Group therapy can often be a powerful tool in staying on the sober path. Sharing your experiences with a group who understands your struggles and your successes can make working toward a substance-free life easier and more emotionally rewarding. It can also offer a degree of support that ensures any challenges can be better overcome.
However, that also makes it important to understand how support group organizations such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous function. Once you know what is expected, you can choose the group that best serves your needs and desires.
Many people attend their first AA or NA meeting as part of a holistic addiction treatment program in Longwood. Others attend their first meeting in standalone locations throughout Longwood and the surrounding area.
AA Meetings In Longwood, Florida
One of the first support group organizations in the world, Alcoholics Anonymous, often abbreviated as simply AA, was founded on the idea of equality and access. Anyone can attend an AA meeting, it will never cost them money to attend, and people from all walks of life can attend. AA members and leaders ask attendees to be respectful of others, to approach meetings with open minds, and to develop an awareness of themselves and their own behavior.
AA is constructed around a program of twelve steps. Contrary to common belief, AA, while spiritual in tone, is not affiliated with a specific religion or form of religious belief. These twelve steps, when followed, build awareness of yourself and the consequences of your actions, lead you to take responsibility for your past, your present, and your future, and cause you to think about and alter your patterns of behavior and your approaches to emotional and personal setbacks so that you can resolve those in a healthier way.
Beyond the twelve steps, many AA meetings are defined independently by leadership and those who attend the meetings regularly, so as to better meet a diverse collection of needs. It is common, and encouraged, to “audition” AA meetings so that you can find a meeting you are comfortable with and will attend regularly.
Finding AA Meetings Near Me
When first looking for an AA meeting to attend, you should write out what you most want from the meeting. AA meetings are held in places of worship, in public buildings, and other locations and some may wish to attend a non-denominational meeting, or attend a meeting that is off the beaten path from friends and relatives for the sake of privacy.
There are many different methods of sorting AA meetings. Some are co-ed, some allow those affected by alcoholism in their family to attend, some are focused on both alcohol abuse and dependence and potential past trauma, some are focused on specific jobs such as the military, and so on. Look for meetings that feel the most comfortable for you, and try them out.
Pass it On
St. Stephen Lutheran Church
2140 W. State Rd.
434 Longwood, FL 32714
Wekiva Presbyterian Church
201 Wekiva Springs Rd.
Longwood, FL 32779
You can find other meeting locations on the Alcohol Anonymous website.
NA Meetings In Longwood, Florida
First founded in 1953, Narcotics Anonymous, or NA, took the fundamental principles of AA and applied them to other forms of substance abuse. Like AA, NA meetings have no requirements for payment, education, or other factors, and attendees need only open-mindedness, respect for others, and self-awareness.
NA was founded because of the specific concerns surrounding narcotics, particularly illegal narcotics, and the difficulty at the time in finding support networks and assistance when struggling with substance abuse. Just like AA, NA uses the twelve-step program, with some modifications, to build self-awareness, to spot and change negative patterns of behavior, and to act with honesty and accountability towards others, be they family members or the group itself. NA programs are discreetly held in any number of public places and at any number of times.
Finding NA Meetings Near Me
Just like AA meetings, NA meetings should be approached with an understanding of your needs and how the group is led. Some groups focus on a specific form of addiction, such as opiates or cocaine. Others are built to assist people newly released from prison who have gained sobriety maintain it in the face of new temptations and access to narcotics. Like AA, “auditioning” meetings is not only expected but encouraged, in order for people to find leadership and groups with which they are comfortable.
Still Working on It
881 North Hwy
17-92 Longwood, FL 32752
You can find other locations in Longwood on the Narcotics Anonymous website.
Just like finding an AA meeting, it can help to write out precisely what you feel you need from an NA meeting. Some meetings, for example, discourage smoking simply because they believe it can be a new addiction NA members can pick up instead of facing their behavior. Others ask that only people dealing with substance abuse directly attend, in order to offer more privacy to those at the meeting.
No matter which meeting you choose, however, regularly attending a group meeting is a powerful way to reach and stay committed to sobriety. When you are accountable to more than just yourself and have more emotional resources, the challenges and opportunities of recovery are much easier to overcome and obtain.
The Recovery Village strongly supports groups like AA and NA and believes that such support groups play a key role in helping those in recovery to reach their sobriety goals. For more information about AA and NA meetings and other addiction treatment options in your area, contact us today.