A Review of Alcoholics Anonymous Narcotics Anonymous Programs for Teens PMC
Sure, as alcohol is a drug and many recovering addicts also had a dependence on alcohol too. It really may be up to each person to decide on whether to attend AA or NA. White described current trends that will shape the future of AA and NA.
Involvement of Teens in 12-Step Programming
Chi, Kaskutas, Sterling, Campbell, and Weisner (2009) provided data that suggested that social support and religiosity might mediate effects of AA/NA on abstinence among teens. However, a total of 451 youth recently were assessed (at one time point) by Kelly, Myers, and Rodolico (2008) regarding their experiences with AA or NA. Perhaps, group support, motivation for abstinence, and only some aspects of spirituality, mediate the effects of AA/NA participation. Much more research is needed on mediation of the beneficial effects of AA/NA participation. Unfortunately, there is relatively little research information regarding AA/NA involvement by teens in informal community-based 12-step programs. In the community, AA and NA are abstinence-oriented, multidimensional, non profit, voluntary, socially supportive, self-help fellowships for individuals for whom alcohol or other drug use has become problematic.
What about professional treatment?
At baseline assessment, 12 of the studies surveyed inpatients, 1 sampled day treatment patients, 4 sampled outpatients, and 2 sampled a combination of patients. Kelly et al. (2009) differentiate between formal 12-step–oriented treatment and informal 12-step fellowship in the community. Formal 12-step–oriented treatment typically refers to inpatient or outpatient treatment that involves multiple modalities. Young patients may be educated while in a treatment setting about AA/NA, may work some of the 12 steps, and may be encouraged or even transported to 12-step meetings in the community. Approximately, two thirds of formalized inpatient and outpatient treatment programs for teens are constructed at least in part based on the 12-step principles (Kelly & Myers, 2007).
How to Choose Between Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous
Dissemination of AA/NA meetings within these facilities would seem warranted. In addition, some states have programs for first and second time offenders that do not require incarceration. For example, the state of California has drug diversion programs for first and second time, nonviolent drug offenders (which may include minors). These programs require the drug offender to attend drug education classes and 12-step program meetings.
A Brief Overview of Recovery in 12-Step Programs
Even if you don’t want to participate in a recovery program, these meetings won’t require you to sign up for a membership. Besides open meetings, you can also join online meetings (virtual meetings). BetterHelp can connect you to an addiction and mental health counselor. The only criteria for joining NA is the desire to be clean and stay clean. The group is welcome to anyone who has an active drug addiction or had one.
When introducing yourself, you will use your first name only as part of the commitment to privacy and anonymity. Also, you do not have to say, “I’m an addict,” unless you feel comfortable doing so. If you have questions, consider asking a member about it personally, and they can explain further. This step is about living with intention and continuing to check in to ensure that the individual stays focused on their values and the demands of reality. During this step, people offer apologies, try to fix the harm they caused, or ask for forgiveness.
The 12 steps mention God, but NA stresses that this isn’t necessarily a religious figure but sort of a power outside of yourself that helps motivate you. Because NA is made up of recovering addicts who take care of their own, meetings can provide a welcome environment of help and healing for newcomers. The only requirement to become a member of NA is a desire to overcome your addiction. NA groups don’t make a distinction between any type of drug, including alcohol. Any person struggling with a substance use disorder (SUD) who wants to recover is welcome.
Generally, alcoholics are more comfortable in AA because most in the room have a problem with alcohol and understand the subtleties and unique problems that come with alcohol addiction. Drug addicts are normally more comfortable in NA for https://sober-home.org/ the same reason. It can be tough for an alcoholic to give advice and feedback for something they don’t understand like opioid addiction for example. While the story of AA is about acceptance, NA was more about rebellion against AA.
Welcoming teen involvement really is needed among the elders in AA/NA. Perhaps, consistent with original statements made in AA (Alcoholics Anonymous, 1976), also permitting teens to have a wide net of definitions of Higher Power may be helpful (e.g., as a life force for orderly independence and autonomy). Finally, promotion of teen meetings at numerous community locations easy to travel to (school, local churches, or homes) may demonstrate greater inclusion norms for teens in AA/NA-type programming. These changes are rapidly occurring, as indicated by work at recent AA/NA conferences, and as mirrored by recent research efforts. Certainly, other types of community-based, non-12-step, self-help programming may be considered for teens. Some drug users (alcoholics and addicts) may best regain control of their lives through a program that does not require belief in a Higher Power to gain sobriety.
For comparison, I examined reviews of other teen quit data that did not explicitly focus on the 12-step involvement (although it is possible that two thirds of these programs involved an AA/NA dimension to them; see Kelly & Myers, 2007). Clark (2004) inferred based on the studies he reviewed that only 20% of youth treated for an alcohol use disorder will remain abstinent by young adulthood (although approximately 50% will show nonproblematic use in young adulthood). They suggested a slightly higher abstinence value for other drugs (about 60%), with up to 30% nonproblematic use at a 1-year follow-up (also see Maisto, Martin, Pollock, Cornelius, & Chung, 2002). The results of these reviews pretty well matched the rereview outcomes I report (see Table 2).
Marlon stuck with AA and went on to work in drug and alcohol treatment and recovery. He’s now a licensed alcohol and drug counselor and CEO of both the nonprofit Vegas Stronger and rehab CrossRoads of Southern Nevada. Marlon checked into a 30-day treatment facility, where he learned more about Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). He bought into the program and the idea of a fellowship where people helped one another. Join our supportive sober community where each day becomes a step towards personal growth and lasting positive change. Still, researchers found that there may be some benefits in going to NA meetings for people who are taking BMT.
- Members meet regularly to share their experiences and support each other to quit drugs.
- Whites appeared to compose at least 75% of the sample in 15 of the studies.
- Currently, several treatment modalities are available and have been utilized in the treatment of adolescent substance abuse and dependence.
- It is important to note that this is only if it will not cause further harm to the other person and with the understanding that being forgiven is not guaranteed.
- To understand AA vs. NA it is important to understand both similarities and differences between the two support groups.
It would be difficult to try to disentangle the effects of AA/NA from other treatment components. However, it would appear that programs that explicitly mention AA/NA as part of treatment obtain results comparable to other reviews suggesting that, at minimum, AA/NA-entrenched formalized treatments for teens do as well as other treatments on average. Twelve-step programs strongly espouse the notion that spiritual experiences are the means to arrest the diseases of alcoholism and drug addiction. Program literature asserts that these diseases are not only physical, mental, and emotional diseases but also diseases of the spirit (e.g., Alcoholics Anonymous, 1976). AA/NA suggests that belief in a higher power, and attempts to conform one’s behavior to that of the higher power would help lead to recovery from alcoholism or drug addiction (Galaif & Sussman, 1995; Sussman & Ames, 2008).
After that, you’ll find that meetings are all quite different from each other. Some meetings may include speakers, or people sharing about their experiences. This subreddit is in no way affiliated with or sanctioned by the program of Narcotics Anonymous or NA World Services, Inc. The thoughts and opinions expressed here are solely those of the members and do not represent the thoughts or positions held by the fellowship of Narcotics Anonymous unless specifically cited in copyrighted Narcotics Anonymous literature. For more official information regarding the fellowship of Narcotics Anonymous please go to or follow the links below. One other notable issue is that most of the studies in Table 2 did not show ethnic diversity in the data; that is, a majority of the patients were White teens.
Study participants mentioned several qualities of the AA fellowship and the AA program as helpful, such as identifying with other alcoholics, sharing, talking, and telling stories; having a sponsor, and working the steps. Those who said AA was not helpful said they couldn’t relate to others in AA groups, found there was too much negativity and complaining, or felt they could handle the problem on their own. For a more detailed description of this work, please see Robinson, Price, Kurtz, and Brower (2009). The Oxford Group, an evangelical Christian fellowship that flourished in the United States and England in the early 1900s, had a strong influence on the origins of AA.
This includes people struggling with drug use, visitors from the community, and media. Because of this, Kinnon recognized how a 12-step program could help people with drug use problems. Narcotics Anonymous (NA) is a nonprofit program for recovering and active drug users.
This step focuses on taking stock of both individual burdens and strengths. It is centered on improving self-awareness and gaining a better understanding of the self. By taking this inventory, people can gain a better understanding of the challenges they might face and the tools they have to help them overcome those obstacles. Instead, the https://sober-home.org/treatment-issues-for-men-addressing-the-specific/ purpose of NA is to share the trials and triumphs that come with addiction and recovery. Alcoholics Anonymous may be just as good or better than scientifically proven treatments to help people quit drinking, according to a new review. Her work spans various health-related topics, including mental health, fitness, nutrition, and wellness.
Although it is a common practice for treatment facilities to refer teens to 12-Step programs, the effectiveness of 12-Step programs with this population is not often studied. He presented findings from his longitudinal study of teens in AA who were followed for 8 years. The sample was composed of 166 male and female teens (average age 16) who had completed an inpatient treatment program. Alcoholics Anonymous (or AA) began in 1935 by two men who had one unified goal. They wanted to help alcoholics give up alcohol and empower them to help others do the same.
It is important to note that this is only if it will not cause further harm to the other person and with the understanding that being forgiven is not guaranteed. “We admitted that we were powerless over our addiction—that our lives had become unmanageable.” Treatment centers and rehab, therapy and counseling, and going at it alone doesn’t work for everyone.