Resources for Help in Your Community
Get to Know THE RESOURCES in Your Community
Each community has their own RESOURCES to effectively treat addiction of alcohol and drugs.
Many fellowships, including NA and AA, exist worldwide. Narcotics Anonymous was founded in 1953 and is a free support system to anyone struggling with drug addiction. Every week, over 58,000 meetings are held in 131 countries; it is a part of the many accessible resources. Taken from their website, “NA is a nonprofit fellowship or society of men and women for whom drugs had become a major problem. We … meet regularly to help each other stay clean. … We are not interested in what or how much you used … but only in what you want to do about your problem and how we can help.” To find an NA meeting near you, simply go to:
https://www.na.org/meetingsearch/
The origins of Alcoholics Anonymous can be traced back to the Oxford Group, a religious movement popular in Europe and the United States in the early twentieth century. The day of one of the founders last drink, June 10, 1935, is celebrated as the official beginning of Alcoholics Anonymous. According to the AA website, “Alcoholics Anonymous is a voluntary, worldwide fellowship of men and women from all walks of life who meet together to attain and maintain sobriety. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for A.A. membership.” Currently, it is estimated that there are approximately 114,000 groups, over 2,000,000 members in approximately 170 countries. Alcoholics Anonymous is a twelve step program: 1) We admitted we were powerless over alcohol- that our lives had become unmanageable 2) Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity 3) Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him 4) Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves 5) Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs 6) Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character 7) Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings 8) Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all 9) Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others 10) Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it 11) 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 and 12) Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs. To find a meeting near you, visit:
Use this link from SAMHSA (Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration) to find a treatment facility in your area.
Resources for Family Members
There are also fellowships for family members of those addicted to alcohol and other drugs. Al-anon meetings are for anyone affected by someone else’s drinking and drug use. Alateen meetings provide hope and help for younger family members and friends of alcoholics. Alateen meetings are where teens can provide support and understand from people of their own age going through similar difficulties.
Find meetings here: https://al-anon.org/al-anon-meetings/find-an-alateen-meeting/
Fellowships are not for everyone. Other community resources exist, such as church support groups and local support groups. Many people also find sports are a great avenue to meet non-using individuals and indulge in healthy behaviors. Many communities have adult recreational teams in practically every sport. Also, volunteering your time at an organization is a good way to reduce risky behavior.
For more resources and where to find help click here
The Courage to Speak Foundation also hosts monthly support groups for those who have lost a child to drugs. For more information about drugs and drug prevention, please visit our website www.couragetospeak.org
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