Welcome to the Northwest Area of Narcotics Anonymous! We are a community of individuals who have come together to support one another in our journey of recovery from addiction. Our doors are open to anyone seeking a safe and supportive environment to begin or continue their path of recovery. We invite you to explore our website and learn more about the resources and events we offer. Together, we can overcome the challenges of addiction and find the strength to live a fulfilling, drug-free life.
When at the end of the road we find that we can no longer function as a human being, either with or without drugs, we all face the same dilemma. What is there left to do? There seems to be this alternative: either go on as best we can to the bitter ends—jails, institutions, or death—or find a new way to live. In years gone by, very few addicts ever had this last choice. Those who are addicted today are more fortunate. 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 (N.A.) is a nonprofit fellowship or society of men and women for whom drugs had become a major problem. We are recovering addicts who meet regularly to help each other stay clean. This is a program of complete abstinence from all drugs. There is only one requirement for membership, the desire to stop using. We suggest that you keep an open mind and give yourself a break. Our program is a set of principles written so simply that we can follow them in our daily lives. The most important thing about them is that they work. We have learned from our group experience that those who keep coming to our meetings regularly stay clean.
February 03, 2026 |
We need each other |
| Page 35 |
| "Anyone may join us, regardless of age, race, sexual identity creed, religion, or lack of religion." |
| Basic Text, p. 9 |
| Addiction closed our minds to anything new or different. We didn't need anyone or anything, we thought. There was nothing of value to be found in anyone from a different neighborhood, a different racial or ethnic background, or a different social or economic class. We may have thought that if it was different, it was bad. In recovery, we can't afford such attitudes. We came to NA because our very best thinking had gotten us nowhere. We must open our minds to experience that works, no matter where it comes from, if we hope to grow in our recovery. Regardless of our personal backgrounds, we all have two things in common with one another in NA that we share with no one else: our disease, and our recovery. We depend on one another for our shared experience--and the broader that experience, the better. We need every bit of experience, every different angle on our program we can find to meet the many challenges of living clean. Recovery often isn't easy. The strength we need to recover, we draw from our fellow NA members. Today, we are grateful for the diversity of our group's membership, for in that diversity we find our strength. |
| Just for Today: I know that the more diverse my group's experience is, the better able my group will be to offer me support in the different circumstances I find myself facing. Today, I welcome addicts from all backgrounds to my home group. |
| Copyright (c) 2007-2026, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved |
February 03, 2026 |
Accepting Our Imperfect Selves |
| Page 35 |
| "Accepting that we make mistakes and that they are not the end of the world or the end of a relationship is part of coming to terms with our own humanity." |
| Living Clean, Chapter 5, "Friendship" |
| Self-destruct mode is a common default setting for many addicts. When we screw up, we think, Maybe it's just better if I don't talk to them ever again. This self-defeating mindset would have us avoid uncomfortable conversations at all costs. We come to learn that these awkward moments are rich opportunities for growth. Step Ten gets us in the habit of examining our part in every situation. We see our liabilities but no longer believe we are the sum total of our mistakes. We learn to sustain relationships instead of blowing them up and walking away. We make amends when it's warranted. We learn how to communicate directly, to know our limits, to listen, and to apologize. We learn to be as forgiving with ourselves as we are with others. When we accept the humanity of those around us, by extension, we can grasp our own humanity. We start to treat ourselves with more compassion and embrace our imperfection. We find, as one member put it, that we are "broken in all the right places." Being real and flawed and vulnerable and self-aware is attractive. We connect with others when we allow ourselves to be fully human. |
| I am learning to treat myself as a friend, instead of as a liability. I will strive to set my "broken" pieces within their proper context and wholly embrace the mosaic that I am. |
| Copyright (c) 2007-2026, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved |
