Chattanooga Area
of Narcotics Anonymous
Drug Problem?
Find a Meeting
October 27, 2026 |
Living in the present |
| Page 313 |
| “We want to look our past in the face, see it for what it really was, and release it so we can live today.” |
| Basic Text, p. 29 |
| For many of us, the past is like a bad dream. Our lives aren’t the same any more, but we still have fleeting, highly charged emotional memories of a really uncomfortable past. The guilt, fear, and anger that once dominated us may spill into our new life, complicating our efforts to change and grow. The Twelve Steps are the formula that helps us learn to put the past in its place. Through the Fourth and Fifth Steps, we become aware that our old behavior didn’t work. We ask a Higher Power to relieve us of our shortcomings in the Sixth and Seventh Steps, and we begin to be relieved of the guilt and fear that plagued us for so many years. In the Eighth and Ninth Steps, by making amends, we demonstrate to others that our lives are changing. We are no longer controlled by the past. Once the past loses its control over us, we are free to find new ways to live, ways that reflect who we truly are. |
| Just for Today: I don’t have to be controlled by my past. I will live this new day as the new person I am becoming. |
| Copyright (c) 2007-2026, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved |
October 26, 2026 |
The Impact of Consistency |
| Page 309 |
| “. . . a group needs the consistent commitment of its members to show up and take part in its meetings. Upon that commitment rests the group’s stability; without it, no group can survive long.” |
| It Works, Tradition Seven |
| Consistency is a key part of the messages we first receive in NA. Keep coming back. 90 meetings in 90 days. Meeting makers make it. It’s suggested that we find a home group–and become a home-group member, not merely visit it. We’re encouraged to get a service commitment there–and to show up for that commitment. When we lack consistency in our groups, when we’re not kept informed by our service body reps, when we don’t provide the human or financial resources needed to carry out our requests, our groups and services aren’t as strong. NA suffers as a result, and we miss potential opportunities to help newcomers. The direct impact of our consistency may occur beyond the walls of a meeting. Many of us live in densely populated areas with plenty of groups to participate in. Many other NA communities are limited: only a few meetings–sometimes days and considerable distance apart–and perhaps too few members to fill service positions. Many groups thrive for decades, never dark for any reason; others burn bright, then falter; others struggle to stay afloat week by week. At times, it’s a real misfortune to lose a group. Other times, a loss blooms into a new opportunity. There are way too many home-group scenarios to describe here, but one thing we know is true: It takes reliable and committed NA members to turn and keep the lights on at any meeting, service committee, or NA event. And it’s no exaggeration to say that being consistent saves addicts’ lives, including our own. To carry the message of recovery and to conduct necessary NA business, we need to show up with our time, funds, skills, and willingness. We take on tasks of all sizes and shapes, and, in the spirit of rotation, we mentor others to step up. |
| What can I do to keep my home group more stable? How can I help others become more involved and consistent in their contributions to homegroup stability? Where do I need to step aside in the spirit of rotation so that others can grow from consistent service to our NA community? |
| Copyright (c) 2007-2026, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved |
About NA
Anonymity
The basic premise of anonymity allows addicts to attend meetings without fear of legal or social repercussions. This is an important consideration for an addict thinking about going to a meeting for the first time. Anonymity also supports an atmosphere of equality in meetings. It helps insure that no individual’s personality or circumstance will be considered more important than the message of recovery shared in NA.
Who are members of NA?
Anyone who wants to stop using drugs may become a member of Narcotics Anonymous. Membership is not limited to addicts using any particular drug. Those who feel they may have a problem with drugs, legal or illegal, including alcohol, are welcome in NA. Recovery in NA focuses on the problem of addiction, not on any particular drug.
How does NA work?
Addicts helping each other recover are the foundation of NA. Members meet regularly to talk about their experiences in recovery. More experienced members (known as sponsors) work individually with newer members. The core of the NA program is the Twelve Steps. These “steps” are a set of guidelines outlining a practical approach to recovery. By following these guidelines and working closely with other members, addicts learn to stop using drugs and face the challenges of daily living.
Narcotics Anonymous is not a religious organization and does not mandate any particular belief system. It does teach basic spiritual principles such as honesty, open-mindedness, faith, willingness, and humility that may be applied in everyday life. The specific practical application of spiritual principles is determined by each individual. Recovery in NA is not a miracle cure that happens within a given period of time. It is a process, ongoing and personal. Members make an individual decision to join and recover at their own pace.
NA Meetings
Financial contributions from non-members are not accepted. Most NA meetings are held regularly at the same time and place each week, usually in a public facility. There are two basic types of meetings those that are open to the general public and those closed to the public (for addicts only). Meetings vary widely in format. Some formats are: participation, speaker, question and answer, topic discussion, and some have a combination of these formats. The function of any meeting is always the same: to provide a suitable and reliable environment for personal recovery.
NA’s primary approach to recovery is its belief in the therapeutic value of one addict helping another. Members take part in NA meetings by talking about their experiences and recovery from drug addiction. NA meetings are informally structured, held in space rented by the group, and are led by members who take turns opening and closing the meeting. NA meetings and other services are funded entirely by member contributions and the sale of recovery literature.
Reprinted from A Resource In Your Community.
Anonymous World Services, Inc.
PO Box 9999, Van Nuys, CA 91409
October 27, 2026 |
Living in the present |
| Page 313 |
| “We want to look our past in the face, see it for what it really was, and release it so we can live today.” |
| Basic Text, p. 29 |
| For many of us, the past is like a bad dream. Our lives aren’t the same any more, but we still have fleeting, highly charged emotional memories of a really uncomfortable past. The guilt, fear, and anger that once dominated us may spill into our new life, complicating our efforts to change and grow. The Twelve Steps are the formula that helps us learn to put the past in its place. Through the Fourth and Fifth Steps, we become aware that our old behavior didn’t work. We ask a Higher Power to relieve us of our shortcomings in the Sixth and Seventh Steps, and we begin to be relieved of the guilt and fear that plagued us for so many years. In the Eighth and Ninth Steps, by making amends, we demonstrate to others that our lives are changing. We are no longer controlled by the past. Once the past loses its control over us, we are free to find new ways to live, ways that reflect who we truly are. |
| Just for Today: I don’t have to be controlled by my past. I will live this new day as the new person I am becoming. |
| Copyright (c) 2007-2026, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved |