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  • Essay / Narcotics Anonymous: A support group - 753

    I participated in a Narcotics Anonymous (NA) group. The NA group was held in Bayonne, New Jersey, in a room in the back of the church. Holding the meeting in a church is appropriate given that the 12-step principles have a lot to do with spirituality, faith and divine intervention. The session I attended took place on a Monday evening from approximately 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. In my opinion, the duration of the group was too long. However, I felt a lot of anxiety entering the group. Although anxiety is a common trait I experience, the night of the NA meeting it was overwhelming. The reason I was emotionally upset was that I was attending the meeting with a close relative who is in recovery. Naturally, my anxiety turned into ambivalence. Still, I attended the meeting with my parent and just dealt with my feelings afterward. When I first entered the NA group, I realized that I might meet an acquaintance from the neighborhood. Although I would never disclose who he or she was in recovery, the possibility that they would be uncomfortable with me knowing that he or she was in recovery was a concern of mine. When I entered the group, I noticed a mutual friend of my parent and mine. They met while attending other NA meetings and had been friends for some time. I was informed of their friendship when I sat between them and a family member informed me of their meeting and that they had not told me out of respect for each other's privacy. Nevertheless, the other members were very cordial. A family member introduced me to the other members of the group. I was introduced to a relative who was there as a supporting character. Again, my presence didn't seem to be a problem, they were full ... middle of paper ... his use of foul language by the other members. It was as if they were feeding off each other's speech. Furthermore, the first church was in internal or external adequacy with the second church located in the lower part of Bayonne. The second NA meeting was held at a Catholic church in lower Bayonne. The meeting included a large number of white Americans, some African Americans and Latinos. Members did not swear as often as those at the first NA meeting. Plus, they hugged me when I entered the room. I guess I missed the reunion hugs because I was ten minutes late because I couldn't find the front door. Works Cited Teyber, E. and McClure, FH (2011). Interpersonal processes in therapy: An integrative model (6th ed.). California State University, San Bernardino: Brooks/Cole.