We begin the day by asking a Higher Power to help us stay clean. This helps us to start our day focusing on recovery. Prayer is a new daily practice for us. So, when we first get clean, we may have trouble remembering to do this. Reading from our literature, like the Just for Today book, is a good way to remind ourselves to pray. If we do forget, we can start our day over any time!... and many times, if necessary. We use the other tools of the program through out the day to deal with life on lifes' terms. We end the day by thanking a Higher Power for helping us stay clean.






We attend N.A. meetings. It's suggested we attend a meeting every day for the first 90 days. Some of us believe if we make 72 meetings in a row, then miss the 73rd day, we need to start over on 90 in 90. Some of us believe if we miss the meeting on day 73, we make the meeting on the 74th day, #73 and continue on to 90. Either way, this is not intended to be an exercise in perfection and failure. It's meant to teach us the practice of regularly attending meetings. This means we not only attend meetings when we think we need to, but also when we think we don't. Our best thinking got us here... and it can take us back out.











An addict alone is in bad company. Isolation and self-centeredness are at the core of our disease. We have to get past the voice in our head. This is our disease talking to us! Keeping N.A. literature with us is a good idea for the times we may find ourselves alone with our disease. Reading from our literature helps quiet the noise in our heads. It gives us something to talk back at the disease with. It also reminds us to look for the positive things in our life and it lets us know we are not really alone.






We must change our playgrounds, playmates, and playthings. We have a whole fellowship of recovering addicts to help us do this, but we must reach out and ask for that help. One way we do this is by coming to meetings early and staying late. Before and after meetings are great opportunities to talk with and get to know other members... and for them to get to know us. It's also a good time to get phone numbers. We don't have to wait until our ass is falling off to call someone. Anytime we feel scared, crazy, or alone we need to call someone. At first this is hard. Our head tells us things like, "Don't call and bother anyone." or "I don't know what to say." or "Why would they care anyway?" We learn to use the phone by actually picking up the phone and making a call. We need to remember that we're all addicts. In time, we get comfortable calling others, and learn to call to see how someone else is doing, or just to talk.






Writing is a wonderful tool. Some of us keep a daily journal and some of us just write when we feel the need for some clarity. There's a lot of relief in putting down on paper what's in our head. At times, this is how we find out what's going on inside of us. Recovery is an inside job and writing helps us clear up some of our confusion. It helps us sort out what our disease is telling us, what we're thinking, and most importantly what we're really feeling.






We get a sponsor and work the Steps. We join a Homegroup. We get involved in service and help carry the message of recovery. If we use the tools of the program we can stay clean and experience all that life has to offer... without the use of drugs. As our Basic Text says, "We have never seen a person who works the Narcotics Anonymous program relapse."