Regardless of the substance consumed, from alcohol until drugs strong, in Narcotics Anonymous the addicts who seek to abandon their vices and reintegrate into society find a support group made up of people who walked the same path and battled the same situations.
Guided by a regulation which includes 12 stepsthe addicts They meet regularly to share their experiences and explain how they are dealing with the situation, accompanied by a godfather.
Although they do not have a team of professionals of conduct and the mental healththe members of Narcotics Anonymous They take refuge in their peers because, in their opinion, they assure that there is no one better than a addicted to understand the desire of consume that the other feels.
“He addicted is the person who can best help another addicted. We do not provide medical treatment, we are addicts in recovery“said one of those present, protecting his identity, since as his name indicates, his stories remain anonymous when faced with the public.
The phrase “Just for today” is their daily mantra, with which they celebrate the achievement of having overcome another day without falling into the temptation of alcohol and the drugs.
David (fictitious name) has been attending meetings for six years. Narcotics AnonymousThe young man, who for 15 years was consumer usual of drugsexplained that he came to the non-profit organization after his family performed an intervention.
In his adolescence, between the ages of 12 and 13, David had his first encounter with alcoholic beverages at a Christmas party. When he turned 15, and due to the influence of acquaintances in the neighborhood, he made the jump to alcohol. drugs stronger.
“It is a progressive disease, a consumption replaces the other. I believed that was my purpose, to live for consume“Now I see that it is possible, I am a father and I work,” he said.
“It doesn’t just affect you, it damages lives, it damages families, it drags you down”Recovering Addict
In the case of Juana (false name) she has been “clean” for more than a year, a term they use to denote a lack of consumption of illicit substances.
The young woman made a reflection on the Syndrome Alcoholic Fetal, since it ingested alcohol regularly during her pregnancy and called for breaking the belief that beer aid that the baby is born with healthy skin.
“I was looking for immediate pleasure, I needed that dopamine, that gratification, but, the Syndrome Alcoholic Fetal is a reality, babies are born addicts“, he noted.
About Narcotics Anonymous
This entity was founded in 1953 and has been present in the Dominican Republic for nearly 30 years, with More than a hundred support groups in Santo Domingo and various provinces, including San Cristóbal, La Altagracia, Samaná, Monseñor Nouel, San Cristóbal and Peravia. Currently, it has offices in more than 140 countries around the world.
The addictions are treated by method of self-diagnosis. Everyone is responsible for recognizing their failures and their achievements.
“The percentage of relapse “It’s very high,” warns one of those in charge of organizing visits to prisons and health centers, where they share the entity’s literature and explain to the consumers to get out of the drugs It is possible, as long as they make it that way.
It is important to note that they do not use the method of judging those who have not been able to carry out the 12 steps and falls on the consumptionIf you show up to the group, they will again welcome you with open doors.
Although the sessions They are closed and what they deal with is confidentialonce a week, the groups hold open meetings where the relatives of the addicts can attend and participate of the process.
“This is not cured, it is something of the day by day“, said one of those present who has more than a decade of experience sobriety.
Line of aid
Narcotics Anonymous has a helpline 1-829-821-8066completely confidential.
The website www.nadominicana.org He stresses that the only requirement for belonging is “the desire to stop consume”, making each new member understand that his presence at the meetings makes him the “most important” entity at each meeting.
Recognition keychains
As a way to encourage and celebrate the days of sobriety of the attendees to the groups, the organization has chosen to deliver key chains to the consumersThese are of different colors, where each one represents a period.
It starts with those of orangewhich are delivered when the user completes 30 uninterrupted days without consumption of alcohol either drugsall the way to black, which celebrates 24 months substance-free.
On November 16, the organization will be celebrating its XXIII Regional Convention in Juan Dolio, with the aim of strengthening unity among those attending Narcotics Anonymous.
