “parliamentary gymnastics.” And without a parliamentarian at our disposal to aid us in our efforts
to apply the rules of order, we often misunderstand or misuse the very procedures that we think are helping us.
So, the next time there is a question of policy or procedure, don’t forget that you’re never alone. Remember, you
have many resources available to help you.
Where will you be tomorrow? |
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Going on vacation? Moving? Want to know where the meetings are? |