Editing Narcotics Anonymous (section)

==Narcotics Anonymous program ==

===Membership and organization===
The third tradition of NA states that the only requirement for membership is "a desire to stop using." NA says its meetings are where members can "meet regularly to help each other stay clean." All facts and quotes presented in "The Narcotics Anonymous program" section, unless otherwise sourced, come from the ''Narcotics Anonymous (Basic Text)''.<ref>{{cite book|title=Narcotics Anonymous (Basic Text).|edition=5th|date=December 1, 1991|publisher=Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc.|isbn=978-0-912075-02-0}}</ref> Membership in NA is free, and there are no dues or fees.

The foundation of the Narcotics Anonymous program is the [[Twelve Steps]] and [[Twelve Traditions]].<ref>Narcotics Anonymous [http://www.na.org/ips/eng/IP1.htm Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions]</ref> Narcotics Anonymous uses a slight variation of wording in both the [[List of Twelve Step alternate wordings|Twelve Steps]] and Twelve Traditions when compared to other Twelve Step groups.

According to the Basic Text, Narcotics Anonymous "has no opinion on outside issues," including those of [[politics]], [[science]] or [[medicine]], and does not endorse any outside organization or institution. The fellowship does not promote itself, but rather attracts new members through public information and outreach. Individuals can also be compelled to attend by courts or [[Drug rehabilitation|rehab]] programs.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thefix.com/content/court-forced-12-step?page=all|title=Court-Forced into 12-Step - The Fix|date=November 26, 2013}}{{dead link|date=March 2025}}</ref> NA groups and areas supply outside organizations with factual information regarding the NA program, and individual members may carry the NA message to hospitals and institutions, such as treatment centers and jails.<ref name="6th Ed">{{cite book|title=Narcotics Anonymous 6th Edition|year=2008|publisher=Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc.|isbn=978-1-557-76735-6}}</ref>

===The nature of addiction===
According to the philosophy of the NA program, most addicts did not realize they had a problem with drugs until they had no other choice besides ending up dead or in jail. Even if other people pointed out they may have a drug problem they were convinced otherwise. But once an addict on his or her own tries to stop and realizes they cannot, they finally see that drugs have been controlling them. Addicts "lived to use and used to live". NA helps show them a different way of life and helps them fight their disease.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Sixth Edition Basic Text, Narcotics Anonymous|publisher=Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc.|year=2008|isbn=9781557767349|location=Chatswroth, California|pages=16, 18}}</ref> NA describes [[wikt:addiction|addiction]] as a [[progressive disease]] with no known cure, which affects every area of an addict's life: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. NA suggests that the disease of addiction can be arrested, and recovery is possible through the NA twelve-step program. The steps never mention [[drug]]s or drug use, rather they refer only to addiction, to indicate that addicts have a disease of which drug use is one symptom. In the NA program, all drugs are considered equal, and alcohol is also a drug. Other symptoms include [[fixation (psychology)|obsession]], [[compulsive behavior|compulsion]], [[denial]], and self-centeredness.<ref>{{cite book|last=Narcotics Anonymous|title=Narcotics Anonymous 6th edition|url=http://www.michigan-na.org/detroit_central/d_c_documents/BASIC%20TEXT%206TH%20ed..pdf|access-date=June 3, 2014|year=2008|publisher=Narcotics Anonymous World Services|location=Chatsworth, California|isbn=978-1-557-76734-9|page=20|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311060545/http://www.michigan-na.org/detroit_central/d_c_documents/BASIC%20TEXT%206TH%20ed..pdf|archive-date=March 11, 2016|df=mdy-all}}</ref>