“We use the tools available to us and develop the ability to survive our emotions.”– Basic Text, page 30 For many of us in active addiction, emotions felt unbearable. Fear,
“Relationships can be a terribly painful area.”– Basic Text, page 78 Romantic relationships can stir some of the most powerful emotions we experience in recovery. Love, vulnerability, and intimacy can
“We have seen the program work for any addict who honestly and sincerely wants to stop using drugs.”– Basic Text, page 10 Recovery works for those who are ready to
“We know that if we pray for God’s will we will receive what is best for us, regardless of what we think.”– Basic Text, page 44 In recovery, we’ve come
“Perhaps for the first time, we see a vision of our new life.”– Basic Text, page 34 Addiction confined us to a narrow, repetitive cycle of survival: obtaining, using, and
“We have to keep our recovery first and our priorities in order.”– Basic Text, page 79 In active addiction, we often used external events or personal circumstances as excuses for
“We begin to pray only for God’s will for us. That way, we get only what we are capable of handling.”– Basic Text, page 47 Recovery teaches us the value
“Sharing with others keeps us from feeling isolated and alone.”– Basic Text, page 81 One of the most transformative aspects of recovery is learning to share our true selves with
“Enforced morality lacks the power that comes to us when we choose to live a spiritual life.”– Basic Text, page 44 Recovery brings us the gift of freedom—freedom from addiction,
“We believe that our Higher Power will take care of us.”– Basic Text, page 55 In recovery, we learn that simple spiritual principles, when applied consistently, can lead to profound
“To be truly humble is to accept and honestly try to be ourselves.”– Basic Text, page 35 Humility is often misunderstood. For those of us in recovery, it can be
“At times during our recovery, the decision to ask for God’s help is our greatest source of strength and courage.”– Basic Text, page 26 Recovery is a journey that requires
“A lot happens in one day, both negative and positive. If we do not take the time to appreciate both, perhaps we will miss something that will help us grow.”–
“Quieting the mind through meditation brings an inner peace that brings us into contact with the God within us.”– Basic Text, page 45 In recovery, meditation is a powerful tool
“We entertained the thought that staying clean was not paying off and the old thinking stirred up self-pity, resentment, and anger.”– Basic Text, page 98 In recovery, it’s natural to
“The relief of ‘letting go and letting God’ helps us develop a life that is worth living.”– Basic Text, page 26 In active addiction, many of us clung tightly to
“As we begin to function in society, our creative freedom helps us sort our priorities and do the basic things first.”– Basic Text, page 83 Recovery brings new opportunities—careers, relationships,
“If [character defects] contributed to our health and happiness, we would not have come to such a state of desperation.”– Basic Text, page 34 The Sixth and Seventh Steps of
As we navigate the complexities of life, it’s easy to get caught up in our past regrets or anxieties about the future. For those in recovery, particularly those who have
“…we could feel time, touch reality, and recognize spiritual values long lost to many of us.”– Basic Text, page 85 Addiction often leads us to compromise our values and abandon
“Although ‘politics makes strange bedfellows,’ as the old saying goes, addiction makes us one of a kind.”– Basic Text, page 84 In the rooms of Narcotics Anonymous, we encounter a
“Everything we know is subject to revision, especially what we know about the truth.”– Basic Text, page 91 Many of us entered recovery convinced that we understood “The Truth.” We
“Praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.”– Step Eleven For many of us, prayer feels unfamiliar when we first come to
“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”– Serenity Prayer Recovery
“We did not choose to become addicts.”– Basic Text, page 3 No one dreams of becoming an addict. As children, we imagined futures filled with possibility—family, careers, and meaningful experiences.
“With the love that I am shown in Narcotics Anonymous, I have no excuse for loneliness.”– Basic Text, page 262 Addiction isolates us. Even when surrounded by people, the emotional
“Words cannot describe the sense of spiritual awareness that we receive when we have given something, no matter how small, to another person.”– Basic Text, page 100 The world can
“When we admit that our lives have become unmanageable, we don’t have to argue our point of view… We no longer have to be right all the time.”– Basic Text,
“Our best thinking got us into trouble… Recovery is an active change in our ideas and attitudes.”– Basic Text, page 53 In active addiction, the world often felt intolerable. We
“Before we got clean, most of our actions were guided by impulse. Today, we are not locked into this type of thinking.”– Basic Text, page 87 In active addiction, many