Calling someone when you really want to relapse and talking about your struggles helps tremendously. Even psychiatrists won’t know what a drug addict is going through.
The Bangalore chapter of Narcotics Anonymous (NA) on Saturday held a press conference to clear the air regarding misconceptions about the group and the issue of drug addiction.
“Narcotics Anonymous is not a religion or a cult. We don’t have psychologists or psychiatrists in the meetings. It is by and for people who themselves are addicts,” said one of the members of the group.
The Bangalore chapter, which began in 1992, will be marking its 20th anniversary this year. “When we started, there were probably eight or nine members for a few years, but it has really grown in the city lately. We have about 300-350 members right now and 12 NA groups in the city, including one exclusively meant for women,” added the member.
According to one of the members, the NA group started when the needs of drug addicts in the city who wanted to quit substance abuse were not met by Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) groups. “Before NA, some of us went to AA meetings, but we realised that members of AA looked at us differently, so we started NA,” he said.
While rehab and addiction centres focus on getting a person clean, NA is more about creating a support system, according to its members.
“You don’t have to be a recovering addict to come to the meetings. You should just have the desire to stop at some point. We learn from our experiences and we have realised that calling someone when you really want to relapse and talking about your struggles helps tremendously. Even psychiatrists won’t know what a drug addict is going through,” said a member.
Members’ identity a secret
As the members are sworn to protect their anonymity, no attendance records are kept during meetings.
“We have businesses, families and careers, so it is important to keep our anonymity, and inside the meetings, whether you are rich or poor, we are all equals,” a member said.
NA does not take donations from any other body and the meetings are free. In Bangalore , 16 meetings take place every week.
The helpline number of NA’s Bangalore Chapter is 9880590059.
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