May 2026 – One Addicts Experience

Better Get to a Meeting…

I started in Narcotics Anonymous with the basics of attending meetings regularly. It can become maddening at times; this endless cycle of meeting attendance. Feel bad? Go to a meeting. Feel good? Better get to a meeting. Meeting attendance has been the cornerstone of my recovery. Sometimes I question why. Turns out the answer is always simple.

“For the first time in man’s entire history, a simple way has been proving itself in the lives of many addicts. It is available to us all. This is a simple spiritual—not religious—program, known as Narcotics Anonymous.”
Narcotics Anonymous Basic Text, All Versions, Chapter 8, We Do Recover, Preamble

The path of least resistance

Can something be extremely difficult and easy at the same time? My addiction is constantly at odds with reality. I am in a perpetual state of conflict with myself and my surroundings. NA helped me experience peace and serenity but those are hard to achieve and harder to maintain. The path of least resistance is full of danger for me. I find being part of a healthy group creates conflict and motivates me to stay engaged. I must fight for my recovery. Members told me I had to do the work. I thought they were talking about the Twelve Steps, but it turns out that participation is equally important. A diverse group includes people who I have little connection with. I find that relationships can be full of potential conflicts for any addict in recovery. Avoiding them is rarely a solution but the opportunity to learn is beneficial when you are part of a home group. I have tried to create a circle of ‘friends in recovery’. There has been no substitute for an NA home group. It is the purpose of the Twelve Traditions. Narcotics Anonymous has given me the tools necessary to negotiate these relationships. Regardless of the conditions affecting my life today, I am prepared with the work I have done in NA. I believe in NA and I need to express my gratitude with my actions.

The Ties That Bind

I understand now that our identification as addicts binds us together. I find a connection to other addicts within a short period of time. My identification as an addict is the only title I need when I am participating in my recovery. I keep things simple. Focusing on the differences was a problem from the start of my recovery. I slowly learned to be less judgmental and more tolerant of myself and others. My personal feelings have less impact on my relationships with others today. The spiritual aspects of the program started to impact on my life, and the lives of those around me. Concepts of love, compassion, understanding, kindness and other spiritual principles became the tools of my recovery. Those tools build a strong home group and grow our Fellowship. The critical aspect of my recovery is unity. Unity has challenges but it feels simple when it has a purpose.

Unity of Purpose.

Navigating life on life’s terms became easier once I understood my relative importance in society. Learning that importance came from participating in a home group regularly. I keep myself in a healthy group with good support and lots of newcomers. It is easier to fall off when you are on the edge. Supporting a home group requires some understanding and some work. The Twelve Traditions of NA make a lot of sense when we apply them to a home group. Each Tradition is crafted to ensure unity and anonymity when they are applied. Learning the Twelve Traditions is really a group project, and not something that can be accomplished alone in my experience.

I have two home groups right now. A commitment to recovery means for me that I am of service to my home groups. The whole purpose is to meet regularly to help each other. I wear many hats outside of NA but in Fellowship I only wear one. My name is Mark, and I am an addict.

Freedom

“All parts thus far are closely related to the needs and aims of the addict seeking recovery and the purpose of the fellowship seeking to make recovery available to all. The greater the base, as we grow in unity in numbers and in Fellowship, the broader the sides and the higher the point of freedom. Probably the last to be lost to freedom will be the stigma of being an addict. Goodwill is best exemplified in service and proper service is “Doing the right thing for the right reason.” When this supports and motivates both the individual and the Fellowship, we are fully whole and wholly free.”
Basic Text Second Edition, Our Symbol

Today, I avoid the many cult-like activities of promoting certain ideas or mandates. Addicts are prone to manipulation and control and therefore I need to be cautious for my own safety. I maintain healthy boundaries and inventory my own behaviors. You can tell me about your experiences but that does not mean I find them attractive. I avoid too much contact with Fellowship so I can enjoy complete recovery and acceptance in society. I make my own friends. There is a whole world of suffering addicts outside of the Fellowship that are looking for answers. It is better to be of service to all than subservient to a few. It is important for me to find a balance. NA taught me to keep things simple. I talk to newcomers or members of society who are looking for solutions and try to get them to join a meeting.

Lots of things get labeled as ‘recovery’ and lots of people lend the NA name to things outside of NA. I keep things simple and participate in a home group. I foster relationships with home group members and welcome newcomers. I strive to ensure our group is well known in the community so that the still suffering addicts have a place to come. I enjoy the freedom I have today. I understand that others might see my values and principles as bars on a cage and that is ok. I certainly do not require your validation to enjoy my life. I share my experiences, strengths and hopes at meetings but try not to impose ideas on others. I am free because of NA and I hope you find freedom here too.

Complacency

The Narcotics Anonymous Basic Text includes warnings about complacency—a concept I once thought meant a lack of effort. I looked the word up in the dictionary and learned its true meaning: complacency is a sense of contentment with the current situation and often implies self-satisfaction or even smugness. It took some time before I understood the impact complacency would have on my recovery.

Complacency is one of the worst aspects of my disease. My satisfaction and smugness can be evident in my shares at meetings. When I am happy, I feel like I know a few things. However, the underlying problems start with my beliefs about Narcotics Anonymous.

I think that anyone who enjoys success in their lives because of their involvement with Narcotics Anonymous will start to believe in the program. I hear people share that they “did the work” and now they enjoy the benefits. I see a natural progression from enjoying my life to wanting that for others. How that can be achieved for you might seem simple from my perspective; my mind tells me that you need to repeat what has worked for others, just like I did. My beliefs become armor for who I am and what I have achieved. My words become weapons. “Do the Steps or Die” becomes a battle cry. My focus narrows, and I become self-righteous. I see it in myself and experience it from others.

“Complacency keeps us from goodwill, love, and compassion.”
— Narcotics Anonymous Basic Text, 2nd Edition, Chapter 10, “More Will Be Revealed”

Promulgator Cults

The term “promulgator cult” often refers to a system of beliefs—particularly regarding health or ideology—based on the dogma set forth by its promoter. It is defined as a group of individuals with intense, often unquestioning devotion to a specific leader, idea, or object.

Context in Health/Dogma: In many definitions, a “cult” is described as a system for curing diseases or a set of beliefs established by a central promulgator, often used to describe unorthodox or rigid belief systems.
Characteristics: These groups are characterized by extreme loyalty, the promotion of conspiracy theories, the rejection of mainstream information, and a tight, secretive inner circle.
Real-world Examples: Between 2023 and 2025, a notable group in Canada was often described as a “cult” led by Romana Didulo, who claimed to be the “Queen of Canada” and used social media to spread decrees that caused followers to lose homes or refuse medical care.
Actions: Members of such groups often cut off ties with family and society, adopting the “dogma” of the leader as their sole truth.

Key Indicators of a Cult-like Group:

Absolute Authoritarianism: No tolerance for questions or critical inquiry.
Isolation: Encouraging followers to cut ties with the outside world.
Propaganda: Intense dissemination of a single, specific worldview.

I Believe

Beliefs are valuable tools in my recovery, but I need to remember that they are personal. Imposing my beliefs on another creates unhealthy boundaries. Narcotics Anonymous literature warns about remaining open-minded and seeing both sides of things. I want to try what I have learned on an experimental basis and not be herded like sheep. I need to remind myself to allow that for others.

Unfortunately, the promulgation continues to grow in strength. Many service structures are cult-like in their adherence to a single worldview. Those who participate in these cults complain about a lack of support; this lack of support generates a hunger for the means to continue to promote ideology. Cult members are growing increasingly dependent on funds ahead of unity.

The reliance on profits from literature and events promotes false narratives. Workshops, learning days, and unity events have become promotional, where ideology is forced upon members. I am not surprised when people drift away or, worse, embrace the cult-like activities of other members.

Hope

There is hope. Narcotics Anonymous continues to grow through the efforts of those who serve. Despite the visible damage, the underlying strength of NA is in its membership. Globally, the Fellowship is stronger today than ever before. Virtual groups have allowed members to experience diversity, unity, and strength in fellowship.

Anonymity

The literature says we meet regularly to help each other. It is important that my beliefs do not prevent others from having their own. The path forward is unity, not oppression. Narcotics Anonymous has never been a “self-help” program for me. I might enjoy tremendous success, but complacency means I might try to impose my ideas on others.

Stagnation replaces growth when I put personality ahead of principles. Anonymity truly is the spiritual foundation of Narcotics Anonymous groups. Service ahead of self-interest ensures that NA maintains unity. I have learned to put aside my ideas and embrace anonymity.

Month: May 2026

A Simple Program