Narcotics Anonymous for Addiction Treatment & Recovery

Narcotics Anonymous (NA) is a global, community-based addiction support group. It began as a support group to help those recovering from addiction to narcotic drugs, including opioids like morphine, heroin, oxycodone, hydrocodone, and fentanyl.  

Similar to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), NA adheres to the 12 Steps, a set of spiritual principles that can be incorporated into daily life and are meant to help solve substance use problems. NA’s group atmosphere offers a network for addicts wishing to pursue and maintain a drug-free lifestyle. Membership is free, and the group has no affiliation with any outside organizations.¹

NA operates on the core belief that people who have experienced addiction are uniquely qualified to support one another. The group works when a recovering addict shares their story of problematic substance use and recovery and invites people to join the NA program. NA members are not concerned with types or amounts of substances used, but focused instead on the ways in which addiction and recovery has affected their lives.  

NA meetings may be open, meaning they are available for anyone to attend, or closed, meaning they are available only to addicts or those who think they might have a substance use problem. The meetings provide a safe, nonjudgmental space wherein members can speak openly about their progress and challenges. It follows a structured format of sharing and discussing NA principles.  

NA is not connected to any group, organization, or institution, though a central component of NA is the 12 Steps, a spiritual framework for sobriety and personal growth. Meetings are often held in churches, addiction treatment centers, or other facilities because these places tend to be affordable and regularly available. NA members are encouraged to seek the guidance of a “higher power” in sobriety. Anonymity is a key principle of NA.²  

The 12 Steps of NA  

NA is built on the idea that people who have found sobriety can connect with and support those still struggling. At the center of the NA approach is the 12 Steps, a set of guiding principles shaped by the group’s members. The 12 Steps of NA are:³  

1. We admitted we were powerless over our addiction—that our lives had become unmanageable. 
2. We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves can restore us to sanity. 
3. We decided to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. 
4. We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. 
5. We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. 
6. We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. We humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings. 
8. We made a list of all the people we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. 
9. We made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. 
10. We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it. 
11. We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out. 
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to addicts, and to practice these principles in all our affairs. 

History of NA: The Basic Text  

Established in 1953, NA maintained a small membership until the publication of Narcotics Anonymous, or what members call “The Basic Text,” in 1983. Written by addicts for addicts, the Basic Text describes the N.A. program and how it works and can be read as a guide for every addict seeking recovery. It is still used today, serving as the basis of the entire NA program.   

Today, NA members gather for nearly 76,000 meetings each week across 143 countries, offering a path to recovery through a 12-Step program that includes regular participation in group meetings. In its efforts, NA aims for a world where every addict has a chance to consider the NA message of recovery in their own language and cultural context.^1,4 

NA meetings are available to attend in a number of formats. These include speaker meetings, where members share their personal stories of addiction and recovery, discussion meetings, where members participate in open discussions about recovery-related topics, and online meetings.  

Atlanta hosts a healthy mix of online and in-person NA meetings for anyone looking for support. Some notable NA recovery meetings in Atlanta include:  

• First Step Group (1976 Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway North West) holds NA meetings daily. 
• Hard Knocks at the Highland Club (2163 Flat Shoals Road) holds daily NA meetings. These meetings are open to addicts and non-addicts.
• Emory Presbyterian Church (1886 North Decatur Rd, Atlanta, 30307) hosts a 12-Step recovery meeting on Friday evenings. 
• The Atlanta Triangle Club (702 Lakeshore Circle, Atlanta, 30324) provides space for 29 different groups conducting more than 70 recovery meetings each week. The Triangle Club provides meeting space not just to NA but AA, Al-Anon, Cocaine Anonymous (CA), and Co-Dependents Anonymous (CoDA). 
• Galano Club (585 Dutch Valley Rd NE, 30324) is a LGBTQ+‑friendly fellowship that hosts 12-Step meetings throughout the week. 

For information about other NA meetings in the Atlanta area, check the Narcotics Anonymous USA website meeting finder page.