“Are we that obvious?” he responded, when I asked if I was in the right place for Monday night’s NA (Narcotics Anonymous) meeting. The young man, who must have been in his early twenties, was reclining on a chair in the front entrance of the Berklee building that serves as the designated location for weekly Narcotics Anonymous meetings. He had three facial piercings and looked like he hadn't slept (or showered) in weeks. I later learned that this was his first meeting ever, and that he was less than two weeks sober.
As people began filing into the building I followed a group into the elevator to a floor that would take us to the meeting room. I took a seat in the back and observed my surroundings. It’s interesting to see who shows up for NA meetings. While some, like my acquaintance in the building entrance, seem like stereotypical characters for substance abuse users, others are your typical hard-working businessmen or women. I paid close attention to the wide assortment of individuals who filed in for the meeting. I realized that I fit in physically with the group, since there was no general typecast for the physical appearance of an NA member.
The meeting began with the introduction of newcomers and proceeded into a role call of members who were celebrating weeks or months of sobriety. One member, Andrew (name changed to protect his identity) was celebrating one full year of sobriety. The entire room clapped and cheered for him as he accepted a ribbon that represented his full year of staying clean. He spoke to the group about the meaning behind his sobriety and how NA played a primary role in encouraging him to stay clean. After he told his story about his struggle with addiction, several members congratulated him on his sobriety. After the meeting I approached Andrew and congratulated him myself. The most genuine smile I’ve ever seen appeared on his face and he said, “I’m really just happy to be alive.”
During the meeting Andrew mentioned his several failed attempts at sobriety. I asked him what finally gave him the push to follow through with staying sober, to which he responded: “When I came back from the half way house just over a year ago I started going to NA meetings around here. I met people and I just fell in love with this meeting. It just meant so much to me to have the support here. People wanted me to be around and they didn’t care what was in my pocket or what I could offer them. All they wanted was to help me. That was one of the most amazing feelings I’d ever felt. Before I’d never really had friends; I had acquaintances, but now I can honestly say that I have friends. I can honestly say that this is my new family.”
But it wasn’t only the NA group that gave Andrew the consistent motivation to stay away from drugs or any dangers that could target his substance abuse. “I never thought I’d tell another man that I loved him, and I tell me sponsor I love him on a daily basis. I call my great-grand sponsor every other day and say ‘you know, I love you. Thank you for being in my life.’ If it wasn’t for those people, I wouldn’t be standing here today.”
Andrew now runs the NA meetings in the local area and loves giving back to the community that has given him so much strength. I asked him how he felt about addiction treatment and what he felt his doctors had done for him. He responded by saying that they had done very minimal. “For the most part I avoided doctors. I felt like they didn’t want to deal with me. That I was just another screw up and that they couldn’t mend the problems that lead me to substance abuse in the first place. The half-way house was helpful but what really helped me was NA. The support and understanding of those who have been in your shoes, and may walk through your shoes again, is inspiring. We all have to help each other."
The meeting began with the introduction of newcomers and proceeded into a role call of members who were celebrating weeks or months of sobriety. One member, Andrew (name changed to protect his identity) was celebrating one full year of sobriety. The entire room clapped and cheered for him as he accepted a ribbon that represented his full year of staying clean. He spoke to the group about the meaning behind his sobriety and how NA played a primary role in encouraging him to stay clean. After he told his story about his struggle with addiction, several members congratulated him on his sobriety. After the meeting I approached Andrew and congratulated him myself. The most genuine smile I’ve ever seen appeared on his face and he said, “I’m really just happy to be alive.”
During the meeting Andrew mentioned his several failed attempts at sobriety. I asked him what finally gave him the push to follow through with staying sober, to which he responded: “When I came back from the half way house just over a year ago I started going to NA meetings around here. I met people and I just fell in love with this meeting. It just meant so much to me to have the support here. People wanted me to be around and they didn’t care what was in my pocket or what I could offer them. All they wanted was to help me. That was one of the most amazing feelings I’d ever felt. Before I’d never really had friends; I had acquaintances, but now I can honestly say that I have friends. I can honestly say that this is my new family.”
But it wasn’t only the NA group that gave Andrew the consistent motivation to stay away from drugs or any dangers that could target his substance abuse. “I never thought I’d tell another man that I loved him, and I tell me sponsor I love him on a daily basis. I call my great-grand sponsor every other day and say ‘you know, I love you. Thank you for being in my life.’ If it wasn’t for those people, I wouldn’t be standing here today.”
Andrew now runs the NA meetings in the local area and loves giving back to the community that has given him so much strength. I asked him how he felt about addiction treatment and what he felt his doctors had done for him. He responded by saying that they had done very minimal. “For the most part I avoided doctors. I felt like they didn’t want to deal with me. That I was just another screw up and that they couldn’t mend the problems that lead me to substance abuse in the first place. The half-way house was helpful but what really helped me was NA. The support and understanding of those who have been in your shoes, and may walk through your shoes again, is inspiring. We all have to help each other."
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