Guiding Principals The Spirit of Our Traditions

Twelve Steps, Twelve Traditions, and Twelve Concepts
reprinted for adaptation by permission of AA World Services, Inc.
Copyright © 2016 by
Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
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ePUB Edition first published 2019.
ISBN 978-1-63380-210-0
This is NA Fellowship-approved literature.
Narcotics Anonymous, and The NA Way are registered trademarks of Narcotics Anonymous
World Services, Incorporated.
The dictionary associated with this ePub is provided as a standard

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
Tradition One
Tradition Two
Tradition Three
Tradition Four
Tradition Five
Tradition Six
Tradition Seven
Tradition Eight
Tradition Nine
Tradition Ten
Tradition Eleven
Tradition Twelve
All Will Be Well

Twelve Steps of Narcotics Anonymous
Twelve Traditions of Narcotics Anonymous
Twelve Concepts for NA Service
A Vision for NA Service
INTRODUCTION
Guiding Principles
Our Twelve Traditions are about relationships: with ourselves, our groups,
our service bodies, and our Higher Power. While they address our practices
in service, they also provide a foundation for us to learn how to live. They are
practical and spiritual at the same time. Our Traditions help us to navigate:
They remind us where we are going and where we are likely to run aground.
They also remind us that we steer our own ship. Unity and autonomy guide
us, not uniformity and governance. We surrender authority to a Higher Power
and come together as equals. Our primary purpose is to carry the message to
the addict who still suffers. If we are to accomplish that, we need recovery
ourselves, and we need to come together in unity to build the groups and
provide the services that make recovery available to us all. We need every
principle, every resource, and every member.
Humility, empathy, and love are keys to selfless service, and selfless
service frees us from the self-centeredness at the core of our disease. Yet
many of us who have tried to recover on service alone find, sooner or later,
that without doing the hard work of the Twelve Steps, we don’t have tools to
live by these principles. We need the Steps if we are to follow the Traditions
—and we need the Traditions to create an atmosphere in which we find the
love, safety, and anonymity necessary to work the Steps.
Together, our Steps and Traditions allow us to grow and thrive, to interact
with others, and to sustain ourselves through difficulty. These spiritual
principles and practices can guide us in our decisions in service and
throughout our lives. Although we each have different ways of connecting
with and learning about the Traditions, we can all agree that these are the
principles that keep us alive and free.
The Twelve Traditions have been part of the spiritual foundation of NA
as we know it from our very beginnings. The principles arose out of
experience: practical lessons learned from problems faced early in the
development of our predecessor, Alcoholics Anonymous. Earlier programs
created for addicts, including some bearing the same name, did not practice
Traditions and did not survive. Even the NA we know today was nearly lost.
Only when some of our founding members insisted on following the
Traditions did our Fellowship begin to experience stability and growth. Those
early members understood the necessity of the Traditions for our survival.
Our need for these principles is just as great today.
Our Traditions make our principles very clear, yet understanding and
application will draw us to study, interpretation, and growth. The principles
that keep our Fellowship alive and free are universal, allowing us to be
incredibly flexible. NA can flourish and thrive in cultures and contexts
around the world. The Twelve Traditions are not negotiable, and that means
they cannot be bought, bartered, traded on, or sold. That doesn’t mean we are
rigid, inflexible, or incapable of growth. Rather than seeing our Traditions as
limiting, we come to understand that they point the way to freedom. Our
guiding principles help us steer clear of pitfalls, allowing us continued
growth and change.
Tradition is practice, developed over time, which reflects both belief and
identity. Traditions create continuity—they bind people together. Although
traditions are vital to any community, the way any given tradition is practiced
can evolve. A family may come together for the same holiday meal over the
course of many generations, but every year there may be differences in the
celebration. The important elements remain stable—we come together in love
and unity, as part of something valuable and enduring. Our guiding principles
don’t change, but the way we practice them grows and develops as we do.
Our principles remain the same, but we face fresh challenges to them all
the time. A new problem in one community is often an old problem in
another. As in our personal recovery, we often feel unique or alone when we
struggle, but most of our struggles are shared. If we are willing to be open
about our difficulties and seek experience, mostly we find someone who has
been through the same thing. Sometimes, though, we must still go through it
to learn for ourselves.
Some experienced members saw this firsthand when they were doing
outreach work with newer members in a place where NA was just getting
started. One by one, the members from older communities shared their
experience with the Twelve Traditions of NA. Some were emotional; some
were philosophical; some went deep into the history and origins of these
principles. Each time, when the speaker finished, one of the newer members
listening would ask a question like “Yeah, okay, but can we buy refreshments
for the meeting?”
If all the answers were provided for us, we wouldn’t have to spend so
much time in discussion. Simple issues wouldn’t bring us together or drive us
to reach out, and we wouldn’t learn much that way. As we build our
relationship to our Traditions, questions like “Can we serve refreshments?”
can bring us to examine our principles, our values, our priorities, and the
ways we make decisions in our groups.
When we allow these discussions the time and energy they deserve, our
understanding of the spiritual principles underlying the Twelve Traditions
deepens, and so does our practice. There are countless ways we can learn
about the Traditions, from simply hearing them read in meetings to studying
them in great detail. One member shared that his first learning experience
with the Traditions came through a simple exercise: “My first sponsor told
me to read the Twelve Traditions aloud to myself, replacing NA with my
own name. It felt awkward at first, but it gave me a new way to look at the
Traditions.” Whatever way our work in the Traditions begins, the learning
process is an ongoing journey, much like our work in the Steps.
The chapter “What Can I Do?” from our Basic Text encourages new
members to take the steps outlined in the previous chapter as a way of
answering the questions that may be troubling us. “Begin your own program
by taking Step One from the previous chapter, ‘How It Works.’ . . . Go on to
Step Two, and so forth, and as you go on you will come to an understanding
of the program for yourself.” This is a critical line in our literature, and its
appearance in the chapter that falls between the Twelve Steps and Twelve
Traditions is not coincidental. Even as we practice a program of recovery that
is outlined for us in our literature and shared with us by our sponsors and in
meetings, ultimately we will come to our own understanding. In fact, it is
necessary for us to do so, if NA recovery will be a way of life for us and not
just a phase we pass through. We must understand and make it our own.
Understanding the Traditions is part of coming to an understanding of the
program for ourselves. If “it is only through understanding and application
that they work,” how do we learn to understand and apply our Traditions? In
our groups across the Fellowship and around the world, we’ve been
answering this question for many years. But the answers to particular
questions are not always the same. When we are engaged in creative action of
the spirit, whether in our personal lives or in our service work, we may be
surprised by the solutions that present themselves. This book offers a set of
tools that can help each of us to learn about our principles, consider some
challenging questions, and come to an understanding for ourselves.
About This Book

This book emerged from a driving need for greater understanding of the
principles of our Traditions and how we apply them. Around the world, NA
members have sought practical, simple, experience-based material on the
Twelve Traditions. There are many differences in the ways we understand
and practice these principles within our Fellowship, and this workbook does
not presume to declare one way of thinking or practicing right or wrong. At
the same time, it wouldn’t serve us very well to write a book that didn’t help
us answer the questions that trouble us so greatly.
We gathered experience, strength, and hope from addicts across our
Fellowship: worksheets handed down from sponsor to sponsee; notes from
hundreds of workshops; personal writings sent in by members around the
world; stacks of speaker recordings. Together the workgroup sorted through
this material, finding themes and practices that were common and language
that helped us understand in new ways. We counted every word, and we tried
to make every word count. The writing exercises, discussion prompts, and
workshop questions that follow come from material that members have been
creating and using in smaller groups. This book comes from long discussions,
sharing, and the many, many questions we ask. Like all of our literature, this
book is written by addicts, for addicts, from the shared experience of addicts
recovering in Narcotics Anonymous. The result is a collection of tools and
experience on how to work through issues together, using the principles
embodied in the Traditions.
Working together brings us to common understanding; the conscience of
a group develops as the group solves problems and handles routine business.
We think a lot about our Traditions; we argue about them a lot, too. This
workbook is not another service manual or an abstract collection of ideas, but
a set of tools to help us think about and apply the Traditions without tearing
ourselves apart in the process.
As members awaken spiritually and share with one another, their answers
get woven into the fabric of the Fellowship’s conventional wisdom. Then,
just when our thinking begins to harden into dogma, another generation
comes along to challenge us and keep our perspective fresh. We remain open-
minded and flexible. It is important to look to our literature and our
experienced members for guidance, but ultimately each member has the right
to understand and apply this program in the way that works best. It is our
hope that this book will provide something for everyone on this path,
although some parts of it might be more useful for some of us than for others.
We invite you to take what you need and leave the rest.
In This Book
The Traditions are a set of guiding principles for working together, and the
tools, text, and questions here are meant to facilitate discussion and inspire
action in our groups, in workshops, and in sponsorship. The material in this
workbook is divided into sections for individuals, groups, and service bodies.
It may be that an individual member finds useful material in the group
section, or that a service body comes to life around a question directed at an
individual. The structure is modular—it can be used in any combination. This
workbook doesn’t need to be read or worked from beginning to end.
When we keep an open mind, even casual conversation can transform our
understanding. “I had an H&I commitment about an hour from where I
lived,” shared a member. “There’d be three or four of us in the car and we’d
talk about the program the whole way there and back. I learned more about
our Traditions in that car than anywhere else.” Sharing our experience,
exploring ideas together, thinking about our principles, and making decisions
all contribute to our ever-evolving understanding. Staying open-minded and
teachable about our basic principles allows our understanding to deepen and
mature. We don’t ever have to finish learning—even about the things we
know best.
The questions in this book are not meant to be a complete and final list;
we hope that they will start conversations more than they finish them. It’s our
belief that a member, group, or service body coming to the project of
studying Traditions probably has a pretty clear idea of its questions already.
We hope that the questions here will spark discussion and thought, that they
will bring you to read, write, and consider—and that at least some of the
time, it will be clear that for all but our most fundamental questions there’s
usually more than one right answer.
Coming to shared understanding is different from telling each other what
the rules are. We would be selling ourselves short if we suggested that
application of these principles were a simple matter of not breaking rules. If
Narcotics Anonymous were a program of compliance, most of us would have
walked away—or would have been asked to leave. As with the Twelve Steps,
we learn about these principles through experience.
In the chapters that follow, there are many pieces and parts, designed to
work together or separately. Each Tradition begins with readings and
exercises for all, followed by sections for members, groups, and service
bodies. These are meant as a guide for writing or discussion, as topics for
group inventory or a group business meeting, and as prompts for discussion
in a service workshop. The descriptions that follow are meant to help serve as
a guide through the parts of each chapter. Probably the best instructions for
using the information in this workbook, however, are simply to be creative
and work with other NA members in the process of learning about the
Traditions. Each of us is free to explore this material on our own, of course,
in whatever way makes sense. But as with The NA Step Working Guides,
doing the work is part of a process we take on with our sponsor, our group,
and our fellow members.
OPENING AND CLOSING READINGS

Each Tradition begins and ends with a short reading. The first reading offers
a reflection on the Tradition in terms of our experience and our program. The
closing reading brings together some common ideas and principles from the
chapter. These readings frame the work in between, offering perspectives on
the Traditions that can help guide our work on our own recovery and in
service. They may serve as meditations, or as openings into a larger
discussion. They may also be useful as readings in a recovery meeting, in a
service committee meeting, or at a workshop.
WORD BY WORD AND SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLES

Two exercises that appear in each chapter stand on their own, as they can be
useful for members, in groups, and in service bodies. Word by Word prompts
us to look at the words and phrases from each Tradition to help build a more
complete understanding of the Tradition as a whole. Spiritual Principles asks
us to do similar work with spiritual principles connected to each Tradition.
An example is provided in each of these sections for each Tradition, but there
is room for continued exploration, individually or as a group. Some of us use
a dictionary to help in this work. As with so many aspects of NA recovery
and service, the possibilities for discussion and exploration are endless.
FOR MEMBERS
The sections for members include shared experience and questions for
exploration. One member explained that work on the Traditions allowed her
to learn “who I am, who I want to be, and how I interact with others.” This
work can build on and extend our work in the Steps—so it might make sense
for us to approach this work in much the same way we do our Step work. For
many of us, that includes writing, discussion, meditation, thought, and
practice. We might address these questions in writing to share with our
sponsor, or use them to guide a conversation. We may also find that these
questions lead to other questions, or that our discussion takes us into new
territory. Sharing with our sponsor, trusted NA friends, or fellow servants is
an important part of this work.
FOR GROUPS
The section for our groups within each chapter offers experience, strength,
and hope for NA groups seeking to understand and apply the Traditions more
effectively. Again, the section opens with some shared experience followed
by questions for group inventory. Some groups may choose to answer one or
two questions each month, or to schedule workshops before or after a
meeting. Some groups may choose to conduct an annual inventory on all
Twelve Traditions, while others might want to work through one Tradition at
a time. Our hope is simply that this material helps groups to be successful in
their efforts to carry the NA message to the addict who still suffers.
IN SERVICE
Whenever we come together in service, we are already practicing the
Traditions. Discussing a Tradition together helps us to build a common bond.
We don’t all need to agree on how to understand or apply a Tradition, but we
can come to appreciate our different perspectives and understand our
differing points of view. Our various understandings can enrich our culture of
service, rather than serve as sources of conflict or division. The sections for
service bodies help us to explore the Traditions we are practicing. The text
and questions included in the service section of each chapter offer a variety of
approaches for coming together to discuss the Traditions in a spirit of unity
and cooperation.
GROUP INVENTORY AND SERVICE WORKSHOPS

The text and questions in the group and service sections of each Tradition are
meant to help NA groups and service bodies discuss our guiding principles.
Each group and service committee is free to discuss these sections and
questions in a way that makes the most sense based on their needs and
resources. The discussion questions that are included in these chapters are
simply meant to serve as conversation starters. The most important part of
any of these discussions will be the sharing of experience and perspectives
that happens within each group, service body, or workshop. For this reason, it
may be most effective to choose just one or two questions for any given
group inventory meeting or workshop. Those who are helping to organize a
discussion may wish to choose a question or two in advance—asking those
who are participating to help in the selection, if possible—and encourage
those participating to read the section from the Tradition prior to the
discussion. The section might also be read before introducing the question to
be discussed. As with so much else that happens in NA, the free exchange of
experience and ideas in an atmosphere of support and mutual respect leads to
growth and understanding. The Traditions are our guiding principles, and as
our reading reminds us, “it is only through understanding and application that
they work.”
There is no one right way to use this book. The wrong way to use this
book is as some kind of qualifier or proof of “having worked the Traditions
properly.” We do ourselves a disservice when we create new requirements for
membership or service, or when we suggest that one addict’s recovery or
contribution in service is more legitimate than another’s.
This book won’t tell you whether to serve refreshments in your home
group, but we hope it will make it easier for your group to come to decisions
it can grow with. And we hope that each of us will find a deeper relationship
to these principles in our NA service, in our spirituality, and in our own lives.
Unity changes us. When we rise above our differences we
start to understand who we are, how we fit, and how much
we have to offer the world. The degradation of addiction
robs us of self-respect. The care and respect we show each
other in Narcotics Anonymous reminds us of our own value
and humanity. The experience of unity restores us to
dignity.
Our willingness to come together in unity and anonymity

means we recognize that each of us matters. The Basic Text
tells us in Step Eight, “We want to look the world in the eye
with neither aggressiveness nor fear.” Then, in Chapter
Nine, the Basic Text mentions, “We no longer need to
make fools of ourselves by standing up for nonexistent
virtues.” These passages describe freedom from animosity.
When we feel dignity, we are not turned by a passing
breeze, and we no longer need to defend ourselves from
every shadow.
We often say “our unity is our strength,” and it’s true for us
both as individuals and as a Fellowship: We draw personal
strength from NA unity. We know that today we don’t have
to go it alone. We walk together on this path, and the addict
yet to come will follow in our footsteps. We draw strength,
courage, and honor from being part of something so much
greater than ourselves.
NA unity is our bond with fellow addicts: those

who came before us, those who are here today,
and those who have yet to find us. Our practice
of unity makes room for all addicts to recover in
NA.
Tradition One
Our commitment to unity is essential in Narcotics Anonymous. Anonymity is
our spiritual foundation; unity is the practical framework that binds us
together. We need each other, every one of us. Unity is an active force and a
principle we practice. In unity we find a safe place to surrender, and the
ability to carry our Higher Power’s will beyond our wildest dreams.
Unity is the key to our survival and the beginning of our miracle.
Practicing unity can be as simple as a smile—but it can also be one of the
most difficult things we do. For the alienated, frightened, and resentful
people many of us were when we got here, “our common welfare” can be
hard to imagine. Our personal recovery depends on a principle we may never
have experienced. Practicing unity is an act of faith.
Putting our common welfare first gives us a way out of the self-obsession
at the core of our disease. When we think of ourselves less and our fellows
more, we contribute to NA unity. We set aside differences to help a
newcomer. Friendships survive disagreements and grow stronger. We start to
trust that NA is strong enough to hold us.
We can be so afraid of getting it wrong that we hesitate to take any risks
at all. That fear can undermine us in our lives, our groups, and our efforts to
carry the message. Recovery sometimes means making new mistakes instead
of repeating old ones. There is no way to avoid growing pains. While we
always strive to do the right thing, our most powerful lessons can come
through our mistakes—if we are open to learning from them.
The description of our symbol in the Basic Text explains that the outer
circle represents a universal program “that has room within it for all
manifestations of the recovering person.” Narcotics Anonymous offers hope
to addicts around the world, regardless of any real or imagined differences
that might separate us. It can be easier to feel unity with addicts in faraway
places than with the people we know and serve with. Unity is not just a
feeling; it’s a decision that shapes our actions and our attitudes.
WORD BY WORD
Define, expand on, or clarify the words or phrases from this Tradition, one at
a time or in relation to each other, for writing or discussion with your sponsor
or other NA members.
Example: welfare
Welfare is a word that’s used more than it’s understood. Welfare typically
refers to our health, comfort, and well-being. Many definitions of this word
also mention safety and happiness. When Tradition One suggests that our
common welfare should come first, it’s telling us that the well-being of the
group should be more important than the desires of the individual. Together,
as a Fellowship, we all share a common responsibility for each other and for
the Fellowship that makes our personal recovery possible.
SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLES
Each Tradition embodies a variety of spiritual principles. The list of
principles and values below may be useful as we consider applications of this
Tradition. Explore them in writing or discussion with your sponsor or other
NA members. If other principles or values not listed below seem relevant for
you, include those as well.
unity surrender acceptance commitment selflessness love anonymity s

Example: unity
When we experience unity with the group, we call it commitment. When we
experience unity within ourselves, we call it integrity. Of course, this doesn’t
come automatically. Each example of unity begins with surrender. Personal
recovery begins with surrender to the First Step; surrender to the First
Tradition brings us to understand that we are part of something much greater
than ourselves.
The atmosphere of recovery that helps us welcome newcomers is made
possible through unity. When we are in conflict with each other, when a
meeting is full of tension or bitterness, it doesn’t matter what we say: A
message of hope won’t get through. On the other hand, unity is a message in
itself. When we walk into our first meeting and see addicts coming together
in unity, the spirit touches us even before the words get through.
For Members
Tradition One asks us to shift our perspective. For the first time, “we” comes
before “me.” That commitment is the beginning of new freedom. We learn to
let go. We start to see that the group can be trusted to make decisions. There
is a bridge to Tradition One from Step Twelve: Love and service are
principles of each. When we practice these principles in all our affairs, unity
—or the desire for unity—is a natural result. The community must be healthy
for us to thrive, but we can’t manage or control it into well-being. Addicts
learn through example and empathy. A healthy NA community has room for
members at all different places in the journey.
The work of the Twelve Steps is necessary to get our mess out of the way
and clear a path to our heart. But we can’t wait until we finish the Steps to
start understanding the Traditions. In so many ways, our relationship to the
Traditions begins the first time we walk through the door. The atmosphere of
a meeting can carry a more powerful message than the words that are shared.
Listening for a Higher Power working through each of us gives us access to
solutions none of us had when we walked in the room. When we come
together in unity we are open to each other and to the wisdom of a Power
greater than ourselves.
Coming to terms with the First Tradition can be challenging. We need
each other desperately, and yet we are afraid. This reservation often comes
from our experiences of being hurt. We tend to react in dis-unifying ways to
the possibility of being hurt again. Our instinct is to meet disease with
disease, but when we meet it with love and compassion instead, we create an
opportunity for recovery. Addiction separates us from others, and unity is an
antidote to alienation. As our trust in the Fellowship grows, we can be less
afraid. Unity of purpose keeps us together when feelings are pushing us
toward the door. Staying through difficulty is a profound act of surrender. We
need each other more than we need our old beliefs.
Unity is our first glimpse out of self-obsession. It begins with the
willingness to be honest, and teaches us to listen with an open mind and an
open heart to those around us. We can be genuinely pleased to see a former
enemy seeking a new way of life in recovery, and even more amazed when
that person helps us through a difficult situation. We feel immense joy at
seeing an addict begin to recover. One of the purest expressions of goodwill
in NA is our heartfelt desire for the newcomer to have freedom. Sometimes
it’s more genuine than our hope for ourselves. When that desire takes hold,
we feel compelled to clear away any distractions between the newcomer and
the message.
Practicing these principles can lead us to a desire to learn more about
other kinds of spiritual practice as well. Our history has many lessons, and
research or study might be part of how we come to understand the Traditions.
But practicing the Traditions requires that we understand them with the heart
as well as the mind. We learn most about our principles by practicing
conscious contact and open-mindedness. Our growing awareness is a source
of wisdom. When we are rigid and closed-minded, we can miss the miracle
because it doesn’t look like we imagine it should. It can be easy to forget how
we got where we are today, both as individuals and as groups. Gratitude and
a sense of wonder change our perception. Keeping the basics alive is one of
the rewards of carrying the message.
The gifts of service far outweigh the work. One member described how
service helped make unity a reality for him: “At the end of my first meeting, I
was standing around not really knowing what to do or if I wanted to come
back. A woman asked if I was new. When I said yes, she welcomed me and
then asked if I would empty the trash for the group. I came back every week
and emptied the trash. I’ve been an NA member ever since.” Being asked to
serve helps us feel useful and visible to other members. It’s easier to stay
around when we feel useful.
Participation is essential to unity, and it’s also how we start to feel like we
belong. We talk a lot about service as a responsibility, but it is also a tool.
Serving in Narcotics Anonymous helps us to internalize the First Tradition. It
teaches us how to live and work with others and how to carry out our Higher
Power’s will, and often it drives us to the Steps. Freedom from active
addiction comes long before we are free from the fear, anger, and regret that
compelled us. Learning to act in a spirit of love and unity breaks us out of
those old cages.
Caring for our common welfare begins in service, but gradually affects all
areas of our lives. Our relationship to this Tradition shows in our behavior
and translates directly into our lives outside of NA. In service,
communication is necessary for unity, and the same is true in our personal
relationships. Learning to communicate effectively is one of the greatest gifts
of involvement in NA service; it improves our ability to carry the message,
but it also changes our lives at work, at home, and in our daily interactions
with others. Good communication is a result of unity, and a necessary
condition for it. If we fail to communicate in our marriage, for example, we
may soon find it difficult to remain married. When we consider the common
welfare of our household, we can set aside immediate desires for the good of
all. Surrender allows us to make peace with reality even when it’s not going
our way. When unity is our guiding principle, there are some arguments we
just don’t need to have. We can live with differences because we trust the
integrity of the bond.
QUESTIONS FOR MEMBERS

________________________________
The questions below offer a way to begin—or continue—the process of
writing, reflection, and discussion of this Tradition with your sponsor or other
NA members.
IN NA
1. What does NA unity mean to me? How does my personal recovery
depend on it?
2. Do my actions match my beliefs about unity? How do I contribute to
unity or disunity?
3. How does anonymity contribute to unity? How does practicing unity
help me to place principles before personalities?
4. What additional actions might I take to foster unity in personal
recovery, in service, and in social settings?
5. How do I place our common welfare first? How do I demonstrate a
commitment to this? Where do I have room to grow?
6. What are my responsibilities as a member of Narcotics Anonymous?
Do those responsibilities change over time?
7. How do I show my gratitude? Have I reached out to another addict
today?
8. How can I sense when my heart is open or closed to newcomers? What
can I do better to help still-suffering addicts?
9. Do my opinions about fellow members separate me—or them—from
the group?
10. How am I of service to NA? What types of service work am I most
comfortable doing? What service would I like to take on?
11. How does this Tradition help me understand anonymity? How does
anonymity help me understand this Tradition? How do I practice
anonymity in terms of this Tradition?
12. Describe any bridges between this Tradition and one or more of the
Twelve Steps. What do these bridges teach me about my recovery?
13. What more can I do to put the principles of this Tradition into action?
How would applying this Tradition change my attitudes and actions?
IN ALL OUR AFFAIRS

14. How have I applied this Tradition outside NA? How else might the
principles of this Tradition guide my thinking or my actions?
15. Outside of NA, what are some places where I share common welfare
with others? At work, with family, in my local or spiritual community?
Where else? List those relationships and describe. How can or do I
place common welfare first?
16. How does feeling accepted influence my attitudes and actions?
17. How does practicing acceptance and tolerance affect my attitudes and
actions?
18. How can I seek unity in my relationships? What would change about
my attitude, my actions, my beliefs?
19. In what other areas of my life might this Tradition be useful? What
other opportunities are there for me to seek unity?
For Groups
NA is a program of attraction, and unity is attractive. We feel unity in a group
when we see members reaching out and sharing with goodwill. We receive
the love of the group in the spirit in which it’s given, even if we haven’t
experienced love before. We hear the message and begin to understand we
are not unique, and we are not alone. Feeling like we belong gives us hope.
Love and humility in the group inspires freedom and security in the group’s
members.
The group is the heart of Narcotics Anonymous. Groups hold recovery
meetings and guide our service efforts. In NA groups we hear the message,
carry the message, create an atmosphere of recovery, and find a home.
Serving, sharing, praying, and playing together, our relationships with fellow
addicts become intimate and important to us. A home group is not the only
place we attend meetings or the only place we express our membership in
NA. But it’s a place where we attend meetings regularly, take responsibility
for the well-being of the group, find our voice, and make sure the door is
open.
When the group has an understanding of our Traditions and members are
clear and focused, the message shines through. A clear NA message is a
source and a reflection of unity. NA language is not a dress code or a
requirement for membership, but clarity helps everyone to understand the
message of Narcotics Anonymous. We use distinct language in NA, but we
cannot expect people to know or understand this language when they first
walk in the door. Being scolded or lectured rarely feels welcoming or helpful.
The ability to say clearly and simply what we mean is the result of
understanding. When we are helping others learn how to share, reinforcement
is more powerful than enforcement. It demonstrates that we are listening, not
just looking for an angle or an argument. When our divisions get the best of
us, the message is lost, even if we say all the right words. We need all the
tools we have to foster unity: our Steps, Traditions, and Concepts as well as
empathy, patience, and courage.
One of the most important things we do in NA is to listen. For most of us,
the experience of sharing and really being heard sets NA apart from anything
we’ve experienced before. When we share in a meeting and the room is quiet,
attentive, and present to us—that’s a priceless gift. When we realize that
speaking the truth is useful, we start to develop a sense of purpose and value.
Empathy allows us to recognize our place in the world.
In business meetings, too, listening is vital. Finding common ground takes
talking and time. Some of us are more articulate than others. We work hard to
hear each other and to help each other express ideas. We show patience,
encouragement, and gratitude to our fellows for their involvement, and
remember that no voice is greater than any other. We never know where
answers will come from or what new solution we might find together. Even
disagreements and personal conflicts can serve as the basis for greater unity
down the road.
Service helps us feel like we belong. We have a place and a purpose. The
experience can be humbling. Doing as the group asks, rather than as we
choose, is a form of surrender. When it just plain feels like defeat, surrender
requires a deeper trust. We act on faith that a Higher Power is still in charge,
and that the greater good will prevail.
Consistency and continuity are vital to our survival, but without rotation,
we can risk being frozen in time. When one or a few members dominate a
group, it can be hard for others to find a way in. Domination and intimidation
stifle the spirit of a group. There is a necessary give-and-take between the
oldtimer, the newcomer, and the unseen. It is important to allow new thinking
and new ideas into the groups in order to expand our understanding and our
ability to reach out.
Each of us shares responsibility for our Fellowship. When we take
responsibility, NA starts to feel like it belongs to us. “I was staying at a
shelter, and I went to this daytime meeting. The addicts there gave me the
opportunity to make coffee. I didn’t have a house key or a car key, but I had
the NA key. I’d get there early and set it up so perfect, and when I did that I
noticed I felt less like harming myself.”
One of the most important ways we demonstrate unity is through
consistency. We keep our commitments, and that matters to the people
around us. Meetings are reliable; they start and end on time. Services
continue when trusted servants change. When there is disruption, feelings can
spiral out of control quickly. Inconsistency feels like disunity, and often
contributes to it. Remembering that unity comes first can help us work
through conflict. Are we sliding into disunity? How can we settle the
question without isolating members who disagree strongly? Just like
members, groups can experience self-centeredness. When a group forgets its
relationship to NA as a whole, it suffers—and the NA community suffers as
well. One of the most destructive lies we tell ourselves is that our actions
don’t affect those around us. NA groups don’t compete with each other; we
work together for the greatest success for the greatest number.
It is remarkable how often in our groups—and in our lives—the lone
voice is the one we most need to hear. Honoring the courage it takes to speak
against a majority and giving serious consideration to the concerns raised
doesn’t just make us more inclusive; it also helps to ensure that the decisions
we make are based in principle. Small changes that bring us to consensus are
often the difference between a hasty decision and one that can last.
It may be helpful to remember what made us feel welcome, and what
made us feel uneasy or alienated, when we first came to meetings. A meeting
format is a vehicle for creating an atmosphere of recovery and establishing
unity. The format can describe the meeting, tell a newcomer what is
happening, and help the meeting run smoothly. Statements read in the format
can make boundaries clear without being personal or accusatory. If formats
are too cluttered with rules and instructions, they can overwhelm a meeting.
On the other hand, careless or inattentive chairing can make a group feel
unstable or unreliable. Mentorship can be as simple as ensuring that outgoing
trusted servants stay on a few weeks after a new person is elected, and that
time and attention can make all the difference in maintaining continuity and
the atmosphere of recovery in a group.
Practicing unity and anonymity can be a struggle when the atmosphere of
recovery is challenged. Personal conflicts between members, violence, and
predatory behavior are very real issues in some groups. The service pamphlet
Disruptive and Violent Behavior can be a useful resource—and so can other
members. Confronting each other is part of how we help one another to
recover, but it’s a challenge to do that in a spirit of love and compassion. We
address each other honestly and peacefully, and give each other room to
grow. A member shared, “Unconditional love is not the same as
unconditional acceptance. I don’t have to like your behavior, but that doesn’t
mean we reject each other as human beings.” Our common welfare means
that every one of us needs every one of us. Every addict deserves the
opportunity to recover. Our practice of unity helps us ensure that recovery is
available to us all.
GROUP INVENTORY QUESTIONS

____________________________
The questions below offer a way to begin—or continue—a service discussion
or workshop focused on this Tradition.
1. What is our common welfare as a group? How does unity enhance our
primary purpose?
2. What does the newcomer see and hear when attending our meeting? Is
this an inviting group to join, or are we exclusive or intimidating in
some way?
3. Do we make an effort to make everyone feel welcome? How do we
welcome newcomers? Who are we missing and how can we include
them?
4. How does sharing affect our group unity? Do we carry a clear
message? How well do we listen to each other?
5. Does our group have a conscience, values, a personality? How can we
embrace our differences and still practice unity? What do we do when
we disagree?
6. Are we aware of any challenges to our group’s unity? How can we
better foster unity?
7. What’s going on around us that affects our meeting? How can our
group maintain an atmosphere of recovery when it’s challenged? How
do we address common challenges such as:
• Newcomers from a facility arriving by the busload?
• Helping addicts with young children hear a message when
attending our meetings?
• Members who are disruptive or deliberately disunifying?
• Members who are threatening, intimidating, or predatory?
• Members who feel threatened or afraid?
• Breakups or conflict among our members?
• Members who discriminate, or who exploit our differences for
their own ends?
8. In what ways does this group contribute to NA unity locally and
beyond? Is there anything we’re doing that may be disunifying?
9. Are we in communication with our local service bodies? How can we
help to improve the flow of information? Do our members participate
in service, and communicate to the group about what’s going on?
10. How does this Tradition help us understand anonymity? How does
anonymity help us understand this Tradition? How do we practice
11. Discuss any bridges between this Tradition and other Traditions. What
do these bridges teach us about our group?
12. What more can we do to bring the principles of this Tradition into our
group efforts? What could we do differently to better fulfill our
primary purpose?
In Service
When we come together in service, we connect with each other in a vital way.
Most of us feel better when we are productive, and doing something together
that helps addicts stay clean gives us a sense of belonging. The friendships
we develop in service are unlike any in our lives—not because they are
always easy or pleasant, but because we work hard, walk through struggles,
and solve problems together. In contributing to our common welfare, we find
meaning and joy. In creative action we find love and purpose.
Our vision statement includes the hope that every addict will be able to
hear the message and that every member has the chance to “experience
spiritual growth and fulfillment through service.” We experience unity in
service when we see our work as part of a greater whole, in service to our
primary purpose, and connected to our personal recovery. In whatever way
we serve, our vision must be at the center. We can be so focused on a task
that we neglect to reach out to members who might be willing or interested.
Vision is important, and we must constantly adjust our focus—zooming in on
the task at hand, and pulling back to see how it fits in the larger frame.
Our experience, strength, and hope is our message. We share how NA
works in our lives. When we’re just going through the motions, we can feel it
—and so can the newcomer. A hospitals and institutions (H&I) panel leader
said, “I saw it intensely in H&I—someone would share the real struggle of
staying clean, and everyone would connect. Another addict would share a
bunch of clichés, and the whole room was watching the clock.” Our common
welfare depends on our willingness to be honest about our experience, and to
share like our lives depend on it.
That honesty extends to the rest of our communication as well.
Communication problems often arise because we’re offering incomplete
information, or we assume people aren’t interested. Honesty is a commitment
to reality. It can be hard to stay committed when reality is messy,
complicated, or unpopular. Unity does not require uniformity, and it’s often
in allowing others to do things in their own way that new answers and
questions come to light. Conflict can be a creative force as well as a
challenge; active engagement sometimes helps to sharpen our thinking and
spark excitement.
If service were easy, we wouldn’t need so much literature on how to do it.
Often we turn to the Traditions when we want to be right about something—
or, more to the point, when we want to prove someone else wrong. “I would
give what I thought were expert opinions about every Tradition, but over time
I realized I was missing the point of the First,” said one member. Learning to
use our Traditions as a navigating system rather than a weapon is a shift for
many of us. Making that shift has tremendous impact on our common
welfare.
Many struggles in service reflect challenges we deal with in our personal
lives. There is freedom in knowing we don’t have to be in charge all the time.
Not one of us is personally capable of guiding the affairs of NA. To keep our
common welfare first, we let go of the desire to “own” a service position or a
particular task, and we look to the good of the whole. Selfless service is our
ideal, but we often struggle with our beliefs about our importance, our
rightness, or our need for approval. One trusted servant remarked, “Every
service meeting feels like one long Seventh Step workshop for me.”
Being right can be its own addiction. Alt-hough we depend on each
other’s experience and insight, a constant stream of suggestions or second-
guessing may be a sign of self-obsession. A member shared, “I was chairing a
convention, and I thought my professional experience would be useful. I
asked all the subcommittee chairs for budgets; I took them home and
corrected them all. At the next meeting I returned the corrected copies to the
subcommittee chairs. They were horrified, and I felt humiliated for
overstepping my duties. The committee was willing to work through it with
me, and eventually I was able to make amends and regain their trust.”
We let each other do the work in our own way, and learn through it—with
loving support, clear guidelines, and trust. Trust doesn’t mean we stop paying
attention. We can help each other stay on course and still believe we all share
the same good intentions, even if we have different ways of getting there. We
often judge others by their actions while judging ourselves by motives and
intentions. Guidelines can keep us accountable without making it personal.
Thinking about principles before acting is never a mistake, but we can
think ourselves right into a corner. We can get lost in policy and procedure
and not get very much done at all. Enthusiasm can also be dangerous: In the
rush to reach our goals, we sometimes resist group conscience or act
impulsively. Experienced members have pointed out that nearly every early
story about our Traditions began, “We had a great idea, and we meant well,
but then . . . .” When we work together on a committee or workgroup, we are
accountable to others, to the groups, and to our Higher Power; and often
others are accountable to us. At times this can seem cumbersome or
inefficient, but working together keeps us on track.
NA service is never a solo effort. Even when we are physically alone we
are not spiritually isolated. We are connected to something larger, and our
fellow addicts are often willing to help us if we are willing to ask. This is a
“we” program, and we see it in action when we work together toward a goal.
When we take the long view, we can trust that we’re on a journey to a lesson.
The outcome will speak for itself, if we let it. A member shared, “Every year
I made the same motion to eliminate the area’s convention, and every year a
thousand addicts showed up. Who was I to keep fighting it? Finally it was
time to let go.”
Many of us have shared about the experience of carrying a conscience we
did not agree with. It’s a selfless act, and a spiritual exercise. When we can
get out of the way and speak for our group or service body, we begin to
experience what it can be like to let a Higher Power work through us. We
start to have faith that the right thing will happen, even when we’re not sure
what that is, and come to understand that what is best for everyone will be
best for us as well. We learn to communicate in a way that is honest and
authentic without being aggressive. We can be ourselves without feeling like
our selves are on the line.
WORKSHOP QUESTIONS
___________________________________
1. How do the services we carry out benefit our common welfare? In
what ways do we contribute to a sense of unity, locally and beyond?
2. What responsibilities does our service body have? Who do we serve?
Who are we accountable to? How do accountability and responsibility
help us to foster unity?
3. Does our NA community work together in a spirit of unity? How can
we build or enhance a spirit of unity?
4. How do we recognize unity or disunity in our service body? How does
disunity in NA affect us as a service body? What do we do about it?
Do we do anything to acknowledge when we’re doing well?
6. Discuss any bridges between this Tradition and one or more of the
Twelve Concepts. What do these bridges teach us about our service
efforts?
service efforts? What could we do differently to better carry out our
services?
The First Tradition makes clear that if we are to thrive as individual

members, as groups, and as service committees, our common
welfare—the good of NA as a whole—must be at the forefront of
our consideration. Just as the description of our symbol in the Basic
Text points out, there is room within our universal program “for all
manifestations of the recovering person,” there is room in
Narcotics Anonymous for many different ways to live our
principles, carry the message, and help NA grow and reach more
addicts in more places. One size does not fit all, and unity does not
equal uniformity. We don’t have to do it like everyone else.
Creative action of the spirit takes many shapes and forms
throughout our Fellowship. Our personal recovery depends on NA
unity. Our experience of unity in Narcotics Anonymous allows us
to recover in an atmosphere of acceptance, freedom, and love. The
freedom we gain as members of NA offers us courage to participate
in the life and growth of our Fellowship.
Whatever our views of a Higher Power, we can see a loving
force at work in NA groups. Seeing the power available to
us when we work together allows us to see it in our own
lives as well. As we work the Steps, we learn to trust
ourselves. When we are trustworthy, we begin to feel
worthy. Recovery is as simple and as complicated as not
lying to ourselves anymore. We can hear our own
conscience.
Each of us is healthier in some ways than in others. We

trust—and we use good sense. Living in fellowship with
other addicts, we learn discernment. The person we feel
safe to talk to when our heart hurts may not be the same
person we would choose to be our group treasurer. Trusting
is an act of love. Giving that gift is a choice each of us
makes for ourselves.
The Second Tradition assures us that NA will be there for

us no matter what. When we have a reservation in our
Second Tradition, we don’t quite believe that all will be
well. We fear that we have the ability to destroy Narcotics
Anonymous. If something particular happens—if we take
this action or pass that motion or even listen to a scary idea
—NA will die. Our experience shows us that NA is strong
enough to withstand our growing pains. Tradition Two tells
us that we can trust a Power greater than ourselves. We
learn to stand up for a principle without feeling like we’re
fighting for our lives.
When we trust the process, we are free to

participate in it. We are safe to act in unity,
speak our conscience from a place of love, and
hear the voice of a Higher Power.
Tradition Two
The Second Tradition is clear and freeing. It begins with the group, united by
common purpose. But it immediately makes clear that neither the group nor
its members are in charge. Tradition Two sets an ultimate authority above us
all, freeing us from the need either to be an authority or to submit to someone
else’s control. Under the loving care of a Power greater than ourselves we are
all equal, and we are each important to NA as a whole.
In many ways, the Second Tradition can be said to embody the spirit of
all twelve. Unity, purpose, selfless service, relationship to a God of our
understanding, conscience, and anonymity are principles that shape the
Second Tradition and our way of life. The better we understand this
Tradition, the more clearly we understand what NA has to offer—and what it
asks of us.
Service is any action through which we give of ourselves, and every
service position is a stewardship of trust. We do not govern; we also do not
own service positions, boards, committees—or meetings. When we come
together in unity, we shine. A connected group conscience recognizes the
value of all its members. One member described leadership in NA as
“holding a space for the brilliance of others.” Allowing that brilliance to
come through can be challenging: It requires us to listen, to reserve judgment,
and to be open to new answers even when we are really committed to old
ones.
Many of us struggle to reconcile the idea of leadership put forth by this
Tradition with our concerns about authority and control. The most powerful
way we lead in NA is by example. The Basic Text reminds us in Step Twelve
that “the temptation to give advice is great, but when we do so we lose the
respect of newcomers.” Tradition Two tells us that leadership in NA will
never be a position of authority; when we lead we are servants. Practicing
responsibility and selflessness together opens the door to the spiritual gift of
anonymity.
The Tradition speaks of “group conscience,” and within NA there are
varied understandings of what that means. Some members believe that the
only place group conscience exists is in the NA groups. Others see it more
broadly. Our group purpose—like our common welfare—is one of the ties
that bind us together, a unifying thread that weaves through everything we do
in NA. In this view, the process of coming to a decision as a service board or
committee is no less spiritual than in groups. Each member, and each group,
is entitled to their own understanding.
Honoring group conscience is a spiritual exercise. Sometimes listening to
the group is easy and gratifying. When we sit in a business meeting and learn
about practicing principles, we can be glad we’re there. When a newer
member teaches us something we hadn’t quite understood before, we may be
amazed at the power of the program. We serve by being present and meeting
the needs of the group as expressed by its conscience. The love and unity we
feel as a result are rewards for the time and energy we give in service to NA.
When we disagree with a decision or a direction, honoring that
conscience is much more challenging. We will not always get our way, and
letting go can be a struggle. The Second Tradition asks us to let go of our
self-obsession and desire for control. Group conscience serves as a compass,
guiding us through the challenges we face together. There are times when we
must find the courage to be the lone voice on an issue or stand up for
principle against a strong majority. We choose our battles wisely. If we
notice that we are the lone voice on every issue, we may want to consider the
utility of acceptance and surrender as spiritual principles. Listening to
guidance and acting accordingly demonstrates both courage and humility. We
listen to our own conscience, to each other, and to the needs of the group for
the guidance of a Higher Power, expressed as group conscience.
One way to understand group conscience is as a collective awareness of
spiritual principles. When each of us listens carefully to our own conscience
and pays attention to each other, we develop a common voice and shared
wisdom. When we listen for a Higher Power in our decision making, our
decisions improve. When we foster awareness, it grows. The group becomes
greater than the sum of its parts.
WORD BY WORD
Example: servant
To be a servant may mean attending to others in a relationship of inequality,
but this is not the only way to understand the term, nor is it the meaning that
applies when we use the term in NA. Other meanings of the word include a
person who is devoted, is useful or beneficial, cares for others, or works
toward a purpose. A servant acts with care and devotion. It is a role of trust,
not authority. We use this language because no individual is ever to have sole
ownership over any part of NA. We serve our Fellowship in humility and
gratitude, recognizing the importance of everyone’s contributions. When we
strive to serve selflessly, our purpose, rather than our personality, is primary.
The task, purpose, and process are all spiritual.
Serving changes us. Just as making amends teaches us to be more forgiving,
selfless service brings generosity, compassion, and awareness of purpose.
Service is practice for how we live in the world. It’s an opportunity to give
what has been so freely given to us, and to recognize how much effort goes
into the blessings we take for granted in and out of Narcotics Anonymous.
unity surrender acceptance commitment discernment selflessness love

Example: love
Love is one of the driving forces in Narcotics Anonymous, and yet Tradition
Two is the only Tradition in which the word love appears. The loving spirit
that binds us together is greater than our individual personalities. A spirit of
love gives life to anonymity, allowing us to come together in unity. Being a
trusted servant, acting in a spirit of love, and trusting a Power greater than
ourselves are all part of practicing this Tradition. The love we share in NA
means we care enough to save each other’s lives. The most loving things we
do for each other aren’t always easy or gentle. We try to approach each other
and our service with kindness, care, and concern, and to find courage to reach
out to each other with honesty and compassion.
Regardless of who we are, where we’ve been, or what we’ve done, we find in
Narcotics Anonymous a place of empathy, acceptance, welcome, and
belonging. We don’t find it with everyone, but anonymity frees us to
experience love, and that love, in turn, frees us to accept one another without
reservation. The Second Tradition tells us that a loving God may express
Himself in our group conscience, but it’s hard to hear a loving God when we
are being unloving. Unity depends on our willingness to keep coming from
love, even when that seems like the hardest thing to do. It’s a spiritual
exercise that changes us, and a spiritual commitment that ensures our
survival.
For Members
Each of us has a conscience, that quiet voice that guides us. At its root, the
word conscience means “to know within oneself.” Developing our personal
conscience is a process that continues as long as we are clean. Many of us
begin recovery with a distorted sense of right and wrong. Our moral compass
had been so skewed by our addiction that we had trouble following its
guidance. Reconnecting with our conscience often begins by taking on the
values of others. Learning to see from another’s point of view helps build
empathy, but it also teaches us to see new possibilities. Things can look very
different from another angle of vision. While our sponsor, our family, and our
community all provide us with models, ultimately we must learn to know
within ourselves. Through the Steps we develop our own values and tools for
recognizing when we are on course and when we are drifting. Often this
begins as a set of absolutes: right or wrong, up or down, and that’s the end of
it. Gradually, we start to see shades of color where there had once been only
black and white, and as we mature we are more able to tolerate mixed
feelings. There can be many different right answers to the same question.
Changing our angle of vision changes what we see. Our perspective shapes
our perception, and our perception helps determine our experience.
When we come together to make decisions for NA, we listen together for
guidance from a Higher Power. Learning to listen takes practice and patience.
We hear our conscience in the ideas of fellow members. Our personal
recovery contributes to the conscience of the group. In meditation, meetings,
and service, we learn that silence can allow us to hear the quiet voice of truth
within.
Our practice of the Second Tradition begins among other recovering
addicts who share our principles. As we serve together, a bond develops. The
friendships forged in service can be some of the deepest in our lives. The
time spent and trust developed in service give us the opportunity to share
deeply with one another. Intimacy develops through shared experience.
Despite differences of opinion or style, we are united by our love for
Narcotics Anonymous and our shared sense of responsibility for our primary
purpose.
Being a trusted servant goes against everything addiction demands of us.
This is one reason why being of service is such a powerful part of recovery.
In much the same way that making amends teaches us to be more forgiving,
the practice of being a trusted servant brings us generosity, compassion, and
awareness of our purpose.
We may not experience the same unity of purpose with people in other
areas of our lives. Outside of NA, people are not bound by our Traditions, but
they have principles and values of their own. We can apply the principles of
this Tradition as we relate to those around us. When we look for common
ground, common guidance, and common purpose with others, our
relationship with the world can shift dramatically.
The Second Tradition offers freedom from self-centeredness by helping
us practice being a part of, rather than apart from. A simple change in
perspective can offer profound improvements in our relationships. Our lives
can become more harmonious and loving when we consider our group
purpose at home or at work; when we are willing to allow an ultimate
authority above the situation and to listen for that voice; when we approach
our work, families, or community organizations with a willingness to serve
and cooperate rather than govern.
The same tools we use to be happy, productive members of a group can
help us to experience unity and a sense of belonging in other areas of our
lives. One member shared about learning to practice Tradition Two at home.
“My sponsor suggested I try approaching my relationship like a coffee
commitment: to show up and do my part in a spirit of selfless service. I
thought I was being asked to be submissive, but the opposite was true: I got
free from the idea that relationships were about winning and losing.” When
we ask how to be of service rather than how we can be served, it’s much
easier to find serenity. “It wasn’t easy and I wasn’t consistent,” the member
added. “But that shift meant that my actions weren’t just about me or my
partner anymore, but about my relationship with my Higher Power as I could
express it at home. It became a way for me to learn about love, trust, service,
and developing a group conscience that would serve everyone in the
household.” Practicing these principles in all our affairs can bring freedom in
all areas of our lives.
Tradition Two offers a spirituality any of us can put into practice.
Together, group conscience and conscious contact bring our relationship with
a Higher Power into our decisions, actions, and relationships at every level.
Finding that bridge between Tradition Two and Step Eleven changes us at
our core. We learn to trust, to be trustworthy, to give freely, and to lead
humbly. NA service is how we give back what was so freely given to us.
Together we seek our Higher Power’s will and the power to carry that out.
We know what it feels like to be in harmony with that conscience. All of that
is good practice for how to live in the world.

________________________________
NA members.
IN NA
1. What is a conscience, and how do I get in touch with mine? What does
group conscience mean to me, and how do I participate in it? What is
the difference between the group conscience and my individual
conscience?
2. How does participating in group conscience help develop my sense of
a Higher Power? How do I allow my Higher Power to influence my
decision making? What helps me cultivate that influence?
3. How does my understanding of open-mindedness help me apply the
Second Tradition? How do I encourage or welcome the ideas of new
members? Do I consider the needs or views of those who aren’t in the
room? How do I find the courage to ask difficult questions in business
meetings?
4. How do I set aside my personal preferences in favor of an emerging
consensus? What is the difference between surrender and abdication of
responsibility?
5. Is my behavior in group business meetings consistent with the
principles of this Tradition? Do I use my cleantime or position to
intimidate others or to assert authority? Do I listen or do I just want to
talk? How do I find the balance?
6. What part does my Higher Power play in my service efforts and as a
member of a home group? How does faith allow me to carry out the
group’s conscience even if I disagree with it?
7. What are the attributes of a trusted servant? Which of these do I act on
or strive for?
8. What is the difference between governing and leadership? As a trusted
servant, how am I a leader? How do I practice leadership in my home
group? How can I practice leadership in a spirit of anonymity? When
am I most likely to try to govern?
IN ALL OUR AFFAIRS

13. Are there other areas in my life where I can see the value of a
conscience, or where I can see a conscience emerging? How do I listen
for what I know as group conscience in my relationships outside of
NA?
14. Does my history with authority influence my experience today? How
does my belief in an ultimate authority change my perspective?
15. How do I practice this Tradition when others are not bound by it?
16. Am I open to hearing truth from any source, or am I distracted by
prejudices? How does practicing the principles of this Tradition open
me to hearing others?
17. How important is it to me to be liked? Do I ever compromise my sense
of what is right in order to please others?
18. Am I worthy of trust? How can I practice trustworthiness today?
19. How can I remain humble and open-minded even when I’m sure I’m
right?
20. When a decision doesn’t go my way, how do I come to believe that all
will be well? How does my attitude reflect my acceptance?
21. In what other areas of my life might this Tradition be useful? What
other opportunities are there for me to seek group conscience?
For Groups
The NA group is at the heart of this Tradition, and this Tradition explains the
practical spirituality at the heart of NA groups. Our groups have purpose and
conscience. They are the primary vehicle for our message. Everything we do
to help an addict get the message is service. Service begins when we put
ourselves aside and welcome the newcomer. That simple action might be the
most important thing we ever do. Our leaders are servants we trust; like the
group, they operate under the authority of a loving God. When a group is
clear on its purpose, its ultimate authority, and its message, the rest has a way
of falling into place.
We invite a Higher Power to influence our decisions. When we listen for
the voice of a Higher Power in each other, we hear one another with an open
mind. Some of us bring experience; some bring fresh perspectives. Each is
necessary. The Second Tradition invites us to practice anonymity by
separating ideas from the people who express them. We can disagree with
each other’s ideas without putting each other down. For many of us this is the
first time that we can disagree strongly without feeling that we must leave, or
that we are no longer welcome. Each of us is part of group conscience,
regardless of our personality or our opinion.
Just as individual conscience is a matter of knowing within ourselves,
group conscience is coming to know within the group. Group conscience
expresses itself as unity and goodwill, and is reflected in the simple decisions
that define a group: How are the chairs arranged? Are there refreshments? Is
there a greeter at the door? Many of these decisions occur in the group’s
business meeting, and each reflects the conscience of the group. Group
conscience is not the same as group opinion, and not the same as a vote. Each
of these can be an expression of the group’s conscience, but conscience is
never limited to the business meeting. Over time, handling ordinary business
and addressing challenges, a group develops an identity and values of its
own. In group conscience, we experience unity in action. We begin to
understand how unconditional love might actually work.
Time is an essential ingredient for cultivating group conscience. Having
patience for discussion, or waiting until the next meeting before moving
forward with a decision, saves the energy and goodwill lost when hasty
actions have consequences. Some ideas need to simmer. We practice humility
and open-mindedness by letting our Higher Power influence our thinking
over time. We consult experienced members, remembering that despite
different levels of experience we are all equal in Narcotics Anonymous.
We see the outcome of group conscience in the atmosphere we create
before the meeting begins, during and after the meeting, and in our business
meetings. We can’t measure group conscience, but we can feel it. A strong
group tends to be consistent and recognizable not just in its format but in its
values. We can sense the difference between a meeting that’s spiritually
based and one that’s personality-driven. The spoken message may be the
same, but the atmosphere of recovery is different.
We create boards and committees so groups aren’t weighed down with
decisions that will divert us from our primary purpose. However, groups have
a responsibility: The Second Concept reminds us that “the final authority and
responsibility for service rests with the NA groups.” Groups find a balance
between meeting that responsibility and delegating appropriately. Some
groups are more actively involved than others, but issues sometimes arise that
demand the attention of many more groups than usual. When a group has
been disconnected from local services for a while, decisions may seem
surprising or even alarming. Just as it is important for service bodies to find
the time and the words to inform the groups, it is important for the groups to
stay in touch with NA services.
We ask our servants at every level to invite a loving Power into decision
making and then to act in accordance with those decisions. When we ask a
member to serve, we have a responsibility to them and to the group to support
them as best we can, offering help and guidance. The better we define the
task or project, the easier it is to do it well. Clear guidelines and formats are
most effective when they support trusted servants rather than restrict them.
We count on our group trusted servants to ensure that the meeting format
is followed, and to pay attention to how the meeting is running. Chairing a
meeting is a form of leadership. Leaders emerge naturally in any group. But
in NA, leadership never means that a single member or group is in command.
A controlling attitude can easily drive away the newcomer. Learning to
participate without trying to control can be very difficult for some of us. A
member suggested that “when I try to be the ultimate authority of my group, I
do more harm than good, even when I have something valuable to offer.”
Protecting the group from the power of our own personalities doesn’t mean
that we hide ourselves away; we lead by example rather than by instruction or
imposition. Newer members gain experience when more experienced
members encourage, respect, and value their input. Rather than having to
compete to victory or defeat every time a decision is on the table, we create
an open, accepting atmosphere in which solutions naturally arise.
We feel included when we are asked to be of service by setting up chairs,
greeting people, sweeping the floors, or arranging the literature on the table.
That experience can change the course of lives. When the newcomer feels
trusted and has a part to play in the life of the group, both the group and the
addict have a better chance at survival.
When we help to start a meeting or an NA community, we may be in a
strong position of leadership. If we are wise, we help those around us learn to
take on responsibility. We are on the lookout for opportunities to share that
leadership among others in the growing community. If we hold on too long or
too tightly, we may find our position removed from us—either because the
community outgrows the need, or because we sicken under the weight. Our
understanding of anonymity may be clouded by a sense of importance. We
start to feel resentful. We might not recognize how unattractive this lack of
humility can be until we find ourselves outside, looking in. We need to
remember to work together and to ask for help. Listening carefully for the
voice of a loving Higher Power expressed in our group conscience leads to
healthy groups, and healthy groups are powerful. We are a force for good in
the lives of addicts, in our communities, and in the world.
____________________________
The questions below offer ways to begin—or continue—group inventory or
discussion focused on this Tradition.
1. What is our group purpose? How do our decisions help us further our
purpose?
2. How do we invite a loving Higher Power into our decision-making
process?
3. What is our shared understanding of group conscience? Is it the same
as or different from a majority vote or consensus? How does our group
establish a group conscience?
4. What is the relationship between anonymity and the group conscience?
Why is it important that everyone be heard? How do we invite full
participation? How do newcomers contribute to group conscience?
5. How does our group conscience moderate the influence of strong
personalities or people perceived to be authorities? Do we ensure that
all points of view are heard before we make a decision? How do we
distinguish between leadership and governing?
6. How do we balance collective and individual conscience? How do we
recognize when group conscience has been reached?
7. When and how might we revisit or rethink our decisions?
8. What does our group do to ensure that group conscience meetings
maintain a spiritual focus and foster goodwill?
9. What role do spiritual principles play in the decision-making processes
of our group? When a problem arises, how do we find a solution? How
does our group ask itself difficult questions or handle unresolved
issues? How do we recognize when we’re moving too fast or too slow
when making a decision?
10. What are some of the leadership qualities we seek among trusted
servants in our group? How do these qualities demonstrate our spiritual
principles? How do we cultivate those qualities in one another?
11. How can we balance rotation and continuity? How do home group
members lead even when they’re not holding specific service
positions?
12. What is our responsibility to our trusted servants? How can the group
support a trusted servant who feels isolated, overwhelmed, or
unprepared? What’s the right balance for our group between trust and
accountability?
primary purpose?
In Service
Groups focus on our primary purpose: to carry the message to the addict who
still suffers. Service beyond the group carries out some secondary purposes:
creating meeting lists, getting literature into facilities, or putting on a dance.
Each of these, in turn, supports our primary purpose. NA service is always
connected in some way to our group purpose, and is under the same
direction: Our leaders do not govern, service is not authority, and the ability
to serve depends on the trust of those around us.
When we need to make a decision, it can be helpful to talk about spiritual
principles. Spiritual principles can be a lens through which we examine ideas.
Actions taken in anger, resentment, or haste tend to create trouble down the
road. Taking time to consider principles may not change a decision, but it
may change the way we carry it out—and that can make all the difference.
There are differing practices of group conscience within our Fellowship.
Some members believe that the key word in the phrase is group, and that the
conscience described in the Second Tradition exists only in the NA groups as
described in The Group Booklet. Because this view holds that the conscience
resides in the group, all decisions should go back to the home groups
whenever possible. It requires careful planning, because the simplest
decisions can take months to make and excellent communication between
groups and service bodies. Although service boards and committees are
always accountable to the groups as well as to a Higher Power, not all groups
enjoy exercising that authority on a day-to-day basis. It can distract from the
primary purpose of the groups, and is liable to slow service efforts. Many NA
communities operate differently, and values and practices vary widely across
the Fellowship.
In other places, a broader understanding of “group conscience” allows for
the understanding that what happens in service bodies is no less spiritual than
what happens in NA groups. One member asked how it could be that an
authority so powerful could be expressed only in one possible outlet; for him,
the idea that conscience was restricted to one level of service put unnecessary
limitations on the understanding of a Higher Power.
Many of us have been parts of service bodies or committees that seemed
to operate out of a shared understanding of purpose and values that was
consistent across the committee and across time—much like a strong home
group. The experience of being part of a committee or workgroup that takes
on this kind of momentum can be exciting, but it’s important to remember
our lines of accountability in NA service. Participants may feel the
conscience of a service body in its consensus and enthusiasm, but
maintaining communication and inclusion in our communities is essential.
When consensus inside a committee doesn’t match consensus outside that
committee, disunity can result. Often the result is not open conflict but a
simple fading of energy. If service is not attractive or inclusive, our efforts
tend to last a while and then fizzle out. When energy and enthusiasm are
fading, we can often look to the Second Tradition to understand why.
The times when we are most passionate about a particular issue in service
may also be when we’re most at risk of becoming closed-minded or being led
astray—and least likely to see those risks for ourselves. Passion for service is
a gift, and there are certainly times we do need to stand up for principle.
During these moments, staying in touch with the spirit of goodwill that
guides our service is a must. We need to keep an eye on our passion, lest it
become self-righteousness; and we keep an eye on our disagreements, lest we
begin to harbor ill will toward our fellows. Vigilance is an inside job. We ask
ourselves about our sense of proportion: Does the size of our feelings match
the size of the issue?
The Second Tradition doesn’t exempt us from the need sometimes to
protect our program “from the internal and external forces that may destroy
us,” but it reminds us that we are not the ultimate authority in NA. It can be
surprising when an emotional conflict leads to a renewal of faith, but when a
storm passes, the resilience of our Fellowship and the love we feel within it
can bring us to a new level of surrender. We can trust NA to survive, even
when growing pains are severe.
We are much more productive when we build structures in which
responsibilities are outlined, roles are clear, and simple checks are in place as
a part of the process. Mentoring, supporting, and encouraging members in
their efforts to serve can simply make it easier to do the next right thing.
Accountability is a two-way street. When our relationship to our services
lacks trust, service is unattractive.
Leadership—in a group, on a committee, or simply in performing a
specific task—is an honor, a privilege, and a form of service. We must
understand and honor the limits on our role and the difference between
service and government. If we confuse them, we are generally not confused
for long: NA communities have a tendency to correct that behavior,
sometimes in pretty ungentle ways. For ourselves as well as our Fellowship,
it’s important that we recognize the difference between getting things done
and governing. When we honor the trust placed in us, leadership and service
can be one and the same.
WORKSHOP QUESTIONS
___________________________________
1. Does a service body have a group conscience? How do we exercise
group conscience in service? How do we invite a loving Higher Power
into our decisions?
2. What does a good group conscience process look like? What would an
observer notice about decision making in our service body?
3. How best do we involve groups in our process? How does our work
impact other service bodies? What’s the relationship between
communication and Tradition Two?
4. How does our service body practice spiritual principles in our work
and in our meetings? How do we allow a loving Higher Power to guide
our process and service efforts?
5. What are the risks of uniformity in our decision-making process? How
do we consider different perspectives as we make decisions? Do we
ensure that minority voices are honored? Do we consider the views of
those who cannot or do not speak for themselves?
6. How does our understanding of anonymity help us apply the Second
Tradition? Are there people or ideas we are unwilling to hear? How do
we reconcile the need to hear many viewpoints with our desire for
efficiency and simplicity?
7. What is the difference between practicing patience and avoiding a
discussion or decision? Do we rush into decisions or discuss them until
we arrive at a solution? What is the value of listening to all
viewpoints? How does our service benefit or suffer from the quality of
our discussions?
8. Is involvement in our service body increasing or decreasing? How
might this be connected to the decisions we’ve been making or the
ways we’ve been making them?
9. How do we see a Higher Power working through us in service? Do we
trust that all will be well? What are our reservations about that?
10. What are some differences between being a servant and being a trusted
servant? How does that change our attitudes and actions?
11. What does leadership mean in Narcotics Anonymous? How is that
different from its usual meanings?
12. What is the difference between leading and governing? What can we
do to ensure that trusted servants lead rather than control? What can
we do if a member is trying to govern or dominate a group or a service
body? How can we balance rotation and continuity?
efforts?
services?
It’s extraordinary for an addict to get clean. In NA, we not only get
clean but recover together in unity, carry a message, and fulfill
service obligations. Tradition Two tells us this is possible because
we are united under an ultimate authority. This Tradition frees each
of us from the dangerous belief that we are in charge, or that some
of us are more important than others. Seeing this Tradition at work
in our groups offers a vision of hope. As we apply Tradition Two
in our service—and in our lives—we begin to understand the
power and grace available to us in surrender.
There is only one requirement for membership, but
membership will require much of us. Tradition Three
swings the door to Narcotics Anonymous wide open and
invites an opening in our own hearts. As long as we have a
desire to stop using drugs, our right to membership in NA is
unconditional. We may attend meetings for a long time
before deciding to be members. When we make that
decision, our lives begin to change.
Working the Steps deepens our understanding of

membership. We begin with surrender; we find hope; we
make a decision. The Third Tradition confronts us with our
prejudices, control issues, insecurities, and fears. It also
reveals generosity, compassion, and empathy. Openness
calls for a change of heart. Our minds may change quickly,
but to change our hearts we have to humbly ask. The more
real we get, the more willing we are to let go of our defects,
secrets, and resentments. We make amends and clean up
after ourselves so we don’t have to drag our shame and fear
around anymore. Because our membership in NA is secure,
we are free to be honest about who we are.
NA membership creates connection and belonging. We are

a part of something greater than ourselves, and it changes
us. There is no single way to be an NA member, no model
of the recovering addict.
The most powerful message we carry is the

simple truth of our experience. Our real value is
in being ourselves. We are the message of hope.
Tradition Three
At the heart of Tradition Three is compassion. This Tradition ensures that
every addict is free to decide whether to be a member. Through some
combination of desperation, courage, anguish, and hope, we find willingness.
Desire is not always visible and it is not measurable. Whether our
commitment to NA is shallow or profound, above all it is ours. No one can
tell us it is or is not good enough, or that we are or are not “NA material.”
The door is always open; we can make or unmake that decision at any time.
When we surrender, our lives begin to change. After that first surrender there
will be many more—and after that first decision to be a member, we will
commit and recommit, over and over. Life circumstances—a move, a
breakup, change or controversy within the Fellowship—can lead us to
question our membership. It can take as much courage to recommit to NA as
it does to make that decision the first time.
Our fundamental equality, expressed through the principle of anonymity,
doesn’t mean that differences disappear or don’t matter. We can recover in
unity. Our differences deepen our ability to be of service. Our principles
allow NA to transcend difficult and sometimes painful issues of diversity. We
are often surprised at where we find common ground.
We tell newcomers we are only interested in “what you want to do about
your problem and how we can help.” Practicing Tradition Three puts that into
action. Our symbol reminds us that the broader the base, the higher the point
of freedom. Our diverse membership, around the world and within our home
communities, can help to ensure that there is someone to welcome every
addict who comes in. Empathy and dignity are available to all.
Recovery is not automatic. Our literature states, “If you want what we
have to offer and are willing to make the effort to get it, then you are ready to
take certain steps.” Lives depend on the answer to these critical questions: Do
I want what NA has to offer? Am I willing to make the effort? We may be
tempted to think we can answer these questions for others, but no one knows
the depth of an addict’s desire. An addict who comes around for months or
years without putting cleantime together might be desperate to get it; an
addict who gets clean right away and whose life comes right back together
might not take the process seriously. We have no way of knowing for
someone else.
When others question their membership, especially when a family
member or beloved sponsee is making that decision, we want them to choose
freely—but we want them to choose our way. It can help us to consider that
we are simply practicing patience, waiting (and hoping and praying) that their
time will come. Tradition Three teaches us patience. We welcome people
back with love and respect, sometimes for years. We can be loving and still
tell each other what we see. We are each other’s eyes and ears. When our
observations are offered with respect and care, they are more likely to be
heard.
We approach this Tradition from both sides of the door: as addicts
considering whether NA is a place we want to be, and as members deciding
how best to carry the message. Our message is clear. Questioning or trying to
place limits on the openness of this Tradition has been a part of our history
from the very beginning. Much of our attention to the Third Tradition reflects
our reservations about its simplicity. Protecting ourselves and our program
doesn’t mean guarding the door, but making sure it stays open, setting aside
ideas of who should be here and why. Not all who come will want what NA
has, and not all will be willing to do the work. It is never our job to judge
another addict’s desire for recovery. Membership issues have a way of
resolving themselves. We pay attention to our own motives and behavior and
remember that actions mean more than words.
WORD BY WORD
Example: only
Only is a short word that packs a lot of power. It derives from the word one,
and it means solely or exclusively or without exception. In other Traditions,
less absolute words are used: ought and should appear over and over. We talk
about our primary purpose, not our sole or exclusive purpose. In contrast, the
Third Tradition is clear: The only requirement for membership is a desire to
stop using.
tolerance compassion anonymity humility patience generosity welcome

mindedness acceptance service love
Example: welcome
The white chips and keytags we give to newcomers include the word
welcome. The practice of hospitality, or welcome, is important to many faiths
and cultures. The act of welcoming others changes us. We begin by
welcoming people to meetings. Simply making eye contact or offering a hug
to a newcomer can make all the difference to them—and to us. Many of us
have memories of peering through the blinds, fearful of the mail carrier or the
neighbors or shadows. Many of us know what it’s like to sit frozen as the
phone rings or the door knocks or the dog barks, waiting for whoever it is to
please go away. Feeling welcome, and welcoming others to our new way of
life, helps us see the world as a less hostile place. Practicing welcome as a
spiritual principle can change our relationship to NA, and to the world
outside.
For Members
Tradition Three asks us to practice open-mindedness toward ourselves,
toward others, and toward the possibility of change. NA was “the last house
on the block” for many of us; we had nowhere left to go. It’s not an empty
house, though. We need to make room, and make peace, with people we
would probably never encounter anywhere else. We may be scared of each
other; we may have history; we may have prejudices or blind spots that we
are perfectly comfortable with. Chapter Eight in the Basic Text reminds us,
however, that “addiction makes us one of a kind.” The Third Tradition asks
us to examine our motives and beliefs, our trust and ability to love, our open-
mindedness, willingness, faith, and courage in carrying the message.
Each of us experiences membership in our own way, but it begins with
the awareness that it’s time to stop using. This is the same admission that
fuels our First Step. The price of admission is an admission: To be a member,
we admit that we have a problem and want to do something about it. When
we surrender in our hearts, recovery begins. Our relationships with other
addicts change; our experience of meetings changes; our perception changes.
The admission in Step One and the decision in Tradition Three are part of the
same surrender.
While Narcotics Anonymous is a program for drug addicts seeking
recovery, our First Step focuses not on the drugs we used, but on the disease
of addiction. For some members, Tradition Three offers a way to think about
the actions and attitudes that make us unhappy long after we stop using
drugs. Getting in touch with the desire to stop using once we are clean may
be about other ways we use—people, places, things, feelings, behaviors,
drama—to avoid facing ourselves. For other members, this type of thinking
feels like a distraction from our primary purpose. Whatever our perspective,
the fact remains: Addiction may be arrested but not cured, and no matter how
far we are from our last one, each of us is one bad decision away from the
next one.
As our relationship to our own desire evolves, so does our thinking about
membership. Membership begins with desire, but it doesn’t end there. This
Tradition allows us to ask questions from different perspectives: What does it
mean to me to be a member? How do I allow someone else to be a member?
The Third Tradition essay in It Works: How and Why cautions, we are “not
the jury of desire.” A member who had come around for years without ever
accumulating much cleantime said, “I never did the program like people
wanted me to, but I’d have died years ago if I hadn’t come at all.” Finding the
patience and tolerance to accept those members we can’t seem to stop
judging is an exercise in surrender, acceptance, and humility.
Examining our beliefs about membership offers new perspectives on our
commitments at home, at work, in our friendships, and in Narcotics
Anonymous. We recognize responsibilities of membership in areas of our
lives we had not previously considered. We may find reservations we didn’t
know we had, or limits we put in place—almost without noticing—in order to
protect ourselves from harm. Those protections may no longer serve us.
We become and maintain a community by getting together in lots of
different ways besides meetings. Little gestures can help us feel connected.
Many of us remember the first time we were invited to coffee after a meeting.
Feeling noticed and included is important to us. We are responsible to include
new people in these activities. There are no requirements on our social lives,
but when we are so immersed in our circle of friends that we don’t notice
new faces around us, we turn people away without even knowing they were
there. One of the most significant ways we deny someone membership is to
ignore them.
Each of us has a part to play in making NA groups welcoming to
everyone. Doing so requires checking our reservations about the recovery of
others. A newcomer may seem too young or too old, or too beaten down or
not having lost enough; they may have done the wrong drug, or not used like
we did; they may still be on parole, or take medication we have opinions
about. They may be criminals; they may be clergy or law enforcement; they
may look at us in a way that gives us the creeps. Addicts may be clean a long
time and still not be socially skilled or socially acceptable; they may work
their program in a way that seems different or even threatening to us. There is
no model of the recovering addict, no profile of the addict who suffers, and
no condition on membership besides desire—which is between the addict and
their Higher Power. The miracle of recovery is available to us all, even after
we’ve been clean a long time. Just as we see the miracle of addicts getting
clean, we see the miracle of clean addicts getting better, sometimes after
many years. Allowing each other to change after we have known each other a
long time takes faith, compassion, and open-mindedness.
Each of us is better at reaching out at some times and in some ways than
at others. It’s good there are so many of us. People who come in and out are
easier for some of us to accept than those steadily attending while on drug
replacement therapy; others of us are exceptionally good at reaching out to
the newcomer, but have no patience for those who seek help elsewhere as
well as in NA. Sometimes a member hurts us, directly or indirectly, in the
course of a relapse, or they may be locked in a behavior or pattern for which
we simply cannot feel compassion. We reach out where we can, and make an
effort to increase our compassion for those who don’t match our expectations
or whose recovery doesn’t look like our own.
We find a home in NA, and then we find a home inside that home. Within
the wide, weird, colorful world of NA membership, we find our tribe. If
something changes—a breakup, a move, a death—and that group is no longer
the center of our recovering life, we expand our horizons and our network.
We find ways to give back, to make sure that our Fellowship is always
growing—and we’re always growing, too. Our Fellowship keeps us alive and
free, and the work we do to help it grow ensures that there will continue to be
members and meetings here when we need them.
________________________________
NA members.
IN NA
1. What brought me to make the decision to be a member of NA? What
does “a desire to stop using” mean for me in my recovery today? Do I
want what NA has to offer?
2. What was it like for me when I came to my first meetings? What are
some of the things that I experienced that helped me choose to become
a member? What can I do to help the newcomer make that choice for
themselves?
3. What does membership in NA mean to me? What happens when I
make the decision to become a member? What are my responsibilities
as a member? Have they changed over time? Do I try to hold others to
the standards I set for myself?
4. How do my actions and attitudes reflect my decision to be a member
of NA? How is it evident when I share, in my willingness to help the
newcomer, in my behavior in and around meetings, or in how I serve
in NA?
5. What part can I play in creating an inviting atmosphere? How does it
feel to be a part of a group that addicts want to come back to?
6. Have I ever given someone a reason not to come back to a Narcotics
Anonymous meeting? How do I remain welcoming when I’m just not
feeling it?
7. When have I judged other addicts? What happens when I try to
determine who will stay clean and who won’t? What are the
consequences for me, for other members, and for the addict who still
suffers?
8. What expectations do I have about how others recover and serve in
NA? Are these expectations related to NA principles or my own
opinions?
9. What are some of my reservations about our open membership policy?
What additional qualifications do my actions and behavior impose on
people’s membership and recovery? How do I reach out with
compassion and lack of judgment?
IN ALL OUR AFFAIRS

14. Where else in my life do I experience membership? Do I feel a part of
or apart from?
15. Where else do I encounter requirements for membership? How willing
am I to accept them or participate on their terms? What “requirements
for membership” do I struggle with in other areas of my life?
16. Where else would it be appropriate to practice membership in the ways
I do in NA—being of service, being a part of decisions, contributing
financially, or in other ways? What else does it mean to me to practice
membership outside of NA?
17. What impact has my membership in NA made on those around me?
18. What has the Third Tradition taught me about second chances, or
about compassion, that might be useful elsewhere in my life?
For Groups
Tradition Three calls the group to create an atmosphere of recovery. We are
responsible to ensure that meetings offer hope to any addict. Addicts seek
help in many places; what sets NA apart from many others is the power of
one addict freely helping another. When we recognize the pain in another
addict’s eyes, we make an effort to reach out.
Membership is the right of any addict with a desire to stop using, but
there is no reason someone would know that when they get here. It’s up to us
to explain what NA is, what it means to be a member, and how NA has
helped us. In order to explain those things, we need to understand them
ourselves. NA literature, including For the Newcomer and An Introduction to
NA Meetings, can help us put our experience into words.
It is worth a group’s time to consider what information is important and
how to share it clearly and consistently. The principles are the same
throughout Narcotics Anonymous, but each community, and each group, has
distinct ways of doing things. That variety reflects our autonomy and
creativity. Groups may explain basics in their announcements. Sometimes
lists of suggestions are read or printed on meeting schedules. Some groups
make it a priority to ensure that the newcomer receives literature or phone
numbers. Some groups ask members to raise their hands if they are willing to
sponsor. There is no one right way, and each group seeks its own solutions.
Creating community includes building bridges and establishing and
maintaining boundaries. Our Third Tradition tells us that we do have a
requirement for membership: We must have a desire to stop using. Still, it’s
not for anyone else to say whether we qualify. Our desire to ensure that
everything is just right can sometimes lead us to the letter rather than the
spirit of our Traditions. Every addict should be able to feel safe and welcome
at every NA meeting. That is the atmosphere of recovery our Traditions
foster and protect.
Tradition Three reminds us of that spirit: the warm welcome, respect, and
empathy that make NA feel like home. Care for the newcomer is a sacred
trust. No matter what is going on in our own lives, sharing with a suffering
addict is an opportunity to get outside ourselves. Empathy creates
identification and offers gratitude and perspective.
One of the deepest challenges for groups is to remain open to all and still
create a safe, hospitable atmosphere. Group unity and a powerful sense of
community can protect us from the challenges that come with open
membership. A strong NA message, clear boundaries, a loving Higher Power,
and unity can protect us from ourselves and from many ills of the societies
around us. We do our best to safeguard those who are vulnerable without
making others feel unwelcome.
Some people come to NA to do harm, sell drugs, or engage in other
destructive activity. Groups may struggle with predatory, exploitative,
inappropriate, or violent behavior. There are times when action is necessary
to protect members from danger, but when problems are resolved without
crisis or disrespect, NA demonstrates its difference from the places we came
from. Finding peaceful ways to help all addicts to recover in dignity carries a
powerful message. We gain little by ignoring difficulties, and stand to lose
much if we avoid the challenges we face. The group can seek solutions
before reacting and creating more problems. Just like in our own lives, we
can’t solve a problem until we identify our part. The service pamphlet
Disruptive and Violent Behavior, the PR Handbook, and members who have
been through similar challenges can help us protect the group and all its
members.
Groups can’t refuse an addict membership, but sometimes our actions or
attitudes push people out. A member shared, “When our marriage broke up, I
resented anyone who was nice to my ex. I said I wanted the best for her, I
prayed for her sometimes, but then I’d stalk social media and get mad at my
friends who were still friends with her.” This kind of drama can be dismissed
as foolishness, but when our actions are inconsistent with our principles, it
affects the group as well as our personal recovery. Making space for each
other to recover can sometimes challenge us, but the rewards are great for all
involved. We practice these principles because they are essential to our
freedom from active addiction. The simple respect we show when we allow
an addict to recover in dignity, even if we find them attractive or have history
with them, may be a spiritual gift beyond measure.
Sometimes physical barriers can get in the way of a welcoming
atmosphere. We may not notice the accessibility of our meeting space, for
example, until an addict with additional needs tries to attend. Our
informational pamphlet Accessibility for Those with Additional Needs offers
guidance on how to ensure that all addicts can make their way into meetings
and find a message of hope. We follow the guidance of Tradition Three,
considering whether our meetings are welcoming to all addicts in our
community.
Seeing addicts at different ages and cleantimes, from different
communities, cultures, faiths, and backgrounds, tells each of us that there is
room in NA for all of us. Sometimes groups have to work a little harder to
ensure that a newcomer who doesn’t seem to fit in can feel welcome. “When
I walked into my first meeting, there was no one there who looked like me,
but the group welcomed me and encouraged me to stay,” one member shared.
“I made sure to stay so that the next newcomer who looked like me would
feel like they could stay, too.” It may be useful to have a conversation about
how the group can be more inclusive, but sometimes the question of “who’s
missing from our meetings” is one we can’t easily answer ourselves. We can
assess how welcoming we are if we pay attention to whether newcomers
come back.
When we make a decision to join a home group, we might not know that
we are about to fall in love. Still, much of the time, that’s what happens. We
take pride in our group, and are glad to see people recover in the atmosphere
we help create. We come to love our group, the members in it, and the place
we meet. Our willingness to act in a spirit of unity and service opens the door
for all addicts who care to join us.

____________________________
1. What does an atmosphere of recovery feel like? Why is it so important
that we generate an atmosphere of recovery?
2. How do we carry a message that is both clear and welcoming? How
can we help newcomers understand our message?
3. How can our group communicate what it means to be a member? How
do we support those who have yet to make their decision about
membership?
4. Who is missing from our meetings? Is there something our group can
do to better provide a welcoming atmosphere? Is our group accessible
for those members with additional needs?
5. What is the relationship between welcoming and anonymity? Does our
group welcome some addicts better than others?
6. Do we make judgments or assumptions about who will hear a message
and who won’t? How do those judgments get in the way of practicing
Tradition Three without reservations?
7. How can we ensure that our group is a safe place? What can a group
do about predatory behavior? How do we address situations where a
member’s presence threatens other members?
8. How can we apply the Third Tradition when challenged by disruptive
members? What should we do about disruptive or offensive behavior?
How does our group respond to members who share in ways that make
other members uncomfortable?
9. Can a group put additional requirements on membership?
10. What is the difference between “group membership” and membership
in NA as a whole?
11. Do members of our group have strong social bonds with each other?
Do those bonds make the meeting feel inviting or intimidating? How
can we help others feel included?
primary purpose?
In Service
Everywhere that addicts suffer, our message is the same: An addict, any
addict, can stop using drugs, lose the desire to use, and find a new way to
live. There is a clear connection between the Third Tradition and the Fifth.
We want all addicts to feel welcome, and we want to do our best to carry the
message. Our task in service is to ensure that addicts have the opportunity to
recover in Narcotics Anonymous. The Third Tradition reminds us of that
“any addict” in our message. We work to ensure that NA recovery is
available to us all. Tradition Three asks us to return again and again to the
question, “Who is missing?” and reminds us that every addict with a desire to
stop using is important to us.
Our service bodies carry the message to addicts in our communities, even
if they cannot come to us. H&I carries our message into hospitals and
institutions of all types, from homeless shelters to treatment centers to
penitentiaries. H&I, outreach, or concerned members may bring meetings to
homebound or ill members in hospitals and care facilities. Through public
information or public relations, we give presentations to professionals, from
correctional officers working with incarcerated addicts to doctors whose
patients may be addicted. We maintain meeting schedules, phonelines, and
websites so that addicts seeking recovery can find us. To ensure that our only
requirement for membership is a desire to stop using, our services continually
reach out to places where addicts are seeking help. It isn’t always easy, but
it’s our responsibility.
There is always more to do toward making NA membership available and
accessible. We don’t have the power to determine who will stay clean, but we
do have some ability to determine who will hear our message and how they
will be welcomed. Sometimes the missing addicts are those who don’t speak
the dominant language in the community; in other places, women or addicts
of different social classes might have a hard time feeling at home in NA. We
may simply identify a blank space on a map where there aren’t any meetings
yet. Whatever the gaps, whoever we’re not yet reaching, there is always more
we can do to carry our message and make recovery available.
We don’t need a title to make a difference in Narcotics Anonymous.
Whether we are putting away chairs or distributing meeting lists, serving on a
committee or giving an addict a ride to a meeting, there is always more to do.
NA members all have an opportunity and a responsibility to serve, but that
doesn’t mean we serve in any position, any time. As members we are all
equal, but that doesn’t mean that we are all qualified or eligible for the same
service positions at the same time. Some members are better at talking to
newcomers, and some are good at getting the literature distributed or the bills
paid.
Our Fourth Concept suggests that leadership qualities be carefully
considered when choosing trusted servants; we know these are not the only
qualities that matter. Finding where we can be most effective in service is
rewarding, and so is service that presents a steep learning curve. Service
bodies have a responsibility to see that the member assuming a service
position has the skills and support to rise to the challenge in a manner that
will be best for everyone—most especially the still-suffering addict.
When we select trusted servants, our primary purpose, rather than
favoritism, should be our guide. Our job is to do our best to ensure that the
member is right for the position, and the position is right for the member.
When we do, it benefits both the member who serves and NA as a whole.
Service bodies shouldn’t run popularity contests, keep service positions
within a sponsorship family, or exclude members who may challenge the
consensus. A service body may fill a service position, or leave it vacant,
because it is in the best interest of NA as a whole. Decisions about who
serves should always be based in our commitment to carrying the message.
Tradition Three does not mean we can behave however we want in a
meeting, and it does not mean we can do whatever we like in service with no
accountability. When disagreements arise, when we are obliged to set limits
or follow through on guidelines, we still have a responsibility to treat each
other with respect and to address problems with care. Every NA member has
a right to recover in dignity and be treated as an equal. In the same spirit, our
trusted servants have a right to serve and recover in an atmosphere of mutual
respect, even when we disagree. The ability to keep coming back is always a
life-or-death issue, and it is not our place to allow differences—or even
wrongdoing—to rob any addict of membership. This is not easy. The benefits
of learning to resolve conflict in a spirit of love and unity are apparent in all
our relationships.
Sometimes the circumstances aren’t right for us to serve. This doesn’t
have to be a reflection on our value as a member. In one small area, a
member with many years clean had served the PR committee for most of her
time in NA. She knew the job and was amazingly good at answering hard
questions. Then she got sick and had to take some pretty strong medication.
She did it with the help of In Times of Illness, her sponsor, and NA friends,
and no one questioned her recovery. The side effects were significant,
though, and when she gave a panel presentation, she appeared to be impaired.
The committee members understood her situation, but the audience did not
and could not; it was none of their business. That day, in spite of her recovery
and service experience, she was not a good spokesperson for NA. It didn’t
mean her service was over, but it was time for her to step back and help other
members learn to present as well as she once did.
Narcotics Anonymous is much larger than it once was. Our Fellowship
spans the globe, and our groups are growing in places very far from each
other both geographically and culturally. Our Third Tradition makes it
possible for membership to be the same for addicts in very different places,
and for our message to be heard and understood in dozens of languages and
cultures. One member shared, “The beauty of NA became real when I saw
members at an NA event embrace and sit together when their home countries
were on the brink of war.” We may notice this more when we see such strong
differences melt away, but it can be just as powerful to sit in a meeting or to
serve with another addict with whom we’ve had personal conflict.
Our only requirement for membership is a desire to stop using, and our
vision is that it will be possible for every one of us to find recovery in our
own language and culture. We can hear NA speak to us in words we
understand, and experience the freedom our program promises, no matter
who we are or where we are. Tradition Three opens our program to all
addicts with a desire to stop using. That allows our Fellowship to grow and
develop beyond our wildest dreams.
WORKSHOP QUESTIONS
___________________________________
1. What is the relationship between this service body and the still-
suffering addict?
2. Who is missing from our meetings? How and why do outside issues
affect opportunities for addicts to recover in NA in our community?
3. Are there some addicts we think we cannot reach? What reservations
do we have about reaching out?
4. How does our service body help groups to reach all addicts in our
community? What challenges do our groups face in practicing
Tradition Three? How do we assist the groups we serve in their
efforts? Is there more we can do?
5. How does this body welcome new trusted servants? What kind of
support do we provide to new trusted servants? How do newcomers
participate in service?
6. What are some qualifications for service beyond a desire to recover?
Why are they necessary? What different kinds of opportunities to serve
are available in this service body?
7. How does our own relationship to anonymity affect our ability to
serve? How does our understanding of anonymity help us to accept
how others serve? What consequences could arise from having our
anonymity compromised?
efforts?
services?
Our Third Tradition offers relief from reservations we might have

about membership and about each other. We have nothing to prove,
no one to impress, nothing to lose but our needless suffering, and
nothing to gain but our freedom.
This simple declaration makes a commitment to unity, anonymity,

and the power of the program. Making the decision to join
Narcotics Anonymous is the first of many decisions we will make
as a member. We who had been utterly controlled by our addiction
are now free to make decisions that will save our lives—and the
lives of many others.
When we make a decision to try NA, we have no idea where it will

take us. Our desire starts us on a journey that can set us free from
our obsession and compulsion. This decision is the beginning of a
new way of life for us. Joining in fellowship with others finally
frees us to be ourselves.
Recovery is an ongoing journey to freedom. When we live
the NA program, we are constantly experiencing new
opportunities for growth, and also discovering our
limitations. As our lives improve, our responsibilities
increase. Freedom becomes much more complicated, and
much more beautiful.
Our experience of freedom is no longer a simple absence of

boundaries. As we progress in the Steps, we see the ways
addiction tied us in knots, and we start to understand how
self-centeredness, fear, and resentment continue to bind us.
As our vision clears, we see more and more hope on the
horizon. Freedom can transform from a fantasy of doing
whatever we want to the ability to live with joy and
gratitude in our present reality.
We balance autonomy with responsibility. When we keep

our purpose in focus, our autonomy makes more sense. The
responsible practice of autonomy helps us to see our
relationships and obligations more clearly and to use our
creativity, our imagination, and our enthusiasm to help us
fulfill our purpose—in our groups, in our lives, and in
service to our Higher Power.
Having a purpose makes our freedom meaningful. We need

meaning to make our autonomy constructive. The
autonomy of our groups becomes a tool for recovery when
we remember our primary purpose; our personal autonomy
becomes much more powerful when we know our own
purpose and have a sense of meaning in our lives.
Understanding and accepting ourselves is a gift
of recovery. Autonomy allows us to express who
we are with integrity and to carry a message:
the truth of our own experience, in our own
way.
Tradition Four
Our Tradition of autonomy ensures that every NA group is able to carry the
message to the best of its ability. Each group makes decisions for itself and
takes responsibility for those decisions. The result is that each of us is able to
recover in complete creative freedom. We find ways to reach out that make
sense to us, and our groups make decisions that best serve the needs of the
addicts who attend.
We cannot practice one of the Traditions without the others, and the other
eleven Traditions help to shape our autonomy and remind us of its limits. We
carry an NA message, and we are part of a Fellowship that extends from the
doors of our group through our local community and around the world. Our
actions always have an effect on those around us, and we can choose at every
moment what we want that to be. We can be a force for unity, providing a
warm and open atmosphere for recovery. It’s a decision: We can also decide
to be divisive, exclusive, or rigid. But that probably won’t be attractive for
long, and it’s unlikely to keep us clean. Because personal recovery depends
on NA unity, Tradition Four asks us to consider our actions in relation to
other addicts, groups, and NA as a whole.
Freedom and responsibility work hand in hand. Our groups have
autonomy but are asked to attend carefully to the ways that our actions may
“affect other groups or NA as a whole”—which is to say, our local NA
community, the rest of the NA Fellowship, and our relationship with those
outside NA. Our autonomy is precious to us, and at times we defend it
fiercely. The most important thing we do with autonomy is to carry the
message. Our task is to ensure that when we exercise autonomy, we do it in
ways that enhance our efforts to carry the message, rather than interfere with
it. Autonomy is part of a larger whole—just as we see our groups, our service
bodies, and ourselves as part of something greater. This Tradition both offers
freedom and establishes boundaries for us in ways specific rules or policies
never could.
Self-obsession is the core of our disease, and one of the defining features
of self-obsession is that we do not see the impact of our actions on the people
around us—or we just don’t care. In recovery, we recognize that we have an
effect on the people in our lives. Through the harm we do in our addiction,
and the loving assistance we offer in recovery, we can see that our actions do
matter. Tradition Two teaches us about group conscience, and Tradition Four
asks us to let that conscience be our guide.
In Narcotics Anonymous, we say that “our message is hope and the
promise of freedom,” but most of us don’t come here knowing what freedom
means, or what it feels like. It’s a common thread in our stories: In addiction,
we were seeking freedom and found ourselves imprisoned. As we experience
freedom from active addiction, we start to get a better sense of what recovery
means—freedom from obsession and compulsion, the joy of making our own
choices, seeking our own recovery, learning who we are and what we believe.
Our experience of freedom is not separate from our development of integrity.
As we mature in recovery, we learn to exercise sound judgment in how
we make decisions, place our trust, and meet our responsibilities. Immaturity
and unrealistic expectations are consequences of unhealthy reliance on others.
When we have not had the opportunity to make decisions in our lives, we
need experience to learn how to do it well. Responsible use of independent
judgment develops in an atmosphere of freedom. As we make responsible
decisions for ourselves, we develop our own conscience and maturity.
In our groups, we are free to carry the message in whatever way seems
most effective to us. This doesn’t free us from accountability to our fellows.
In fact, we are asked to consider them with every decision we make: How
will this affect the other groups? What could be the consequences for NA as a
whole? This accountability teaches us to look; our work in the Steps helps us
to see.
Tradition Three frees us from the need to judge other members, and
Tradition Four frees us from the need to judge other groups. Traditions Four
and Five together remind us that there are many ways to accomplish our
purpose. As long as carrying the message is our first priority, our diverse
methods, formats, personalities, and cultures all help us to reach addicts and
to form the kinds of connections that will sustain us.
WORD BY WORD
Example: except
When a statement is true, but not about a particular case, we use the word
except. Except frees us from our tendency toward absolutes. In both the Ninth
Step and the Fourth Tradition, the word except serves to temper our good
intentions before we go too far and cause harm. We learn to tell the
difference between our impulses, compulsions, good ideas, and the will of
our Higher Power. Except keeps us from backing ourselves into corners; in
this Tradition, it asks us to consider others as we make decisions. It’s a limit,
but not a block. Within our principles we can be creative, independent,
unified, and humble.
independence freedom responsibility open-

mindedness humility trust compassion connection love unity anonymit
Example: creativity
To some of us, it might seem strange to find creativity on a list of spiritual
principles, but our pamphlet Another Look includes creative action as one of
the goals of recovery, alongside freedom and goodwill. “Creative action is
not a mysterious procedure,” the pamphlet explains, “although it is an inside
job. . . . Often, it means simply listening to those hunches and intuitive
feelings that we think would benefit others or ourselves, and acting on them
spontaneously.”
In order to be creative, we have to let go. When we are bound by insecurity
and the need to control, our attempts at creativity end in suffering and
frustration. When we allow ourselves the freedom to listen to that inner voice
and act on it, we are surprised by what we can do, and by what we discover
within ourselves. Some of us express our creativity in art or music, but often
the most creative things we can do unfold when we serve selflessly. When we
experience our service as creative action, we experience ourselves as an
instrument and as part of something greater. Selfless service is a form of
creativity available to us all. Our action has purpose and our lives have
meaning. When we admit our creativity and allow ourselves to express it, we
see our Higher Power’s will for us in action.
For Members
Although this Tradition clearly speaks to us about group autonomy, many of
us find application of its principles in our own lives to be useful. Personal
autonomy allows us to be ourselves, and it is precisely by being ourselves
that we are best able to carry the message to another suffering addict. It’s
because we are so different—because our unity should never demand
uniformity—that we can be true to ourselves and honest about our
experience. That honesty is the most powerful tool we have in our efforts to
carry the message.
In active addiction, we were only too willing to declare our autonomy,
taking advantage at every turn and declaring our “freedom” in the process. Or
we never aspired to personal autonomy, perhaps even finding distorted
comfort in our hopeless dependence, seeing a lack of responsibility as
freedom. In recovery, we come to understand the slavery we mistook for
freedom, and our recovery is a progressive process of freeing ourselves from
the bonds of addiction.
Gaining freedom in recovery does not mean we don’t have
responsibilities. The types of obligations we have in our lives will differ
depending on the relationships we have and the roles we play in those
relationships. In jobs, in service, in our communities and families, our actions
have an impact on others. How do our actions affect Narcotics Anonymous?
How do they affect our families, our friends, our coworkers, and our
communities? We start to understand that we are not alone—we live in
connection with others even when we don’t feel particularly connected, and
our actions matter.
Personal autonomy does not have the same value to all of us. In fact, it
may have been a long time since some of us made any decisions for
ourselves. Some of us have been institutionalized; others of us stayed
dependent on family. Some of us found ourselves in relationships or
organizations where our autonomy was curtailed. Making the simplest
decisions for ourselves can be challenging, and we may seek out someone or
something that will make decisions for us. In our personal lives, autonomy
looks a lot like self-determination: We practice using the tools our spiritual
principles provide to begin shaping a life we can accept. Even when there are
severe limits on our physical abilities or on our liberty, we can experience
freedom. An elderly member adapting to physical limitations defined
freedom as “the ability to love unencumbered by fear.” When we are able to
view freedom as a spiritual condition, we can be less driven to test its limits
and more open to exploring the enormous possibilities it offers us.

________________________________
NA members.
IN NA
1. What is the difference between personal autonomy, my will, and self-
will?
2. How do I practice autonomy as a member of the NA Fellowship?
What does autonomy mean to me in the context of my personal
recovery? In NA service?
3. What is the relationship between my personal autonomy and our
common welfare? How do I strike a balance between my wants and
needs and the good of the whole?
4. How can I exercise personal autonomy in a way that benefits our
common welfare? In what ways could my choices seem to compromise
my relationship with NA? How can I reconcile my personal autonomy
and my fear of being judged?
anonymity help me understand this Tradition? Do I practice anonymity
in terms of this Tradition?
IN ALL OUR AFFAIRS

9. What is my understanding of the relationship between autonomy and
goodwill?
10. What challenges do I experience in allowing myself and others to have
autonomy?
11. How do I balance independence and responsibility?
12. How does my integrity impact my freedom?
13. What are similarities and differences between freedom and autonomy?
14. How does defiance distort my perception of autonomy?
15. How do I exercise autonomy in the context of my personal
relationships? My work relationships? In service to my community or
other organizations?
For Groups
This Tradition addresses itself to our groups, and it is important that we
maintain that focus as we explore other applications of its principles.
Tradition Four tells us, “Each group should be autonomous except in matters
affecting other groups or NA as a whole.” The words should be imply that
this is a goal rather than an absolute. Sometimes a group may accept
assistance and support from other groups or from NA service bodies. There
are times when a local community steps in to support a struggling group for a
good reason. For example, established groups occasionally sponsor or
support groups that are geographically isolated or that meet particular needs.
In these cases, it’s helpful to consider carefully the nature of such help and to
set some goals to help the group achieve full autonomy and self-support.
While addiction and recovery are common bonds we all share, in some
ways we are very different. Some of our differences are obvious, and some
less so; some of our differences have much more meaning in the outside
world than in NA. Still, they affect the ways we see and experience our
relationships with each other. Autonomy means that our groups can shape
themselves to be attractive in whatever way they see fit, as long as the
primary purpose is to carry the message to the addict who still suffers.
There are six points based on our Traditions listed in The Group Booklet
to help us understand our bottom lines for what constitutes a group:
• All members of a group are drug addicts, and all drug addicts are eligible
for membership.
• As a group, they are self-supporting.
• As a group, their single goal is to help drug addicts recover through
application of the Twelve Steps of Narcotics Anonymous.
• As a group, they have no affiliation outside of Narcotics Anonymous.
• As a group, they express no opinion on outside issues.
• As a group, their public relations policy is based on attraction rather than
promotion.
Even considering these six points, each group has a lot of freedom to find
ways to fulfill the primary purpose that suit the collective conscience of the
group. None of our Traditions stands alone. A good test of whether an issue
or decision “affects other groups or NA as a whole” is to consider carefully
whether our decision is consistent with the guidance offered by our other
Traditions. As an example, the desire to support fellow members with a
common need may inspire us to create a specialized meeting format. We
must remember that the Sixth Tradition cautions against endorsements and
affiliation and that the Tenth Tradition warns about the dangers of expressing
opinions on outside issues. We could not create a meeting format directed at
addicts with particular religious or philosophical views, or a group meant for
NA members who are also part of another organization outside of NA, or a
group that reads material other than NA literature. Doing so would step
beyond the autonomy afforded by Tradition Four by endorsing or affiliating
with those outside groups, interests, or beliefs. Autonomy offers us the
freedom to try new things, and we demonstrate courage when we make new
efforts to better carry our message. Seeking guidance from the other eleven
Traditions when we try new things allows us to do so without compromising
our principles.
NA is very different from place to place. Within some NA communities,
meetings are very similar to each other; other communities have a lot of
diversity in their formats and styles. It can sometimes be difficult for
members to distinguish between our Traditions—the guidelines that keep us
alive and free—and our local customs. This is especially true when those
local customs are repeated at every meeting. This may be as simple as the
way we close the meeting, or as complicated as suggestions or
announcements that are uniform across a region. We may be surprised to go
to a new place and find that meetings can operate so differently—and still
work.
Although local NA customs may make the Fellowship more or less
attractive to us, we want to carefully consider decisions to change them.
When we make a decision to do something differently, we should do so for a
reason. Our efforts should be aimed at helping addicts pay more attention to
the message if we present it differently, rather than seeking attention for
ourselves.
Our groups, our neighboring communities, and our Fellowship as a whole
are joined together in unity. The connections from one to the next, like
strands of a spider web, are so fine they may go unseen, but they are also
strong and flexible. Those connections are our shared principles, and when
we make good use of those principles in our exercise of autonomy, we can be
sure that we are strengthening NA as a whole.

____________________________
1. How does creative freedom benefit NA groups? Narcotics Anonymous
as a whole?
2. As groups, how do we know what affects other groups? How do our
group decisions affect the Fellowship as a whole?
3. What is the importance of communication in group conscience? How
do we maintain lines of communication and awareness of the needs of
NA as a whole?
4. How are our group’s efforts to express personality directly related to
carrying the message? Do we ever try to be different for the sake of
being different?
5. How can we exercise group autonomy in a way that contributes to NA
unity?
6. When could our exercise of autonomy have a negative effect on other
groups or NA as a whole?
7. NA service bodies are directly responsible to the NA groups; keeping
autonomy in mind, what responsibilities or obligations do NA groups
have to NA service bodies?
8. Why is the image of NA so important in the community? What part
does each group play in the overall reputation of NA as a whole? How
does our group contribute to public perceptions?
primary purpose?
In Service
It is critical for us to remember that, although our groups are autonomous, our
service bodies are not. Our Concepts remind groups to delegate the authority
necessary for services to operate, but they also remind us that final authority
always rests with the groups. This doesn’t mean that Tradition Four has no
meaning for service bodies. There are at least two critical ways service bodies
need to consider this Tradition, and they are very different.
The first is perhaps the most important: All our services exist in order to
help the groups carry the message. It can be easy to forget that responsibility
when we get caught up in issues or serve in a way that seems removed from
the groups. Are we helping our groups to be autonomous, or are we fostering
an atmosphere of dependency or obedience? Do the groups answer to their
service bodies, or is it the other way around? In service, as in our personal
recovery, we can be in deep trouble when we start thinking we know best.
We help our groups when we do the work that might otherwise distract them
from their primary purpose. We help our groups when we communicate
effectively, when we support groups in sharing experience and tools for how
to serve well. In service, we listen well by listening for common ground
rather than for ways to prove that our idea is better. We serve our groups best
when our service is sane, selfless, and simple; ego, controversy, and disunity
anywhere in our community affect the atmosphere of recovery in our groups.
Although our service bodies are not autonomous, they do a lot of work—
and frequently make decisions—away from the groups that authorize them.
This is a second way service bodies may apply this Tradition: to carefully
consider the ways in which actions affect the groups and NA as a whole. We
may want to adapt some of the same questions we ask in our groups to our
service bodies: Are the decisions we are making, or the actions we are taking,
affecting other groups or NA as a whole? Is this a conversation we should
take to our local community? Concept Eight reminds us that our services
depend “on the integrity and effectiveness of our communications,” and
communication means more than simple reporting back and forth. Having
open and frank discussions together as a community about the matters facing
our service committees can help us avoid the controversy that often follows
when we take action first and then seek guidance later.
Considering the impact of our decisions on others, especially on the
groups we serve, allows us to be responsible in thinking through which
decisions belong in the committee and which merit broader discussion.
Service bodies that don’t have a lot of direct involvement with the groups,
such as public relations, convention committees, or local translations
committees, may not always recognize the importance of open
communication in building consensus beyond the limits of the committee. A
decision to go forward with a bus poster campaign in one town led to
meetings being overwhelmed and unprepared to handle so many newcomers.
Another community coordinated newcomer workshops together with their
outreach efforts and were able to support the groups, rather than
overwhelming them. Convention committee decisions to change prices or
location may make perfect sense within the committee, but the decision can
feel heavy-handed or exclusionary if not discussed more broadly with the
community beforehand.
In service bodies, Tradition Four walks hand in hand with Tradition One:
How are our actions supporting unity, how are we supporting the groups, and
how might we do better at fostering unity and finding consensus?
Tradition Four asks us to look for the limits to what we should do on our
own, and to consider carefully when enthusiasm starts to give way to self-
will. Group autonomy has made it possible for the NA program to transcend
countless language and cultural barriers to help addicts find recovery. Our
service bodies may be afforded trust by the groups they serve, allowing them
to be flexible and adapt to the needs of each community, but that trust is not
the same as autonomy.
WORKSHOP QUESTIONS
___________________________________
1. What is the importance of creative freedom in Narcotics Anonymous
groups? How can we be a resource to the groups in their expression of
autonomy and creative freedom?
2. What are some of the differences in how autonomy and Tradition Four
apply to groups and service bodies?
3. How does our service body learn what’s important to the groups in our
community? How do we include our groups in planning for local
services? Do we include all the voices within our community?
4. How do our service efforts honor the needs and wishes of the groups
we serve? How does our service body ensure that our decisions and
actions respond to local needs? How does humility help us to serve
effectively?
5. How do our recent decisions affect our local groups? Are there
decisions we’re making now that affect our local groups?
6. What part does effective communication play in our service efforts?
What works in our local NA community as effective communication,
and what doesn’t? How can our communication be more effective?
7. In what ways do we address issues that affect NA as a whole? How do
we determine whether our actions affect neighboring service bodies?
What are our responsibilities as part of a worldwide Fellowship?
8. Do our events compete with other events in neighboring places? Is the
number of events, activities, and conventions in our community too
high, too low, or just right?
efforts?
services?
Autonomy—the ability to make decisions for ourselves—is part of

what we aspire to in recovery. Understanding what autonomy
means when we are part of a larger Fellowship can help us
understand the relationships between our powerlessness and our
responsibility, between our actions and the people around us,
between our group and the Fellowship we all share.
Tradition Four frees us from the need to regulate the behavior of

others even as it challenges us to look carefully at the consequences
of our own. Our open membership policy described in Tradition
Three and the autonomy of our groups outlined in Tradition Four
create the conditions for us to practice Tradition Five—to carry the
message to the addict who still suffers, in whatever way allows us
to be honest, hopeful, and humble. Anonymity reminds us that in
Narcotics Anonymous we are equals, sharing our experience,
strength, and hope. We do not direct, enforce, or govern; each of us
carries the message in the way best suited to us, and together we
create groups, services, community, and local customs, with
responsibility and creative freedom.
In active addiction, we worked hard to reach goals that left
us feeling empty, lost, and dead inside. We got what we
needed, no matter the cost to ourselves or those around us.
As obsession and compulsion drove us to bitter ends, we
surprised ourselves at what we would do, or what we would
sacrifice. The more we pursued our goals, the less we felt
any sense of purpose at all.
The Fifth Tradition restores purpose to our lives: carrying a

simple message to suffering addicts. In service to that
purpose, we reach out. We start and support meetings. We
walk our talk, work Steps, sponsor, care, and share. Our
passion for recovery is a constant source of gratitude. When
one addict gets clean, we don’t stop. We keep reaching out.
When a hundred, or a thousand, or ten thousand addicts get
clean, we don’t stop. There’s always an addict who’s dying
to hear the NA message.
Narcotics Anonymous has grown from a dream to a

worldwide Fellowship because so many members, inspired
by a sense of purpose, have given freely to make recovery a
reality all over the world. Our hope grows as we see the
program in action. Our willingness grows as we see and
experience the miracle of recovery in all its extraordinary
diversity.
Instead of chasing empty goals, today we are

driven by a sense of purpose. Gratitude in
action is an engine for change: As we carry the
message, our own lives transform.
Tradition Five
Our message is the heart of Narcotics Anonymous. Everything we do,
everything that matters to us as a Fellowship, comes back to our simple
message of hope and freedom: that an addict, any addict, can stop using
drugs, lose the desire to use, and find a new way of life. No one is too sick or
too well, too rich or too poor, too far gone or too far away to qualify. It is
Carrying the message is what matters. We see it in our meetings, when an
empty room is transformed into an atmosphere of warmth and empathy. We
see it when members generously give of their time and themselves to serve.
We see it when we set aside our personal differences or interests to reach out
to a suffering addict. Many of us, in moments of distress, have been told to
go help somebody. Reaching out breaks the bonds of self-obsession and frees
us to see ourselves and our world from a new perspective. In our hope for
each other, we find hope for ourselves.
So many of us were seeking freedom when we started using. We were
looking for a way out of our feelings, our responsibilities, and our lives. The
freedom we find in NA is different from that. The Twelve Steps bring us
freedom from obsessive thought and compulsive action. Our Fellowship
brings us freedom from isolation. We are free to become exactly who we are
and to find a sense of fulfillment in our lives, whatever that means for us. We
are set free to love and to care, to hope and to hurt, to reach out and to grow
no matter where we are in our recovery. The ability to grow spiritually
enables us to find freedom, even within the walls of a cell. Our greatest
freedom is not outside ourselves but within.
That hope and freedom drive us through our brightest days and our
darkest suffering. Staying connected reminds us that there is always more to
be done—and always more being done. We often speak of the addict with
two days clean telling the addict with one day clean, “It works.” As we stay
clean, we also have the experience of the addict with two days clean showing
the addict with ten years clean that it works. We never know where our
message of hope will come from. Keeping our purpose primary allows us all
to carry the message, and gives each of us the ability to hear it.
Our unity is possible because our message is clear. We are not confused
about why we are here, and we can set our differences aside and do that one
thing. Our Traditions help us see what is important, and some of the ways we
lose sight of that. Many of us have found additional rewards from places
outside the rooms of NA, but none of that is what we come to NA to share.
We are here to share the simple truth about our recovery in Narcotics
Anonymous. The Steps help us to peel away the lies and pain that distract us
from the truth. When our meetings are honest and true, when the atmosphere
of recovery in our group is safe and welcoming, when every addict who
comes in the door is met with dignity and empathy, our message is more
powerful than words.
WORD BY WORD
Example: primary
One way to think about the word primary is “most important.” The most
important task of a group is to carry the message to the addict who still
suffers. Our group may serve other purposes for us: a place we find support,
where we go to see our friends, or where we just feel safe from insanity for a
little while. Our group may serve other purposes, as well. It may serve as a
literature study or a place of celebration; it may reach into a part of the
community no other meeting does. No matter what secondary purposes a
group may serve, its primary purpose is to carry the message.
Another way to understand primary is in terms of “primary colors”—they do
not reduce to any other color; they are pure. Around the world and around
town we experience many different kinds of NA meetings, but what’s always
the same is our simple message, pure and true. Our diversity strengthens and
affirms the reality of our simple message. Across all of our differences, the
same simple program works. There is hope for us all in Narcotics
Anonymous.
integrity responsibility unity anonymity commitment empathy service

mindedness surrender fidelity consistency vigilance passion compassio
Example: consistency
Consistency is a spiritual principle that keeps us doing what we do. It begins
with the refrain, “Keep coming back!” Coming to meetings regularly helps us
stay clean, and it also carries a message of hope: We keep coming back
because it works. The group depends on its members, and members depend
on the group being true to its purpose. Showing up consistently, sharing
honestly, and treating others with respect all further our primary purpose. A
consistent message is powerful. When our actions and message are clear and
consistent, our groups cannot fail.
For Members
The recovering addict and the group need each other to survive. The group
depends on the selfless service of its members, and members depend on the
group being true to its purpose. The Fifth Tradition is bound up with the
First: Our personal recovery depends on NA unity, and our unity depends on
our attention to our primary purpose.
We don’t have to be on Step Twelve to carry a message of recovery, but
working the Steps helps us to understand our message. When we struggle to
articulate a clear message, individually or as a group, we can look to our
foundation in the Steps to help us understand. The First Step of Narcotics
Anonymous is unique. Rather than addressing a single symptom or
substance, we admit our powerlessness over the disease that drives us. It’s
this Step that allows us to recover together without concern for “what or how
much you used.” Recovery is an inside job, because addiction is an inside
disease.
The expansiveness of this First Step sometimes leads to confusion: It can
seem like anyone with any obsession might find themselves in NA. Although
our First Step is so broad, our literature is clear: Very simply, an addict is a
man or woman whose life is controlled by drugs. We don’t need to overthink
our message or wear ourselves out trying to decide who belongs here. When
our message is clear, it is attractive to addicts. We find each other.
When we come to this Tradition as individual members, our first task is to
consider our personal role in helping each group to fulfill its primary purpose.
When we live the program, read the literature, listen to the readings, practice
these principles, and apply our Traditions, we really don’t have to worry too
much about our message. Our recovery will speak for itself. Each of us
carries a message. We are always examples of recovery in action, whether we
mean to be or not. People look to our actions to understand how Narcotics
Anonymous works. We pay attention to our own relationship to the addict
who still suffers: Do we welcome newcomers at our meetings? Are we
respectful and compassionate? Are we providing the new member with a safe
place to recover? When an addict seeks recovery in NA, we have an
obligation to reach out.
Being part of a Fellowship that is clear and passionate about its purpose
can give us a sense of what it means to be clear and passionate in our own
lives. When we come to understand what it means for our group to have a
purpose, we may want to ask ourselves about our own primary purpose.
Many of us find a bridge between Tradition Five and Step Eleven: When we
pray for an understanding of a Higher Power’s will for us and the power to
carry that out, we are seeking a higher purpose as well. For some of us,
taking on the primary purpose of NA can become a life’s work: Carrying the
message will always be where we find our deepest rewards. Others of us find
our greatest passion elsewhere: in our families, our careers, our creativity, or
our faith. Whether we find that sense of connection through one outlet or
many, being driven or called to a purpose can be one of the most joyful
experiences in life.
Over the years we may experience a number of different callings or get
excited about different directions we can take. Our belief about where we are
directed, however, may not determine what happens. When our lives change
unexpectedly, we can have deep doubts about ourselves and the path we are
on. Going through those shifts can change more than our direction; they help
to shape our faith and deepen our surrender.
There are times when we need a restoration to hope, just as we need a
restoration to sanity. The two may be closely related. Sometimes we can
borrow someone else’s faith when ours is lacking; sometimes our empathy
carries us through. Even when we don’t have much hope for ourselves, we
can still get excited for the member picking up a keytag or a medallion, or the
addict experiencing new freedom in recovery. As we experience surprise, joy,
and sometimes bitter disappointment, we learn the difference between hope
and fantasy. Hope becomes more solid and more secure than our passing
wishes or expectations.
There is such a strong connection between Tradition Five and Step
Twelve that we can almost see them as singular and plural of the same idea.
The group is able to serve its purpose because its members are willing to
make a commitment to serve—to try to carry the message in whatever way
we can. Step Twelve suggests that this is a result of a spiritual awakening, but
the action of carrying the message also wakes us up. The spiritual awakening
we experience when we reach out to another addict is unlike anything we
have felt before.
Empathy and connection are the beginning. We start to see our experience
as a resource. Everything we go through can become a tool to help someone
who is suffering. We may gain wisdom, or we may simply be able to say, “I
went through that, and I stayed clean.” We experience a powerful connection
when we hear someone tell our story or share something about themselves
that we had guarded as a deep secret. Our work carrying the message means
that no pain is wasted. When we are able to use our own suffering to help
another addict get through a day clean, we start to feel that sense of purpose
in our lives that we see in our groups. Our stories are keys to freedom. The
door we open swings both ways: We free ourselves in the moment we reach
out to help someone else.
We get the message as we carry the message; we find a purpose when we
serve a purpose. When our purpose is clear, our passion for recovery carries
us through. When we lose our own way, the strong sense of purpose in NA
reminds us who we are, how far we have come, and how much is still

________________________________
NA members.
IN NA
1. How did I first hear the message of NA? What helped me to hear it?
2. How does our primary purpose in NA relate to my own purpose for
coming to meetings and for being in recovery?
3. As a member, what is the message that I carry? What does it mean to
me to carry a clear NA message?
4. How did I understand freedom from active addiction when I was new?
How do I understand it today? If our message is hope and the promise
of freedom, what is my hope today?
5. How does Tradition Five influence what I say and do at meetings?
What message does my behavior carry?
6. When I share, how do I connect my experience with the overall
message of NA? With the topic of the meeting?
7. Do I hesitate to share my own challenges and struggles? How do I feel
when a more experienced member shares about ongoing difficulties
and struggles?
8. How am I most effective when carrying the message? What can I do
that I’m not already doing? How might I expand my ability to carry the
message?
9. When do my opinions or feelings get in the way of carrying a message
or in the way of hearing the message? Is there a particular addict I need
to find compassion for?
10. Do my personal beliefs get mixed in with the message I carry? Does
my NA message get mixed up with my personal beliefs?
11. What is an atmosphere of recovery? As a member of an NA group,
what am I doing to create and sustain an atmosphere of recovery?
12. What do I recognize as exploitative behavior? What is my part in our
shared responsibility to keep NA a safe place for all?
13. In what ways can I best carry the NA message? What is my experience
with doing a Twelfth Step call? What message do I carry as a sponsor
and as a sponsee? What does the saying “carry the message, not the
addict” mean to me?
IN ALL OUR AFFAIRS

18. How does my primary purpose vary in different parts of my life? How
does a sense of purpose help me to set and understand my priorities?
How does purpose guide my actions? What is the difference between
purpose and desire?
19. Do my varying purposes lead me to carry particular messages? What
are they? When and where do I carry them? How does the practice of
carrying a clear message in NA help me in other areas of my life?
20. Does my sense of purpose change over time? How have changes in my
values, priorities, or roles affected my purpose? What do I do when my
priorities seem to be in conflict?
21. What helps determine my sense of purpose? When circumstances set
priorities for me, does my sense of myself change? How do I practice
integrity when life circumstances shape my priorities?
For Groups
We often talk about our message in very broad terms—hope, freedom,
finding a new way of life. However, our experience of getting the message
often happens in very small ways. Someone shares like they were reading our
mind; some members ask us to join them for coffee after the meeting;
someone reaches out and gives us a hug, or offers us a chair, or notices that
we’re new and asks our name. Most often the experience of “getting the
message” is all tangled up with feeling welcome, feeling safe, feeling like we
belong, and beginning to think of ourselves as members.
Our actions are more important than our words. The actions that make an
addict feel included, cared about, and “a part of” are among the most
powerful ways we carry the NA message, whether we’re reaching out to the
brand-newcomer, the middle-timer, or the longest-timer in the room. We are
never too old for a message of hope. Welcome and concern almost always
feel good, whether we are new or not. Our members carry the message in our
groups, and our groups work best when everyone feels welcome to be a
member.
The power of the NA group springs from its focus on our primary
purpose, and the power of our message comes through the unity and cohesion
of our groups. The group is the most effective means of carrying the message,
but it can’t do that without caring and committed members. A group carries
the message by creating an atmosphere of recovery. In the group, addicts
come together to share before, during, and after the meeting. In any given
meeting, members are at different stages in their recovery, experience
different levels of desire, and seek different levels of growth. The variety of
honest sharing in the meeting, as much as what any one addict says, helps us
identify. When other addicts are willing to get vulnerable and share, it makes
it easier for each of us to do the same.
If a meeting is not serving a need, it generally goes away. It’s important
to notice when groups are growing or shrinking, or when and why groups
struggle with self-support or finding trusted servants. Is the group attractive
to other addicts? In a place where people have their choice of meetings, there
may be a reason why a struggling meeting isn’t getting chosen. A group
inventory may help to determine whether changes are needed to help the
meeting carry the message more effectively or whether it’s time to let it go.
On the other hand, patience and humility may be necessary for a group to
take root. Quite a few NA communities got their start due to the persistence
of one or two members who kept showing up to open the doors, even when it
seemed that no one would ever join them. “I sat in the only NA meeting in
town by myself for two years, reading from the White Booklet. When
someone finally walked in and asked if this was the NA meeting, I almost
didn’t know what to say. I just said, ‘Welcome.’”
Size is not the only measure of a meeting’s success. Small meetings can
be intimate, unified, and solid; they can provide a safe and steady place to
share and to call home. A meeting can be just right with ten people or two
hundred; the question is always about the atmosphere of recovery. Are people
coming back? Are newcomers staying? Are people sharing honestly and
openly? Is the message clear?
A group can be diverted from our primary purpose by a variety of things.
It can be more invested in its social life than in the message; it can get
bogged down in controversy or NA business; it can allow ego, power, or
personalities to become more important than the message. There is a simple
way to recognize when a meeting stops serving its purpose: Addicts stop
coming back. Popularity is not the measure of spiritual health, but when a
meeting dwindles noticeably, when the cohesion of the group weakens, when
addicts feel physically or emotionally unsafe, when members no longer care
to serve or resentments start to infiltrate the meeting, we can usually look to
the group’s priorities to understand. Just as in our personal recovery, each
new day brings a chance to start fresh. At any moment, our group can stop,
consider its priorities, and ensure our focus is squarely on carrying a message
of recovery.
Magic happens in NA meetings. We hear the music of the message even
when we don’t understand the language in which it is shared. Our groups host
meetings and sometimes events, but more than that they become communities
themselves. The bond we share with our fellow group members can be deep
and loving, growing over years into something a lot like family. When we
focus on our primary purpose, our groups grow into something greater than
the sum of their parts. A shared sense of purpose creates its own bond, and as
we nurture that purpose the connections between us grow solid and loving.

____________________________
1. Why does a group need a purpose? Why is it so important that we
keep our meetings focused on our primary purpose? How does
focusing on our primary purpose shape the atmosphere of recovery in
our group?
2. Which of our group’s practices or customs relate to the Fifth
Tradition? How do we maintain a focus on NA’s primary purpose?
3. How does our group ensure it is a safe and welcome place? What can
we do to make all members feel more welcome? What can our group
do to address behavior that challenges our primary purpose?
4. What do we value most about our home group? What part does our
group’s diversity or sense of identity play in reaching those who attend
our meetings? How does our group distinctively carry out our primary
purpose? What other purposes does our group serve?
5. What is the message that we carry as a group? How does our group
attract addicts or carry a message? How do our business meetings help
us? What is the role of the group in carrying a clear message?
6. How and why did this group get started? Has the atmosphere of
recovery in our meetings increased or diminished recently? Is there
anything we need to do differently? What are the ways our format
helps or hinders our ability to carry the message?
7. What is our group’s responsibility to still-suffering addicts? How do
we carry the message to the addicts who have not found our meeting?
How can we make our meetings more accessible?
8. What is the importance of a clear NA message? How does our group
foster understanding of our Steps and Traditions? How do we help our
members understand Narcotics Anonymous?
9. Does this group make space for all addicts to hear the message? Is the
message we’re carrying reaching everyone in the room?
primary purpose?
In Service
NA service is varied and creative. We do all kinds of work to carry the
message and support our groups. We bring meetings or panels into hospitals
and institutions, and make presentations to inform providers and the public
about Narcotics Anonymous; we hold events for our members, create
meeting schedules and websites, gather resources, and balance the books. We
communicate with other NA communities and the Fellowship as a whole. We
participate in fellowship development. We get involved with literature
creation or translation, and provide learning days and workshops so that
members can participate in the life of Narcotics Anonymous. All of this and
more goes to build our Fellowship. Keeping the connection in view between
the service we do and the addict who walks in the door brings passion to our
service, and keeps us focused on our purpose.
There are no menial tasks in Narcotics Anonymous. If a newcomer were
to go to a meeting and find an empty room, it wouldn’t matter how many
committees we had; the addict would not get the message. We need members
who set up the meeting and make the coffee as much as we need the member
who chairs or speaks. Keeping our primary purpose in mind helps us to
remember what is important, and to serve in a way that moves us toward our
goals. Stewardship is care of something entrusted to us. Each of us as a
member has responsibility for our group and our Fellowship. We may
practice that actively in service, or simply by participating in meetings in a
spirit of respect and care.
Each of us matters in Narcotics Anonymous. We may not like each other
or understand the purpose a troublesome member serves, but every one of us
is as important as every other. For some of us, the experience of being heard
and respected is entirely new. We may treasure that as a gift, or we may
constantly test it. It can take a lifetime to believe that we are valued.
Our trusted servants are also addicts who sometimes suffer, and treating
them like bad employees won’t get the message carried to them or through
them. A trusted servant in one area was doing a terrible job, coming to every
service meeting angry and leaving discord and frustration in his wake. An
experienced member shook her head and sighed, “He acts like nobody loves
him.” Being able to address a member as a suffering addict rather than as a
problem—or as just the service position they hold—allows the dynamic to
change from bitterness to empathy. Even when we have to take action to
remove a trusted servant or recover lost assets, we can be mindful of our
reaction. Allowing someone their dignity when they’re doing wrong gives
them the space to recover even as we hold them accountable. We carry a
message in the way we address challenges and problems. Tradition Five
reminds us that our first job is to make sure our trusted servants can keep
coming back, no matter what.
At its heart, Tradition Five is about communication. Carrying the message
is a matter of communicating with the suffering addict in a language he or
she can hear and understand. For some of us, that’s the language of the heart.
Others of us respond better to information, and still others aren’t persuaded
by words at all: We need to see in order to come to believe. Concept Eight
tells us that “our service structure depends on the integrity and effectiveness
of our communications,” and it serves us well to remember that part of what
we do in learning to carry a conscience, or to relay information back and
forth between different service bodies, is also practice for carrying the
message.
Being responsible in service is one of the ways we learn to be responsible
in our lives, and of course accountability is critical in our trusted servants.
Our experience in service allows us to feel ownership of our Fellowship. It’s
ours. Our lives depend on Narcotics Anonymous, and NA only exists through
our shared efforts. Serving together builds mutual respect and deep love for
our program. Whether or not we see service at the center of our recovery,
everything we do to participate in NA serves to further our primary purpose,
to strengthen and build Narcotics Anonymous for ourselves and the addict yet
to come.
WORKSHOP QUESTIONS
___________________________________
1. What are some of the differences in how groups and service bodies
practice Tradition Five?
2. How does the work of this body support NA’s primary purpose? Do
we have other purposes as well?
3. How do we support groups in carrying an inclusive message? How do
we support groups in addressing challenges?
4. How does remembering our primary purpose focus our service
priorities? How do the roles and efforts of our boards and service
committees relate to the primary purpose? How do we bring our
primary purpose into all of our service efforts?
5. How well are we carrying the message of recovery? What limits are
there in our efforts to carry the message? How much do we rely on
facilities in our community to get addicts into our meetings?
6. How can we consider the needs of those members or potential
members who are missing from our meetings? Can we strive to meet
the needs of more addicts while staying focused on our primary
purpose? What can we do to reach addicts who are physically unable
to attend meetings?
7. What does our public image have to do with our primary purpose?
Why is it important to carry a consistent message from one community
to the next, from one country to the next, and around the world?
efforts?
services?
A Vision for NA Service begins with the declaration that “all of the
efforts of Narcotics Anonymous are inspired by the primary
purpose of our groups. Upon this common ground we stand
committed.” The common ground of our primary purpose allows us
to set aside differences and work together. With a clear view of our
purpose, we can set priorities. Everything we do in Narcotics
Anonymous is ultimately in service to that purpose: carrying the
message to the addict who still suffers.
When our groups are focused on their primary purpose of carrying

the message, things have a way of simplifying naturally. When we
allow ourselves to believe that an addict, any addict, can stop using
drugs, lose the desire to use, and find a new way to live, it brings
great hope into our lives. We begin to see the possibility of
recovery for the addict suffering and for ourselves. We come to
understand that if a transformation so deep is possible in the
earliest stages of our recovery, the possibilities for us to change as
we continue to practice these principles are truly without limit. The
message of hope isn’t just for the addict walking in the door. Our
recovery, like our disease, is progressive. Each of us is a miracle.
No matter how far we have come, opportunities for spiritual growth
and freedom from addiction are still available to us. Our message is
hope and the promise of freedom, and it’s true for us every day we
choose to recover.
In Step Six, the Basic Text reminds us, “Being human we
will wander off course.” We don’t always notice when
we’re wandering: This is the great challenge for many of us
in practicing meditation, or even sitting in a meeting. Just
staying in our seat without checking our phone or creating
side conversation can be surprisingly difficult, especially
when we are having feelings we’d rather avoid. Tradition
Six suggests that the things that divert us are mostly those
we use to feed self-obsession. When we let go of the
illusion that things outside ourselves will fill that empty
place inside, we can stop distorting tools into weapons we
turn on ourselves.
The better we get at staying present with the things that

truly matter to us, the more able we are to understand our
Higher Power’s will for us and find the power to carry that
out. One way to start is to recognize that the newcomer
really matters to us, and that it’s up to us to ensure that the
message comes through.
When we resist the impulse to get diverted, to

wander off course, we are present for the
miracle. The life we save might be our own.
Tradition Six
Tradition Six teaches us to be true to ourselves. The Sixth Tradition explains
why the NA message must be clear. If we are to keep from being diverted, we
must know what our purpose is. We can’t just sort of know; we must be
certain. We have a message, and our purpose is to carry it. Anything else is a
distraction or a diversion. Distraction steals our attention; diversion, our
energy, and both take us away from what matters to us. Addiction painfully
diverted us from our hopes and dreams. Tradition Six suggests that the things
most likely to divert us now—as groups and as individuals—seem like they
could benefit us, but will betray us in the long run. Even if we are not vigilant
about our message, our autonomy, and our principles from the beginning, we
will soon find that we must practice the Twelve Traditions in order to
survive.
Practicing Tradition Six has much in common with the practice of Step
Ten. When we keep an eye on our actions and relationships through the
practice of regular inventory, we can recognize our tendency to wander off
course before we have gone very far. Each of the motives this Tradition
mentions that leads us off course—money, property, and prestige—is not a
problem until it becomes a problem. But desire for these things can spin out
of control when we experience a character defect like insecurity.
Tradition Six breaks naturally into three parts: the things we should not
do, why we should not do those things, and what will happen if we do. Each
of the actions we are warned about is a compromise; each of the reasons is a
roadblock; ultimately, the result is that we lose sight of our purpose. We are
diverted.
We don’t often get diverted by things that are obviously unrelated to NA
and our primary purpose. However, when it comes to issues that seem closely
aligned with our primary purpose, the lines are not so clear. Treatment
clinics, organizations, bureaus, churches, and other programs all try to help
addicts recover. NA is not those other organizations, nor are we the same as
any other fellowship. We don’t use literature or speakers from outside of NA.
Over and over, we check ourselves not only for affiliation, but for the
appearance of it.
Much of what we do in NA puts us in contact with the world outside our
Fellowship. We rent space for our meetings; we carry our message into
institutions; often we are obliged to help big institutions, including
governments, to understand what Narcotics Anonymous is, and that addicts
do recover. In many places it has been illegal for addicts to meet at all. From
our early history to our present-day service in new NA communities, making
it possible for addicts to recover means demonstrating that addicts do
recover. We are our best evidence. We are examples of our program and
examples of our faith in NA when we act on that faith and stand on our
principles “with neither aggressiveness nor fear.”
Staying focused on our primary purpose can be very difficult. We know
how important it is to carry the message, and it’s easy to feel inadequate. In
order to practice Tradition Six we must believe that we have what we need to
carry out our purpose. Sometimes that requires creativity, and sometimes it
requires patience. When we really get a sense of the power of the NA
message and the importance of the action we take in our Twelfth Step, the
work takes on a kind of urgency that can drive us to cut corners, compromise,
or allow ourselves to be taken in by promises. We have too much on the line
to gamble with the NA name. A simple, clear message, delivered honestly
and without any confusion or controversy, saves lives.
WORD BY WORD
Example: prestige
Although the word prestige commonly refers to admiration or respect, its
origins refer to illusions or trickery. At its root, then, prestige is often false:
an illusion. In a Fellowship where we are all equal, where anonymity is our
spiritual foundation, the illusion of prestige is particularly destructive.
Whether we believe our job is impressive, or our service is visible, or we
think our cleantime gives us rank or clout among our peers, seeking prestige
in Narcotics Anonymous means we are setting ourselves apart. Doing so is
not only toxic to the atmosphere of recovery, it is incredibly dangerous for us
personally. We dismiss most of the people who could save our lives as not
good enough. A member shared, “My ego has taught me more about the
Twelve Traditions than anything else.” We are liable to seek false prestige
when we don’t believe we can be loved for who we are. When we learn the
painful lesson that prestige tends to be hollow, false, illusory—not at all the
respect, dignity, and value we were seeking—we are able to experience real
connection with ourselves, our fellows, and our Higher Power.
integrity faith harmony anonymity humility awareness dignity fidelity

Example: vigilance
Often we think of vigilance in almost military terms, as if we were standing
watch against incoming hostilities. In addition to caution and watchfulness,
vigilance means sustained concentration or attention, as when people hold a
vigil. Prayer and meditation are both practices of sustaining attention. When
we understand vigilance as a peaceful principle, rather than a warlike one, we
can practice it in a spirit of unity, goodwill, and faith.
We remain vigilant about our own actions and also about the actions of those
around us, but ensuring the integrity of our program does not require us to be
unkind. Rather, we watch our own motives, careful to avoid situations that
would risk the endorsement, financing, or lending of the NA name mentioned
in Tradition Six. We are happy to work cooperatively, but vigilance means
that we take care to ensure that others don’t mistake our willingness to be
cooperative for endorsement or affiliation. When we firmly, politely, and
clearly explain ourselves and our limits, we make it easy to understand and
respect those boundaries.
For Members
Although this Tradition addresses itself to the groups, the issues it warns us
about arise on a personal level, too: Money, property, and prestige can divert
us because each of them can be used to feed self-centeredness. This Tradition
points us to the very personal investments each of us has in our groups and in
our Fellowship. Our personal practice of humility and anonymity serves the
group as much as ourselves.
One of the hallmarks of our disease is that it takes us away from the
things that matter to us. We may have dreams or goals, people we love and
care about, spiritual values, religious faith—but none of it matters when we
are using. Addiction diverts us, over and over, until we feel completely
hollowed out. It’s that empty feeling in our gut that we’d do just about
anything, even die, rather than feel. Sometimes that feeling follows or revisits
us deep into our recovery.
Practicing Tradition Six as a member means recognizing the ways our
personal affiliations can affect the group, and also how desire for money,
property, or prestige can impact our personal practice of unity. When we
consider this Tradition in our own lives, we often begin by noticing how we
respond to what attracts us. Many of us appreciate having nice things. We
value being respected in our community. Being regarded well by others may
be important enough for us to pay attention to our behavior and our self-
presentation—or it may be so important that we base our own sense of
ourselves on how we think others are seeing us.
When we feel like we’re not enough, we become vulnerable in ways we
may not recognize. We may be unsure of ourselves or unsure of our
Fellowship, our message, or our principles. Particularly when we’re stepping
out into a new area, standing firm on these issues can seem like a luxury. We
think we’ll do that later, when we’re more established. Or perhaps we suspect
some of the principles of our Traditions are more appropriate for NA
communities with greater resources. In fact, nothing is further from the truth.
We can’t build a strong structure on a weak foundation, in our lives or in our
Fellowship.
In the rooms of NA, there are doctors and lawyers, counselors and health
care workers, and others whose professional lives intersect our primary
purpose in some way. Tradition Eight offers more guidance about the
relationship between our occupations and NA membership, but Tradition Six
reminds us to watch for the appearance of endorsement or affiliation in
meetings. For example, we consider whether wearing uniforms or insignia in
a meeting could imply affiliation, set us apart, or send the wrong impression
to those attending meetings with us.
To endorse is to openly support an organization or a person. Each of us
may have causes or candidates or belief systems, schools or churches or even
treatment centers that we personally support. But keeping those things out of
meetings protects us from conflicts that might distract us from our recovery.
We don’t need to leave our personalities at the door to participate in unity,
but we do consider how and what we share in and around meetings, and
whether that contributes to the primary purpose.
There is an enormous difference between lending our own name as
individuals and lending the name of Narcotics Anonymous. If we are
participating in public forums or social media, we consider how our various
interests and affiliations are presented to the public. It’s useful to remember
that others may not be able to distinguish one member’s personal beliefs from
the principles of NA as a whole. Practicing awareness goes a long way
toward protecting our integrity. We may not notice that our behavior carries a
message, but in fact our actions speak loud and clear. “I had an NA sticker on
my car,” a member recalled, “and I was driving like Captain Road Rage. I
made a gesture at another car, and later I saw that car at the meeting. I wanted
to hide under my chair.” When we wear or carry the NA name, we endorse
NA—and we also suggest that NA endorses us. There is no way for someone
unfamiliar with our program to understand the protection our principle of
anonymity offers both members and the Fellowship as a whole.
Having the financial resources to meet our goals is a priority for some of
us. Active addiction doesn’t lend itself to financial security, and we may have
a long way to go just to be able to meet our basic needs. There’s nothing in
our principles that speaks against wanting better for ourselves. In fact,
practicing principles in all our affairs improves many areas of our lives.
Being able to recognize and serve a purpose, to balance unity and autonomy,
to recognize our values and know how to put them into practice—all these
gifts of the Traditions help us to serve well in any role. But when our disease
gets hold of our financial lives, we can be trapped in the feeling that there is
never enough, no matter how much or how little we have. This fear can lead
us back into obsession and compulsion, even as we rationalize that we are
seeking “success.”
We watch for that feeling of being diverted. We try to notice when the
ways we are spending time and attention are not what’s most important to us,
or when we feel empty again. Tradition Six warns of diversions created by
greed and pride, but the shadow side of those are fear and shame. Attention to
the Sixth Tradition in our personal lives also points to an application of the
Eleventh Step: It’s by paying attention to what matters to us that we find a
sense of purpose, direction, and meaning. When we live with integrity and
purpose, our ability to recognize joy and fulfillment in our lives improves
remarkably.

________________________________
NA members.
IN NA
1. What is my part in practicing the Sixth Tradition? What’s my
responsibility as a group member to help keep the group from being
diverted?
2. How do my sharing and my actions help to clarify the distinction
between NA and other organizations, facilities, and so on?
3. How does my understanding of Tradition Six influence how I share?
How do I share truthfully about my experience in a way that doesn’t
seem to imply endorsement?
4. What types of “prestige” have I encountered or experienced as an NA
member? How can prestige divert me from the NA message? How do I
share about the blessings of recovery while keeping the focus on our
message?
5. Do I get distracted or diverted by my judgments of others? How does
my desire to judge or enforce this Tradition challenge unity or our
message? How does listening for our message allow me to set aside
distracting details?
6. Have I allowed myself to become diverted by money, property, or
prestige in my personal affairs or in the course of my NA service? If
so, what were the results?
7. Do I use my job, personal accomplishments, or service commitments
to try to have more credibility or authority in NA meetings or in
service?
8. Do I use my professional skills to serve NA or to set me apart? How
can I maintain clarity in terms of how my professional relationships
affect my NA membership? How do I keep my involvements in
outside organizations separate from involvement in NA?
9. What examples have I seen of this Tradition helping us to carry the
message? What freedom does our integrity afford me?
IN ALL OUR AFFAIRS

14. How does the Sixth Tradition help bring clarity to my decision
making? What really matters to me? How do I stay focused on that?
How do I align my priorities according to my own sense of purpose?
15. When am I most likely to compromise my values in trying to reach a
goal? What are some ways I justify or rationalize those compromises?
What are the consequences?
16. Where else do I find spiritual help or support? How do I reconcile my
membership in NA with the other affiliations I might have? Can I keep
my message clear from one place to another without being phony, or
holding part of myself back?
17. What do I notice about my thoughts, feelings, or actions when I am
getting confused or diverted?
18. What freedom does integrity afford me?
For Groups
Traditions Five and Six are so closely related that it is difficult to talk about
one without the other. Our purpose is to carry the message to the addict who
still suffers. We can only do that when we know what our message is—and
what it is not. Tradition Six supports our primary purpose by reminding us to
stay focused. If we allow ourselves to give our endorsement, our name, or our
resources, we lose the power of our message. When we keep sight of the fact
that our message makes us who we are, we have no need for affiliation or
endorsement.
The NA message thrives when our groups are autonomous. One of the
ways we remain attractive is by remaining unaffiliated. When a group is
serving its primary purpose in a spirit of unity and openness, meetings
naturally feel hopeful and safe.
Endorsement is lending approval to something. It may be direct, like an
advertisement or an announcement of another organization’s event, or
indirect, as when a number of members all share about the same outside
organization or experience. People come to understand the NA program in
our meetings, and it’s in meetings that we can get most confused. Vigilance
from the start serves us well in Tradition Six. By remaining vigilant about our
message, our autonomy, and our principles from the beginning, NA in our
community can rely on the Twelve Traditions as a source of guidance as we
build, rather than as an emergency net when things come crashing down. We
check ourselves not only for endorsement and affiliation but also for the
appearance of either.
We each carry the message in our own way, and we have a right to a
spirituality of our own understanding. Other paths are part of many of our
stories, but detailed sharing about what we do outside NA can quickly
become something other than the NA message. We consider the effect our
sharing may have, especially when many members in a group have
something in common. When a number of members share about the same
outside organization or the same religion, it can seem as if a group is
endorsing that, or having that shared experience is necessary to be a member
of that group or to recover in NA.
The ways in which we seem to endorse can be subtle. When we meet in a
facility decorated with symbols or logos from other organizations, it can be
hard to avoid the impression that we have affiliations. We may try to change
the appearance of the room, or make clear through our format or readings that
we are separate from the facility.
Facilities are not bound by our Twelve Traditions, but NA groups may
request cooperation in order to uphold our principles. Just as we help our
members understand how and why we carry a clear message without bullying
or shaming people for how they share, we politely and clearly explain to
those outside NA what our principles are and why they are important to us.
Our ability to do this requires that we ourselves understand what our message
is, what it means to protect it, and where those boundaries need to be.
Groups often need to ensure that it’s clear we are not affiliated with the
facilities where we meet. If group members happen to work in the facility, for
example, the line between NA and the facility may become blurred. One
group struggled when staff at their meeting place got in the habit of walking
in and out of the meeting room throughout the meeting; it was very easy for
newcomers to get the impression that the facility ran the meeting.
Occasionally a meeting has had to move to protect itself, but most of the
time, communication is the answer to these challenges. The Public Relations
Handbook offers useful advice on relationships with facilities in which we
meet.
Nonaddicts, including government officials, are welcome at open
meetings. However, if they are coming regularly, we may want to have a
polite conversation about the need for addicts to have a safe place to meet,
free from outside influence or surveillance. A member from a place with a
strong government presence was asked how they handled frequent “visits”
from law enforcement. He smiled and said, “We try to see an opportunity for
PR.” Changing our perspective on limitations outside our control can help us
find solutions.
One of the most important ways we protect ourselves from endorsement
or affiliation is to be self-supporting. Traditions Six and Seven support each
other in helping to keep our Fellowship alive and free. NA groups are rarely
asked directly to finance an outside enterprise, but that may be the result
when rent is inflated out of proportion, or when an organization asks us to
contribute literature and supplies on an ongoing basis to support their work.
The relationship can be just as far out of balance if a facility is subsidizing
rent for a group or offering space for no charge. The group may need to better
define its relationship with the facility. Sometimes, public relations
committees or trusted servants may help sort out what is appropriate. Finding
a balance where we are neither supporting nor being supported by another
organization takes time and thought.
It’s clear that a center is using our name inappropriately if they advertise
that they provide NA services. When an NA meeting is listed in the bulletins,
flyers, or signs for a facility, on the other hand, they may simply be making it
easier for addicts to find us. Thoughtful group discussion on the issue can
help us to arrive at a decision and determine how to communicate effectively
and appropriately. We may simply ask the meeting facility that lists the NA
meeting in their schedule to do so in a way that makes it clear we’re not
affiliated. Vigilance and diplomacy help us to protect the NA name while
also maintaining the cooperative relationships that are so important to our
survival.
Tradition Six protects us from diversions that might seem more about the
individual than the group: pride, concern with perception by others, and
insecurity. But groups can get caught in these issues just as easily. A group
can easily shift from enthusiasm to arrogance. The group may start referring
to itself as “the best” or begin competing with other groups for status or
members. It can start small—groups competing over the quality of their
refreshments, or throwing progressively bigger parties—and it soon gets out
of hand. A group with an ego investment in its events may stumble into a
host of problems. Events get expensive. Hoarding money begins to seem
more important than participating in the fund flow to carry the message.
Owning more supplies requires greater expense and effort to store and
manage. When the group has been diverted from our primary purpose, we
serve the things that once served us.
It’s up to us as members of a group to notice when our group is being
diverted. If we wait until diversions create a problem, we tend to experience
our Traditions as things we argue about rather than as principles that help us
carry the message and recover in unity. When we make small corrections
before there is a big problem, our principles quietly guide us.

____________________________
1. Why are issues of money, property, and prestige such a slippery slope
for us? How have we seen them divert us from our primary purpose?
2. How can issues of affiliation and pursuit of money, property, and
prestige affect the atmosphere of recovery in our group? What else can
divert our group from our primary purpose? What can we do as a
group to avoid these distractions? How can we regain focus, once
diverted?
3. What is an endorsement? In what ways could our group be seen as
giving an endorsement of something outside NA? How could or would
doing so damage our reputation and our efforts to carry the NA
message?
4. How do we maintain integrity as a group? How does the use of NA
literature and speakers help us to practice that integrity?
5. How do autonomy, cooperation, and affiliation relate to one another?
How do we exercise creative freedom in a way that honors the
guidance of Tradition Six?
6. Why do we hold our meetings in this particular location? How do we
keep our relationship with the facility one of cooperation, not
affiliation? How do we help members understand our relationship with
facilities where we meet? What is our relationship to clubhouses or
meeting halls?
7. What can we do as a group to maintain or improve our relations with
outside entities? How should we handle our disagreements with
outside facilities or organizations?
8. How do we support members in learning the importance of our policy
of nonaffiliation? Do the words and actions of our trusted servants
honor this Tradition? How loving and caring are we in the way we help
our members understand Tradition Six?
9. Do our efforts to keep our message clear sometimes make it seem like
we’re creating additional requirements for membership? How can our
group practice this Tradition without limiting our inclusiveness?
primary purpose?
In Service
Tradition Six mentions groups in particular, but the boards and committees
that serve and support the groups are often in a position to practice this
Tradition as well. So much of the work we do in carrying the NA message
through public relations, hospitals and institutions, phonelines, and the
internet bring us into contact with other organizations. Finding the balance
between cooperation and endorsement can be very challenging. Our service
materials, including the PR Basics booklet, have guidance on both how we
make these decisions and how to come to an understanding of our principles
in practice. We turn to the guidance of our literature, our service materials,
and our experienced members as we build these relationships.
We may believe that this guidance is only important in the beginning of a
cooperative relationship, but as relationships develop over time we may be
more likely to slide into endorsement or affiliation than we might have been
in the beginning. These ongoing relationships are important to our ability to
reach addicts. For our relationships with outside enterprises to remain strong,
we must maintain the boundaries established by Tradition Six. Our name, our
time, our people, and our money are all resources that we need to steward
wisely. These resources add to our efforts to carry the message. If we allow
them to be used for the purposes of another, we reduce our ability to reach
addicts who may need us.
In one area, PR work with the department of corrections was so effective
that NA became a standard part of corrections planning for drug offenders. A
member of the committee who was also a treatment professional was hired to
help implement new drug court programs. Although that member knew he
was working as an individual and not as a member or representative of NA, it
was hard for inmates and correctional officers to understand that—or believe
it. Many newcomers got the impression that NA was part of their probation.
When local government changed parties, that program ended—and with it,
any involvement of NA with the corrections system. The new officials
believed NA to be part of another political party, and out it went.
Challenges to our independence and identity tend to result from our best
intentions more than our worst. The desire to destroy or compromise NA is
something we see very rarely. Much more often, the NA name is
compromised from either expediency or doubt that NA can stand on its own
feet. We see the urgency, the desperation of addicts suffering, and standing
on principle seems like it’s getting in the way of helping addicts.
Compromising our values—believing that the ends will justify the means—
teaches us painfully that our message is only as strong as our belief in it.
Staying true to our message and our principles ensures our integrity and that
of our message.
A Vision for NA Service says that we aspire to a time when “every addict
in the world has the chance to experience our message in his or her own
language and culture and find the opportunity for a new way of life.” To fear
that addicts in some places cannot receive or carry our message—that their
culture or circumstances are too challenging for NA to offer what we have
been freely given—would be a lack of faith in the power and beautiful
simplicity of the NA program. We neither force our message nor hold it back,
but we do guard it as our most precious possession. Tradition Five reminds us
that our message “is all we have to give.” Humility is accepting ourselves
exactly as we are. In a spirit of humility, we carry the NA message exactly as
it stands, with no need for affiliation or endorsement, and allow NA to take
root and grow naturally.
WORKSHOP QUESTIONS
________________________________
1. How does our policy of nonaffiliation protect our reputation, and how
does that help us to carry the message? What is the difference between
reputation and prestige?
2. What is the reputation of NA in this community? How do we serve
that reputation, or compromise it? Have there been times when we’ve
been tempted to justify or rationalize affiliation or endorsement if it
seems to benefit NA in some way?
3. What responsibilities do we have for protecting the NA name? How do
our decisions about local events, NA merchandise, and NA literature
reflect this responsibility?
4. What other organizations do we come in contact with? What part can
these contacts play in helping us to carry our message? What is the
importance of building and maintaining effective relationships with
outside organizations?
5. What can we do to ensure harmony with outside organizations? What
is our responsibility in maintaining the integrity of that relationship?
6. Can we have a cooperative effort with other fellowships without
compromising our message or feeling obligated to those other
organizations? How can we cooperate without affiliation when we ask
nonmembers to become involved in an NA event?
7. How do we engage in cooperative relationships with others in ways
that do not constitute affiliation or endorsement? How do we practice
Tradition Six in our relationships with merchandise vendors, venues
for meetings or events, clubhouses or meeting halls, and so on?
8. Under what circumstances would it be acceptable for an outside
organization or facility to print the NA name on materials, such as
flyers or a website? When would it be inappropriate to do so? What
should we do if a facility uses our name in an inappropriate manner?
9. When internal controversy diverts us from our primary purpose, how
do we get back to unity? What principles help us continue to serve our
primary purpose, even when we disagree with each other?
10. How else might our service committees be diverted from supporting
the NA groups? How can we correct our course without losing unity or
momentum?
efforts?
services?
As members and as a Fellowship, we exist in the larger world.

Membership in NA is not an exclusive contract. Many of us are
involved in other organizations, seek help and spiritual guidance
elsewhere, or find tools we appreciate in places other than NA. The
importance of leaving those things at the door is not that they don’t
work or can’t work, but simply that they are not NA. As members,
we bring our experience, strength, and hope in recovery to the
rooms of NA, allowing our other involvements and affiliations to
remain anonymous. As groups and in service, our efforts to carry
the message often bring us into contact with others outside of NA.
Tradition Six guides us to take care that our relationships with
those we encounter are always grounded in cooperation, not
affiliation.
We seek to recover in an atmosphere of unity and anonymity, and
we want to extend that opportunity to others as well. As groups and
in service, we carry our message independent from the
organizations and institutions we work alongside. Keeping our
message clear ensures that each of us can recover—and that NA
can do what it does best—without being diverted.
The practice of self-support is vital to our freedom. Over
and over we describe addiction the same way: One is too
many, and a thousand never enough. That feeling of “never
enough” can stay with us long into recovery. It’s hard to
believe that our needs will be met, that we will be able to
take care of the things that are important to us, or that we
can ever feel content. Freedom from that desperation is part
of a restoration to sanity. When we see that we can meet
our own needs, we start to feel like we have a future.
Our self-supporting groups show us how to live. Each

group meets its responsibilities and makes decisions in
accordance with its resources and values. Money is part of
that picture, but that’s not our only resource. Self-support
demands action and unity. Each of us contributes time,
energy, creativity, experience, and love. When we commit
to self-support, we take responsibility for our well-being
and our future. We protect ourselves from outside
influence.
The Seventh Tradition is our statement of abundance and

sharing, fulfillment and support; our commitment to the
addict who still suffers and to ourselves. Belief in self-
support is a massive leap of faith. We commit to the idea
that we will be enough. Even if our resources don’t always
keep up with our aspirations, we can stay clean and carry
the message.
As long as we have each other and Narcotics

Anonymous, we have all that we need. Our
commitment to self-support doesn’t mean we go
it alone—it means we do it together.
Tradition Seven
From the first meetings we attend, many of us know this as “the money
Tradition,” setting the foundation for our financial practices. However,
Tradition Seven is about much more than money. Tradition Seven is a key to
our unity and independence. Self-support ensures that our message stays clear
and true, that we remain uncompromised and unaffiliated. The commitment
to self-support is a challenge, and we grow in the process of meeting it.
Self-support is closely linked to the idea of self-determination: We are
free to make our own decisions and set our own course. Our freedom is too
valuable to be measured in money. And yet, having enough money to cover
our expenses is part of how we maintain our freedom. If anyone outside NA
supported us, they would inevitably end up with influence or control.
This is our Fellowship. We support it, we are responsible for it and to it,
and we determine what Narcotics Anonymous stands for. As a Fellowship,
we pay our own way, write our own literature, carry our own message, and
work our own program. No one else has control or influence over our
message. It’s not stubbornness or pride that keeps this commitment strong;
it’s the knowledge—born of hard experience—that compromise on this
principle consistently ends in disaster. Our history is full of moments when
we confronted this choice; every time, our survival has depended on our
willingness to stand firm.
Our commitment to self-support sends a unique and compelling message
to the outside world as well. The fact that we are self-supporting changes the
nature of the conversation we have with the public. We are not seeking
donations or grants; we are not asking for anything but the chance to care and
share the NA way. We offer a message of hope with no strings either for the
addict who suffers or for the institutions with which we cooperate. In this
way, Tradition Seven is closely related to the guidance offered by Tradition
Six: Self-support is one of the many ways we avoid affiliation.
Through self-support, we demonstrate our commitment to each other. The
work that we are able to accomplish through our voluntary contributions is
remarkable. We have grown from a few groups to a worldwide Fellowship.
Narcotics Anonymous thrives in countries all around the world, and our
literature is available in many languages, because addicts have been willing
to give freely and serve selflessly. Addicts get clean, experience recovery,
and find a new way to live in Narcotics Anonymous in big cities, small
towns, and rural areas; in well-established NA communities and in fledgling
groups. When we step back and look at Narcotics Anonymous as a whole, the
view is breathtaking.
WORD BY WORD
Example: contribution
The roots of contribution mean, literally, to bring together. Each of us brings
something to NA, and together we do what we could not do alone. When we
make a contribution, whether to a conversation or to a basket, we are
participating in something—we are part of it. We may contribute to a
conversation by sharing our experience, or contribute to a service effort by
sharing our time and energy. Contrast this with donation, which comes from
the word meaning gift. We make donations to things we appreciate that are
outside of ourselves; we contribute to things that we are a part of. We may
donate to charity, but NA is not a charity. We contribute our time, energy,
creativity, thought—and, yes, our money—to ensure that our Fellowship
continues, that every addict has the opportunity to recover in NA, and that we
remain alive and free. Every act of service, no matter how small, is a
contribution demonstrating our commitment and our gratitude.
gratitude responsibility faith integrity anonymity freedom prudence si

Example: generosity
The practical direction offered by Tradition Seven—declining outside
contributions and supporting ourselves—asks us to put the spiritual principle
of generosity into action. We only keep what we have by giving it away, and
learning how to give responsibly and effectively may be part of our Twelfth
Step as much as our practice of Tradition Seven.
We hope that another addict will receive what was so freely given to us, and
we express that hope by giving generously of ourselves to help NA fulfill its
primary purpose. Practicing generosity takes discipline. It does not mean
giving beyond our means, or making promises we cannot keep. When we are
involved in service to our local NA community, we see the value of stable,
reliable contributions; we also learn that money is a very small part of what
we offer. Time is irreplaceable, and may be the most precious gift we can
give. Our time, our experience, our creativity, our hope, our money in the
basket, and our attention in the meeting are all expressions of generosity and
parts of our contribution to NA.
For Members
Even for those of us who don’t see much of a link between the Traditions and
our personal lives, Tradition Seven seems to have particular significance.
Practicing self-support is a big change for most of us. Addicts and
responsibility are a difficult combination. We tend to struggle with greed,
jealousy, responsibility, and possessiveness. Often, we believe we have
“money issues” when we are actually struggling with control, suspicion,
insecurity, and fear. Tradition Seven offers us a road to freedom from those
shortcomings as we learn to be accountable for ourselves.
Addiction is a greedy disease. It takes everything from us, and in turn we
take from the people around us. We can see a clear connection between Step
Nine and Tradition Seven when we recognize that being self-supporting is a
form of amends to society and to the people who care about us. Each time an
NA group or committee declines an outside contribution, it demonstrates that
it is taking responsibility for itself. Our experience as individual members is
not that different: As we clean up our wreckage and take responsibility for
ourselves, we demonstrate our recovery to those who may have had quite
enough of our hollow apologies. Making amends, taking on the project of
self-support, and learning to live within our means are part of the process of
being restored to dignity. Together, Tradition Seven and Step Nine offer
restitution, restoration, and resolution.
The practice of humility helps us be honest about our circumstances. We
learn to live and give within the limits of our lives. Discipline is not a practice
that comes naturally to most addicts, and the need to say “no” to ourselves
can be quite a challenge. “I wanted to buy dinner for my sponsor,” an addict
shared. “She wouldn’t let me because she knew I couldn’t afford it. It was
humbling, but it helped me realize I don’t have to pretend to be where I’m
not.”
We all go through times when we need help of one kind or another.
Asking for help may be as principled and as difficult as anything we ever do.
Practicing Tradition Seven in our personal lives doesn’t mean that we never
need assistance, but that we are honest with ourselves about the help we need
and its price—financially and spiritually. When we care for ourselves to the
best of our ability, we grow in self-respect, and our relationships with others
begin to change as well.
Living in accordance with Tradition Seven does not mean that we become
fiercely independent or isolated in our autonomy. The principles of this
Tradition guide us to take responsibility for ourselves and our decisions. We
think about our choices and their consequences, and come to understand the
relationship between the choices we make and the things that happen to us. In
our reading “Why Are We Here,” we say, “Through our inability to take
personal responsibility, we were actually creating our own problems.” Many
years into recovery we may see this pattern repeat. The solution is described
by the problem—taking personal responsibility frees us from our self-made
prisons, and opens us to alternatives and choices we may never have
imagined.
Being honest with ourselves about our financial reality is part of
practicing this Tradition. We may ask ourselves what is appropriate for us to
contribute to NA. Considering this question in the larger context of our lives
helps us make a more responsible decision than when we dig in our pocket
for change at any given meeting. One member shared, “When I was new, I
panhandled so I’d have something to put in the basket. Another addict found
out, and told me to come to the meeting early and help set up chairs instead.
He said they needed me at the meeting more than the money.” Our money in
the basket is no more or less important than our attention to the speaker or
our hand on the broom. It takes both money and time to do what we do, and
contributing what we can when we can makes that possible.
As a member of an NA group, we take part in developing a conscience
about how the group will meet its responsibilities and participate in the life of
the larger Fellowship. We are called upon to think about the resources and
values of the group and NA in our community in relationship to our primary
purpose, and to consider our personal relationship to NA as a whole. As we
get involved in our home group and start to understand more about Narcotics
Anonymous, we turn our attention to the basket—sometimes with great
suspicion. Curiosity about where our money goes and how it is spent drives
many of us to learn about NA service and how it works. When trusted
servants meet that suspicion with empathy and openness, it defuses our fear.
We keep the focus on the primary purpose not only when we are making
decisions about our resources, but also when we explain how NA works.
Honest and open communication allows each of us to feel safe and included.
We are called to consider this Tradition at every meeting when the basket
is passed. The reminder that we are fully self-supporting is also a
commitment to the newcomer. We ensure that NA will remain nonaffiliated,
and that a desire to stop using will always be the only requirement for
membership. We commit to making sure NA will be here when an addict
reaches out for help. We may express that commitment in many ways;
ultimately, it is how our gratitude speaks.

________________________________
NA members.
IN NA
1. How do I contribute to the well-being of the groups I attend? How else
do I contribute to NA? How has this changed since I first came to NA?
2. Do I do my part to help NA remain self-supporting? What is the
relationship between my gratitude and my contributions? What are
some additional ways I could express my gratitude?
3. How do I decide how much money to contribute to NA? Do I plan
ahead, budget, or give the same amount every time? Do I contribute at
every meeting? Do I give in other ways?
4. How do my contributions compare to what I gave in my first year? Do
I give more or less than I did when I attended more meetings? Do I
give as much as the newcomers around me?
5. How do I know when I’m giving too much or too little? What’s the
right level of contribution of time and money for me right now?
6. What expectations do I have about how the money I put in the basket
is spent? How do I find out about or have a say in those decisions?
7. What do I do when I am concerned about financial practices in NA?
Do I ever act as if the amount of my contributions affects the
importance of what I have to say?
9. Describe some of the bridges between this Tradition and one or more
of the Twelve Steps. What do these bridges teach me about my
recovery?
IN ALL OUR AFFAIRS

12. What has being a member of a self-supporting group taught me about
self-support in other areas of my life? What does Tradition Seven teach
me about living in society?
13. What does it mean for me to be self-supporting? What are some
aspects of self-support beyond money? What are some spiritual or
emotional benefits of self-support?
14. What does it mean to be self-supporting in my relationships or in other
areas of my life?
15. How do I balance self-support with the need to sometimes accept help
from others? What is the difference between self-support and self-
reliance?
16. How does my application of Tradition Seven affect the way I live
today?
For Groups
Protecting the integrity of the group is vital to maintaining the well-being of
NA as a whole. As The Group Booklet points out, NA groups are the
foundation of the NA service structure. Tradition Seven offers two
instructions to the group, one conditional and one definite. The first, each
group “ought to be self-supporting,” is conditional. Groups are not always
completely self-supporting; but if a group is not, any help it gets comes from
within NA. For example, sometimes an NA community helps a group get
started or continue to serve a clear need. The rest of the Tradition, “declining
outside contributions,” is absolute. We can never afford the cost of outside
help, even when we cannot see how to manage on our own. The humility this
Tradition asks for will help us keep our primary purpose in view with every
decision we make.
We may all agree on the principle of self-support and still have very
different understandings of what that actually means for our group. Each
group is autonomous, and group practices vary widely. Groups do not tell
each other whether or not to have refreshments, celebrations, or medallions;
each group has choices about how to participate in the fund flow and how
involved to be in the life of NA beyond its own doors. Still, we want to make
informed decisions about our participation, keeping our primary purpose in
mind. The links between Traditions Five, Six, and Seven are powerful. Each
group determines its own values and circumstances, as well as its relationship
to NA as a whole. Each time we make a decision about how to use our
resources, we can put our priorities in order by asking, “How does this further
our primary purpose?”
Groups don’t just hold meetings. Some groups celebrate their
anniversaries, sponsor marathon meetings or speaker jams, or hold picnics or
holiday parties. Some groups also further the NA message by providing
literature, offering support to existing events hosted by local service bodies,
and participating in the fund flow by contributing to other levels of service.
Groups benefit from thoughtful discussion about how an event or celebration
supports NA unity and our primary purpose. Keeping in mind that NA funds
and the time and energy of our trusted servants are limited resources, groups
are responsible to think carefully about how these resources are used. Our
Eleventh Concept reminds us that “NA funds are to be used to further our
primary purpose, and must be managed responsibly.”
Our commitment to self-support is an act of faith. That faith sustains us
even when we fall on hard times, or when something unfortunate happens.
Money is stolen; we lose meeting space or prices go up; we count on an event
as a fundraiser and it flops. Where Tradition Seven calls on us to find ways to
support ourselves, Tradition Two reminds us we can take the long view.
Hardship can bring us together in unity, and prosperity can separate us if we
are not careful. When we are willing to learn from our experience, a setback
may be a call to action, not a link in an unbreakable chain. When we
remember that there is but one ultimate authority, we can let go of the need to
control or blame and remember that service is always a spiritual exercise. We
trust each other, our Higher Power, and the conscience of our group.
No matter what happens, we want every addict to feel safe in NA. We
trust our trusted servants, and we honor that trust by providing them with the
tools and safeguards they need to be successful, including mentoring and
support, service manuals, and local guidelines. We protect our trusted
servants when we prevent large sums of money from being the responsibility
of any one person. Participating in the fund flow rather than hoarding or
holding large sums in the group treasury allows us to participate in the life of
the Fellowship. This practice also reduces the risk or temptation that can
come with large sums on hand. The Treasurer’s Handbook can help the
group keep good records and avoid unnecessary confusion.
Paying for meeting space is one way we demonstrate self-support. When
facilities will not accept money, we find other ways to give back. We may
ask the facility what we can do to carry our weight: We may help with
cleaning or maintenance, or donate literature. However we give back, it’s
important that we do so consistently, and with a grateful heart. Every
interaction with a facility is public relations; we set the tone for how we are
seen in our community. In one town, the first NA meetings were known for
loudness and bad behavior. It soon became difficult for new groups to find
anywhere to meet. Taking responsibility for our group’s relationship with the
community around it is both an expression of self-support for our own group
and a reflection on NA as a whole.
When a group is able to meet its own needs, contribute to the services
beyond its doors, and plan responsibly, it shows in the atmosphere of the
meeting. Good financial practices generate goodwill, even when need is
great. When our actions are honest, open, transparent, and simple, they are
trustworthy. Our commitment to self-support ensures that our groups walk
our talk, and stand or fall on the power of the NA message—honest, simple,
and true.

____________________________
Choose questions from the list below—or create/adapt your own—to focus
on as part of a group discussion or group inventory.
1. What are some ways to practice self-support besides money? How else
do members contribute to this group? What does our group contribute
to our local services?
2. Has our group ever needed to decline contributions from
nonmembers? How did or would we go about doing so in a polite and
respectful manner?
3. How does this group make decisions about how to spend our money?
What do we need to fulfill our primary purpose? How do we tell the
difference between wants and needs? Are we spending responsibly?
4. Does our group make contributions to other levels of service in order
to help carry the message? What responsibility do we have for
supporting the growth of NA in our community and beyond?
5. Are there things our group spends money on that aren’t directly related
to our primary purpose? Do we make a distinction between funds
collected to carry out our primary purpose and other group expenses?
6. Does our group keep financial records? Have we noticed changes in
our financial life recently? Over time? What decisions or discussions
does this information prompt for us?
7. Does our group live within its means? How does our group make do
when resources are scarce? Is it okay to pass the basket a second time?
8. What planning and resources were needed to get this group started?
Where should help come from when starting a new meeting?
9. Does this group need a reserve of funds? Why or why not? What
would be a reasonable prudent reserve? What other financial
safeguards can we put in place to protect both our resources and our
trusted servants?
10. Do we think we are entitled to a greater say in service decisions if we
contribute more time, energy, or money? Do we allow any members of
our group to give more than their fair share? What is a fair share?
11. Does our group depend on the contributions or literature purchases of
newcomers to meet its budget? How can group members help to ensure
that the weight of self-support doesn’t fall on the newest members?
primary purpose?
In Service
Service bodies, like our groups, decline contributions from outside NA. Our
service bodies, however, are not autonomous, and do not support themselves.
Members and groups provide the direction and support necessary for our
services to continue, and our service bodies operate within the means
provided. Most of the time, in most of the Fellowship, our services operate on
tight budgets. Strong faith and hard work created our Fellowship, and the
same spirit of selflessness, resourcefulness, and joy in service sustains us
today.
When we are excited about carrying the NA message through service, we
can see how much there is to be done. Our enthusiasm brings NA to life, but
it can also run away with us. When we commit to more than we can handle,
we start feeling that old desperation creeping in. It takes time to build
services that we can sustain and that will sustain us. It’s our responsibility to
keep an eye on whether our efforts in service are building up or burning out.
The investment of time and energy that is called for in building solid, reliable
services pays off in solid, reliable NA communities.
Self-support means we support the services that support us by providing
the necessary time, money, training, and compassion. Our informational
pamphlets Money Matters and Funding NA Services each offer thoughts and
guidance about adequately supporting our services. We give not just to take
care of ourselves, but to make our message available to addicts near and far.
The money we give is not just for our group or for NA locally; the funds
passed on to other levels of service help NA as a global Fellowship to fulfill
our Vision for NA Service.
When we ask our service bodies to do something, we need to give them
the resources to carry out our instructions—which means we will support
them with our time, money, and enthusiasm. In addition to making sure we
provide adequate support, we need to think about sustainability each time we
ask our service bodies to take on a new commitment: Will our community be
willing to support this over time? We discuss whether the level of
commitment required is realistic for us, as well as other obligations that
already exist. Trust in the process and in our Higher Power helps us sort out
what we want, what we need, and what we can afford.
Our message is free, but carrying it is not. Money is a necessity to keep
many of our services operating, and the money that comes in through the
basket is not always sufficient to cover those costs. Much of what we
accomplish in service is funded by income from events, merchandise,
literature sales, and so on. This has been the subject of debate and contention
at times, but the fact remains: The portion of our income that comes directly
from member contributions does not pay for all that we do in NA service.
Our practice of this Tradition is not served by lecturing one another about our
inadequate contributions. As a Fellowship, we are often more willing to
participate in fundraisers than to contribute directly. The responsibility rests
with each of us to determine what balance of fund flow we consider
acceptable, and to work toward that balance by stepping up in whatever way
seems right to us. However, we do want to make sure that our efforts do not
lead us to actively solicit money from those who are not members. For
example, we may sell refreshments at an NA event, but we don’t have a bake
sale at a shopping center.
If our events begin to take on a greater sense of importance than
supporting our groups or reaching addicts in our community, we might want
to look at our priorities. We want to ask ourselves whether money is diverting
us, whether it’s contributing to our unity or our division, and whether we are
losing our sense of purpose. Goodwill and enthusiasm are attractive, and
when we can see our contributions in action, we want to give.
When fundraising starts to seem like the most important thing we’re
doing, our priorities are out of proportion. It can be very easy for a service
body that is funding itself, or that is financially dependent on events and
conventions, to lose touch with its accountability to the groups. Our Concepts
remind us that our service boards and committees are always answerable to
the groups we serve, and our Second Tradition reminds us that a Higher
Power is ultimately in charge. Every NA service body can benefit from
periodically checking to see that its priorities are properly aligned with the
primary purpose, and a simple way to do so is to look at where our human
and financial resources are allocated. Events or activities may be easier to
find trusted servants for than public relations or H&I panels. By practicing
the faith that is necessary in order to be self-supporting, we do a much better
job of allowing a loving Higher Power to care for us.
As we read this, addicts are finding hope and freedom in jails and
institutions all over the world. Isolated addicts are connecting with other NA
members online, through the mail, and at conventions and service workshops.
They are bringing NA home to places it didn’t exist before. Somewhere in
the world, right now, addicts are gathered in a meeting of Narcotics
Anonymous. All of this happens through the energy, love, hard work,
commitment, and generosity of addicts who have come together in
desperation and found a new way to live.
WORKSHOP QUESTIONS
___________________________________
1. What does self-support mean for service bodies? What are the limits of
self-support for service boards and committees?
2. Do our committees have the people, training, money, or other support
that they need to carry out their work? How do we support those who
serve us?
3. To what extent does this service body rely on funds other than group
contributions to pay for our services? Have we experienced challenges
related to fundraising? What potential challenges might we guard
against?
4. What are our practices regarding activities or events that bring in
money? What policies, guidelines, or general “do’s” and “don’ts” do
we follow?
5. Are our service priorities reflected in how we use our resources? How
does our service body set priorities? Who do we involve in those
conversations?
6. Do we communicate with those we serve in ways that are
understandable and open? Are our accounting and accountability
practices simple and transparent?
7. How do we set and evaluate our prudent reserve? Have we ever made
use of it? What purpose does it serve in this service body? What is the
difference between prudence and hoarding?
8. Do we have ways to prevent and/or address theft, misappropriation,
and financial mismanagement? How do we protect our members and
our resources at the same time? Does stealing disqualify someone from
membership?
9. How do we determine whether it’s appropriate for us to accept
nonprofit discounts, room-block rebates, bulk-order discounts, or other
incentive programs?
efforts?
services?
Our tradition of self-support keeps us alive and free. We can be

creative in the ways that we gather resources and careful in how we
use them. We must be very cautious in our relationships with those
outside the Fellowship, continually checking our practices and
motives to ensure that we are not accepting gifts or support that
might compromise our integrity. Tradition Seven invites us to learn
more about integrity and what it means to stick to principle without
being rigid or ungrateful. When we practice Tradition Seven, we
don’t just turn away the donations of others; we demand of
ourselves that we step up and meet our responsibilities.
We learn that we can care for ourselves and meet our needs. We
can thrive and grow as a Fellowship even when resources are really
thin. Generosity is an antidote to fear, and when we give freely, our
hearts are filled. The value of this Tradition may be hard to see
when we are deciding not to ask for help from those outside NA
who would gladly offer support, but Tradition Seven in our Basic
Text reminds us that “Everything has its price.” Practicing self-
support allows us richness beyond measure. When we support
ourselves responsibly—as individuals, as groups, and as a
Fellowship—we are rewarded in confidence, dignity, and freedom.
We are responsible members of society today, and the reward for
that is hope for the future.
Narcotics Anonymous is a Fellowship of people for whom
drugs had become a major problem. We are recovering
addicts who meet regularly to stay clean. How often have
we heard these words, or something like them? At every
meeting we are reminded that we come together to share
our experience, strength, and hope. We don’t need anything
more than that to help each other.
Addiction is a deadly disease. We don’t always see our

struggle clearly when we are in it, but when we are clean
and watch another addict in the grips, it’s heartbreaking.
We want so badly for them to get clean, but we may not
feel qualified to help. In Narcotics Anonymous, we believe
that no one is better qualified to help an addict than another
addict in recovery. We share with each other our experience
in addiction and the steps we took—and continue to take—
to experience freedom.
Each of us has something to offer. We don’t need

specialized training to carry the message; all we need to do
is pay attention. We give what was so freely given to us.
When we share what is in our heart, even when we are in
great pain, we connect. The simple, priceless gift we give
each other is the recognition of our humanity.
We can’t buy our way out of addiction, and we can’t sell it

either. Recovery is a gift, given freely, passed from hand to
hand and heart to heart. Sharing our recovery restores our
faith and gratitude. Seeing that we are not alone frees us
from the isolation and alienation of addiction.
Narcotics Anonymous remains forever
nonprofessional because what we give is
beyond words, beyond measure. The very best
we can give is ourselves—we give freely, and
what we give is hope.
Tradition Eight
At a casual glance, Tradition Eight might not seem like one of our more
“spiritual” Traditions, but in fact it reaches to the core of our spiritual
program. By committing to being nonprofessional, we ensure that our simple
way will be an enduring legacy—freely given among equals, our program is
safe from the whims and fancies of the public. We are also free from any
implied authority or expertise of our members. When we “come to an
understanding of the program” for ourselves, we become skilled at sharing
our own recovery. No one certifies us as NA members, and no one can fire
us. Our membership, our recovery, and our experience are ours alone.
Many of our members are professionals in their own right, including
some who work with addicts, but we do not hire people to carry our message.
Reaching out from addict to addict is an application of anonymity: We leave
our professional identities at the door. In meetings, we are present to one
another as equals, as addicts seeking recovery and carrying a message of
hope, regardless of our titles or our relationships outside. Our trusted servants
are not counselors or supervisors; our meetings are not classes or therapy
groups. We come together to share our experience, and in Narcotics
Anonymous we are all experts on our own stories. We may bring skills or
experience with us, but we don’t bring status. Our relationship to recovery
and to service is simple; in NA, we are addicts who have found a way out,
and that is what we share.
Nonprofessional is not the same as unprofessional. The term
nonprofessional, for us, is a reminder that we freely carry the message to one
another in an atmosphere of equality. The term unprofessional, on the other
hand, means “below standard”—and that most certainly does not describe our
service efforts. There is no room for professionalism in how we share the
message with one another, but the same is not always true for how we carry
out our services. We are reliable and responsible; we plan and execute our
efforts in service to our goal of carrying the message; we keep records, honor
contracts, pay fairly, and act according to the rules of the venues in which we
meet. We understand that part of carrying an attractive message is ensuring
that our behavior is appropriate. When we engage in public relations, our
appearance is appropriate to our audience.
Tradition Eight’s insistence that we remain a nonprofessional Fellowship
allows each of us to recover and share as equals. No matter what direction
life takes us in, we can continue to live and recover together in NA.
Anonymity means that no matter who we are outside, how long we have been
clean, or what we have done in NA service, we’re just another member
staying clean another day. Each of us has a message to carry, and we all need
each other. Our beliefs about who or what we are, or how we think we are
perceived, matter very little.
In some cases it’s difficult or impossible to accomplish service tasks
solely with members serving on a voluntary basis. Phoneline service is a
common example: We want to ensure that addicts seeking help have a chance
to talk to NA members, but many communities contract with an outside
company to ensure that calls are always answered and properly forwarded.
Our internet presence, as well, may need development or maintenance
beyond our local abilities. We contract for those services we need to ensure
that addicts seeking help can reach us.
We begin with a vision, and that vision becomes a reality. In the
transition, maintaining spiritual obligations while meeting legal and
administrative commitments may be deeply challenging. There are times
when we need expert assistance, and situations where we need consistency,
continuity, and accountability that would be impractical or unrealistic to ask
of members on a voluntary basis. Tradition Seven reminds us that we cannot
allow any member to give more than their fair share, but it may take thought
and prayer to determine what that is. Asking members to bring an aspect of
their professional identities into NA service can complicate the relationship
between that member and NA, not just in obvious ways but also in ways we
may not expect. As we look at that balance, we may realize that we need to
hire someone—whether for a short time, as when we engage a lawyer to help
us with legal issues, or over the long term, as when we employ someone to
staff a local service office. The job of carrying our message is forever
nonprofessional. Our trusted servants, special workers, and those we hire for
specific tasks all perform duties that ultimately support our vision, serve our
primary purpose, and help NA grow.
WORD BY WORD
Example: forever
It’s unusual for a “just for today” program to use the word forever. Forever
means without interruption, going forward into the future without end. It
means we do something continually.
To say that we remain “forever nonprofessional” is a commitment. We are
not mostly nonprofessional, or nonprofessional as it serves us. No matter
what, in all cases, Narcotics Anonymous works the same way: one addict
freely helping another. Our message is hope and the promise of freedom from
active addiction. We believe that any addict can stop using drugs, lose the
desire to use, and find a new way to live. As members of a nonprofessional
program, we are the ones who carry our message, reach out to the suffering
addict, and take care of our meetings and our services. We can see a clear
relationship between this Tradition and Tradition Seven. Carrying our
message freely, in a spirit of anonymity and equality, frees us from the
obligations and controversies so common outside our doors.
humility prudence anonymity integrity surrender flexibility autonomy

acceptance stability consistency accountability
Example: humility
Humility is an honest assessment of the truth about ourselves, including our
abilities and limitations. It can be hard for us to let go of the idea that we
should be able to handle all of the challenges we face on our own. The fact
that we can’t do it ourselves all the time, that we sometimes need a little help
from outside, may be humbling. We struggle with this surrender when we are
new in NA, and whenever we return to the first few Steps. In service, we can
become overloaded, burned out, and angry at other members who aren’t
doing what we think they should be doing. It is an act of humility and self-
acceptance to admit when it makes sense to pay someone to carry out certain
tasks for us.
We do what we can, and then step back. We don’t hire professionals to
facilitate or chair our recovery meetings or to do our Twelfth Step work for
us, but there are some tasks that are either so specialized or so time-intensive
that hiring someone makes sense. Balancing willingness and humility means
that we are able to step up to the work we are able to do, and also admit that
sometimes we need help.
For Members
Opportunities to practice Tradition Eight in our personal recovery aren’t
obvious to many of us at first. NA remains forever nonprofessional, but many
of our members are professionals in their own right; practicing this Tradition
does not mean that we turn away from our careers or pretend not to be who
we are. Still, no matter what professional skills or knowledge we have—
including about addiction, recovery, or spirituality—it’s our direct personal
experience that is valuable in Narcotics Anonymous. We freely share NA
recovery with each other. Being ourselves and sharing our experience gives
hope to the still-suffering addict. All of our service efforts come back to our
primary purpose, creating opportunities for addicts to freely help one another.
Each of us shares our experience, strength, and hope in our own way.
Tradition Eight builds on the guidance of Tradition Seven. Although we
support ourselves through our own contributions, there are times when we
need assistance. Asking for help is an act of humility, whatever the
circumstance. There are many things we can do ourselves, but we all need
help from time to time. Gaining clarity about our needs and capabilities frees
us from dependency on one end of the spectrum and the illusion of self-
sufficiency on the other. We work best when we remember to act in a spirit
of humility, unity, and anonymity. Leadership skills in NA include holding
our tongue, knowing our limits, and asking for help when we need to.
Service offers growth. We come into NA broken, and we learn how to
live. Much of that learning happens in service; in fact, we expect one another
to learn, grow, and develop new skills in service. Sponsorship, mentorship,
learning days, and guidelines all help us learn to do the tasks set before us as
we further our message. We know that this is an ongoing process, and
demanding perfection can keep us from moving ahead at all. Our knowledge
grows as we visit various types of service meetings. We learn to listen and
find new interests. We may move from one kind of service to another; after a
long time in public relations service, for example, we might focus our energy
on group-level service for a while, or join an activities committee. It can be
good for us and good for the local NA community when we try new roles, or
when a new member dives into service.
We are nonprofessional, but we have high expectations for our trusted
servants. Rising to meet those expectations is part of how we learn in service.
The term service suggests that we are providing a service to NA, but the work
we do for NA also serves us, allowing us to learn and grow with the
experience. Many of us learn to keep financial records as a part of taking on a
treasurer’s commitment, or learn to facilitate a business meeting by chairing a
service body. As trusted servants, we meet the challenges before us best
when we are given the room to shine. When we try to control people or
outcomes, we are diverted from our purpose. Nonprofessional does not mean
that we are noncommittal, but it does mean that service is not a career for us.
Ensuring that we remain a volunteer enterprise keeps us focused on our
purpose rather than our personal ambition. Our recovery depends on
Narcotics Anonymous.
Sponsorship is a nonprofessional relationship, passing on what was given
to us. It may be intimate or rigid; for most of us, it’s somewhere in between.
But sponsors are not therapists, counselors, or parole officers. If we forget
that sponsorship is not a professional relationship, we risk acting as if
sponsors have authority, rather than experience to share. Or, we may risk
treating our sponsor as an employee, to be “fired” or reprimanded when they
don’t meet our expectations.
Our professional identity and our life in NA may have nothing at all to do
with each other. Or we may be very good at recognizing and maintaining
boundaries between one and the other. But sometimes it is not so clear. For
example, when a member who is a lawyer is asked to weigh in on a legal
issue, or a member who is a chef is asked to cook for an event, both the
member and the committee benefit from considering what boundaries are
necessary and appropriate.
For members in some professions, there might be formal or informal
restrictions that seem to conflict with our recovery. A member shared, “I was
working nights in a detox, and I really connected with this patient. I wanted
to reach out to her when she was released, but the facility stipulated no
contact between clients and employees for two years after release. It was hard
to make peace between my job and my Twelfth Step. I was able to help her
reach out to some women in the rooms who could help her.” Another
member explained, “Living and working in a small town, it was hard to go to
meetings that were full of my clients. I drove to another town for meetings,
even though it was far, so I could share freely.”
When we do have specialized skills or knowledge, we may be asked by
other members for advice, or we may do business with people we meet in the
rooms. Some of us may be comfortable with this; for others, being addressed
on the basis of our profession feels uncomfortable or unsafe. When business
relationships sour, it can be hard to keep coming back to the same meetings
or to allow others space to recover, without trying to build a case or defend
ourselves. We all deserve the right to recover in dignity, and keeping our
work separate from our lives in NA may be an important part of preserving
that right for ourselves.
Many of us have training or specialization in a particular field; some of us
are degreed and certified, and some of us work in addiction treatment in one
way or another. We may be very proud of these accomplishments, and it can
be difficult to separate recovery from our professional lives or education.
Still, we are asked to leave our credentials at the door. In Narcotics
Anonymous, we are all addicts seeking recovery. Tradition Eight does not
mean we can never speak of what we do outside of NA. We do, however,
have a responsibility to think about what we share and the message we carry.
Navigating our professional identity in an anonymous Fellowship can be
challenging. As members, we are here to share in the NA message, not to
diagnose, advise, or consult.

________________________________
NA members.
IN NA
1. What is the difference between a professional and nonprofessional
approach to recovery? How does our commitment to remaining
nonprofessional protect the therapeutic value we find in NA?
2. How did I first experience the nonprofessional nature of Narcotics
Anonymous? How do I practice it?
3. Do I have personal interaction with special workers? What has that
taught me about NA?
4. Do I treat my service work as a career? Do I ever act as if my service
in NA affects my value as a member?
5. What are the healthy boundaries between my work life and my
membership in NA? How do I keep the focus on recovery rather than
my job?
6. Does my work or other expertise come into the rooms in some way?
Do I try to gain authority, power, or position in NA based on my
profession or other expertise?
IN ALL OUR AFFAIRS

11. Are there other areas in my life where my work life needs to be
separated from my other interests? How do I practice that?
12. When do I need to call on professionals to help me in my life or work?
How do I make the decision to hire someone to perform a task or solve
a problem?
13. Do I try to do things myself that I really should turn over to a
professional? Do I want other people to do things for me that I could or
should do myself? What factors do I consider when making a decision?
14. Do I try to gain authority, power, or position in my professional life
based on my membership in NA?
For Groups
Tradition Eight offers further understanding of how we create an atmosphere
of recovery. The NA group is the first experience most of us have with the
principle of anonymity in action, and our atmosphere of recovery depends on
that anonymity. Our commitment ensures that we come to each other as
equals, that we treat each other as peers, and that we don’t mistake one or
more members as authorities on NA recovery. Being nonprofessional is one
of the keys to freedom in Narcotics Anonymous. Because we are not engaged
with the work of professionals, we are free from the pressure to perform by
the guidelines and standards they use, and we are free from the theories and
clinical models that shape or determine their work with addicts. The NA
message is a key to freedom, and we carry it just by telling the truth about our
own lives.
Our groups don’t hire professionals to moderate, facilitate, supervise, or
lecture in our recovery meetings. We don’t pay people to carry our message
for us. The message is ours alone to carry; what we share freely with one
another is priceless. There is no certification we could offer, no credential we
could seek, that would make one addict better suited to reach another.
Everything we do is summarized in the vision of the addict with two days
telling the addict with one day that it works. The experience we share, the
Steps we work, the late-night calls—all serve to remind us that one addict
helping another is without parallel.
Part of creating an atmosphere of anonymity in our meetings involves
creating meeting formats that help demonstrate our equality. Many groups
structure their meetings in ways that discourage cross talk or other scenarios
that could easily lead us to give advice rather than share our experience. Even
when groups have a speaker or two share for the entire allotted meeting time,
it’s clear that these members are not authorities on NA, but simply members
sharing their own recovery. Some groups experience situations in which one
or two charismatic or influential members may begin to seem like authority
figures, even without intending to do so themselves. “There was a couple
who pretty much ran the meeting when I first started attending,” one member
shared. “The way everyone seemed to go to them for answers, it took me a
while to realize they weren’t the NA counselors.” When groups find ways to
encourage equal participation, we avoid giving newcomers the wrong
impression.
Experienced group members aren’t the only ones who may be mistaken
for authority figures. When members who are professionals are allowed to
leave those identities at the door, they have the chance both to freely share
recovery—not expertise—and to hear lifesaving wisdom from people they
might not listen to in their ordinary lives. When members who are not
professionals see that qualifications in the outside world don’t matter in NA,
it sends the message that NA is a place where wisdom, experience, empathy,
and humanity are valued more than anything else.
Our nonprofessional status frees us in many ways. We learn to show up,
keep our commitments, and solve our differences. We learn how to learn. We
don’t need to worry whether we’re good enough—we simply share our
experience. NA can do what it does best and each of us can do what needs to
be done. If we are honest, open-minded, and willing to ask for help, we can
rise to any challenge. Like so many things in recovery, what matters is that
we show up and do the work, to the best of our ability. The rest has a way of
working itself out.
It’s a funny thing to say, but in this anonymous Fellowship, all we have is
our name. We come in without titles or associations, and come to know each
other through our words and actions. Everything else that seems to matter
outside of Narcotics Anonymous doesn’t matter inside. Not only are we equal
in membership “regardless of age, race, sexual identity, creed, religion, or
lack of religion,” but also regardless of social class, education, career, or
credentials. Our bond as fellows begins and ends at one thing: We are addicts
with a desire to stop using. We come to NA, and we bring our suffering with
us. None of us arrives to NA at our best, but each of us finds that we have
more to offer the world than we had ever imagined.

____________________________
1. What do we mean by nonprofessional? How does this matter to our
group?
2. Do people at our meeting give advice or feedback in response to what
other addicts share, or do members focus on sharing their own
experience?
3. If we sign court cards or otherwise verify attendance, how do we do so
in a way that allows us to remain nonprofessional and nonaffiliated?
4. What are some strategies we can use to ensure that addicts feel safe
sharing and a clear message is carried? How does our nonprofessional
approach meet common challenges like a strong treatment presence, a
lot of newcomers, or professionals attending with their clients?
5. How does our group respond when professionals, students, or others
come to observe our meeting?
primary purpose?
In Service
Our nonprofessional approach to recovery is practiced in every NA
community in the world. Service centers and special workers, on the other
hand, are found in relatively few places in our Fellowship. When we hire or
contract with someone for any task in NA, we understand that this is
exceptional for us. We seek to define as clearly as we can what we are hiring
them for, and what are the limits of that job. Special workers answer to NA
service bodies, and they work within the guidance of our Traditions to carry
out their tasks.
When we think of special workers, we may focus on the full-time staff at
NA World Services, or we may consider the desk clerk, shipper, or office
manager at the nearest NA service center. These are special workers—but
what about the vendors at our conventions? What about the answering service
we engage with to route our helpline calls? Many of the people we employ—
or pay to do work for us in some way—are not employees and may not fit
neatly under the label “special workers.” Still, the guidance in Tradition Eight
can be applied for those situations as well. We do not ask the vendors with
whom we work to apply our Traditions, but we apply them ourselves as we
consider the question, shape the relationship, and create a contract in which
we can practice our principles when we engage in the commercial world.
Hiring a special worker is not necessarily a “forever” commitment. We may
hire a special worker to help us straighten out our financial records and then
find that we can do the day-to-day bookkeeping on our own. Our needs,
resources, and abilities fluctuate over time, and we adapt accordingly.
Our trusted servants are vital parts of our services at every level. Someone
has to do the work of NA. Member volunteers and trusted servants, with the
help of special workers, come together to serve NA. There are many different
roles in service, and they ought never represent or create classes of
membership. If we practice service as a part of our recovery, it is likely that
we will serve in many different roles over time. Some of us never hold a
service position at all—and again, our membership never depends on our
involvement or lack of involvement.
Our trusted servants are responsible, and we often hold them to high
standards for performance. Still, we do not treat our trusted servants as
employees. Although service matters to the trusted servant and to the body,
we still know that people have other priorities and that life sometimes
intervenes. Our trusted servants tend to have jobs, families, or other parts of
their lives outside NA that are important to them, just as their service to NA
is. We often serve in our spare time, even when what we do in service feels
like one of the most important things in our lives. Setting priorities among
our many obligations is one of the most valuable, and difficult, things we do
in service.
Stories of early members who made great personal sacrifices on behalf of
NA are inspiring. Recovering addicts, inspired by the possibility of what NA
could be, gave of themselves completely and made sacrifices that were truly
heroic. That spirit is a part of who we are and how we came to be. There are
still times and places where members give of themselves beyond reason or
expectation. To expect or demand that level of commitment from all trusted
servants would dishonor those who gave so much to build a foundation. That
foundation allows us to recover in society, to build healthy lives and healthy
NA communities. We respect our trusted servants, and understand that
service is one part of our lives—and often not our only priority. Tradition
Eight makes it possible to enlist the help of people beyond our volunteer
trusted servants in order to get some of our work done. Special workers have
a different type of responsibility and are held accountable in much more
specific ways for their performance. Unlike trusted servants, whose
obligations to NA are primarily spiritual in nature, special workers are
obligated contractually. The formality of employment and compensation adds
a measure of accountability to the work that is not always possible with
trusted servants.
We don’t hire professionals to do service for us, but rather to support our
service efforts. For example, we may hire someone to record the meetings at
our convention, print the T-shirts we sell, or audit our financial records to
ensure that our accounting is adequate and accurate. Each time we make a
decision to engage a paid worker, we do it with a clear understanding of the
accountability, a fair rate of pay, the task at hand, and the limits of the job.
There is a distinction between employing a special worker and
reimbursing trusted servants for service-related expenses. Reimbursement
makes it possible for many of us to serve when travel or other expenses might
limit service to those who could afford it. Payment to a special worker, on the
other hand, is a fair rate for a specific job. We pay special workers for their
time and expertise. Our commitment to self-support means not accepting
outside contributions, and considering carefully what is appropriate to ask of
our members. When a task is a priority for us and calls for significant
expertise or time involvement, we seek out paid assistance and budget
accordingly.
Any decision to hire a special worker should come after serious
consideration and discussion by the service body. We consider our needs, our
budget, and our plans. We determine what our process will be for hiring,
firing, and contracting work. We think carefully about the tasks that will be
assigned, how performance will be measured, and to whom our special
workers will be accountable. Without a well-defined understanding of the
job, the pay, and the structure within which the special worker operates, we
are inviting problems down the road. Understanding the legal requirements
that may apply, and knowing who will be accountable for meeting those
requirements, is another matter that must be considered.
Special workers may have varying levels of input on the work that is
done, but they remain accountable to NA service bodies. A special worker
may be involved in a particular kind of service for much longer than the
trusted servants around them; the institutional memory they carry might be
vital to the decisions a body will make. The job of a special worker is to carry
out the will of the service body to which they are assigned. Even if a special
worker is a member, Tradition Eight clarifies that there are no professional
recovering addicts in NA. Trusted servants and special workers work together
to accomplish tasks, assist with Fellowship decision making, or help
communities learn about NA and NA service, but do not share their personal
recovery or sponsor people as part of their responsibilities. We are grateful
for the work of our trusted servants, along with our special workers and the
various vendors we do business with. Prudent use of these resources makes it
possible for us to create an environment in NA where members are able to
freely share recovery with one another. By doing what we can for ourselves
and paying for help when necessary, we ensure that Narcotics Anonymous is
able to remain forever nonprofessional.
WORKSHOP QUESTIONS
___________________________________
1. What does being “forever nonprofessional” mean for our service
efforts? Does that change the way we approach our work? How does
that affect the ways we work with other organizations or the public?
2. Has our service body needed assistance from professionals or contract
workers to complete a task or project? When would we consider hiring
a special worker?
3. What tasks take too much specialization or time to ask volunteers to
do? How do we balance our aspirations with our resources? If we are
not able to hire outside assistance, what are our alternatives moving
forward?
4. What can special workers do in NA? What work can’t we hire special
workers to do?
5. Have we had any interaction with a special worker? Why, and what
was the outcome? What would be a reason to contact or visit an NA
service office?
6. Why do some communities have service offices? What are the
advantages/disadvantages of having one? Why would we decide to
open—or close—a service office?
7. What responsibilities do we have to the special workers we employ?
How do we fulfill those responsibilities?
8. What administrative needs would hiring special workers demand of
us? Would we need legal or tax status to do so? Who would supervise,
hire, and pay that worker? What additional bookkeeping would be
required? Would having an employee be more work than doing the
task ourselves?
9. Do we use contract workers or outside vendors at our conventions or
events? What considerations are involved in doing so? Do we have
standard practices in place for collecting bids or deciding who to
contract with?
10. If our event or service body is making NA merchandise available,
have we consulted the relevant service bulletins about the use of our
logos and trademarks? Are we going about it in a way that is in
harmony with the Fellowship’s conscience?
11. How does membership in NA affect a special worker’s relationship
with the Traditions? If a special worker isn’t a member, can the
Traditions still apply?
12. What do we do if a well-meaning nonmember volunteers to perform a
task for us, such as legal or financial services? At what point would
this type of work constitute an outside contribution in terms of
Tradition Seven? Does it make a difference if the individual is a family
member of someone in NA?
efforts?
services?
The guidance of our Traditions is simple: We are prudent with our

funds and we pay fairly for what we need. We learn to practice
discretion in how we select our services, and we recognize that
perception is an important factor in avoiding conflicts of interest.
The result is that we do not need to defend our relationships with
other organizations, because practicing Traditions Six, Seven, and
Eight together ensures our autonomy from any of the people or
organizations that would be willing to use our name. It also
protects us from being drawn into political or financial scandals
and from any suspicion that we, on our own, are insufficient to
carry our message. Insecurity puts us at risk. The Traditions keep
us on track by reminding us that the spiritual principles we follow
are more precious—and more powerful—than the seemingly
attractive benefits that can so easily divert us.
Because there is no such thing as a professional NA member, we

are all free to recover together, to learn from each other, and to
practice anonymity. We demonstrate integrity in the respect we
show to each other and to our special workers. In spite of
challenges or disagreements that arise, we know that we all serve
for the same reason: We love Narcotics Anonymous, and have a
desire to help the addict who still suffers. We need no degrees,
certifications, or training to carry the NA message—all we need is
our experience, strength, and hope.
NA is a spiritual program. Whatever boards and committees
we create, however many meetings we hold, it’s the spirit
of NA that matters. We feel that spirit fill a room when we
gather for a meeting, but it’s not the room that matters. We
carry NA with us, but it’s bigger than we are.
When one addict helps another, NA is there. NA isn’t one

addict or the other; it’s the helping, the sharing, the spirit of
unity, the feeling of hope shared between us. When we read
NA literature or listen to an addict share, we experience
Narcotics Anonymous. When we write, when we pray,
when we answer the phone even though we’re tired or busy,
or when we feel like using but we talk to another addict
instead—that’s NA. It’s not just a thing; it’s action. Chapter
Ten in our Basic Text describes love as the “flow of life
energy from one person to another.” We offer it in
meetings, at the “meeting after the meeting,” on the phone,
online, at our H&I panels, and in our literature. We share
experience, strength, and hope to help one another stay
clean one more day.
NA lives in our hearts, our minds, our spirits, and our

actions. We are Narcotics Anonymous, and what we do—
the empathy and care we show each other, the experience,
strength, and hope we bring—that is “NA, as such.”
NA is like the air we breathe; it surrounds us

when we share recovery. It flows between us,
constantly changing. We can no more keep
recovery by holding it to ourselves than we
could keep oxygen by holding our breath.
Tradition Nine
Our service efforts in Narcotics Anonymous help to make it possible for one
addict to reach out to another. We began as a few addicts with hope, vision,
and a willingness to serve. Today, NA meetings bring hope and help to
addicts seeking recovery all over the world. What we have accomplished
together is amazing. The fact that we have done it without being organized
seems incredible, but in fact it is foundational. Our growth could not have
happened without application of these principles.
Together, we do so much. We start meetings and keep the doors open. We
carry the message into hospitals and institutions. We inform governments,
agencies, and related professions what NA is and how we can help. We create
newsletters and service materials that help us serve more effectively. We
write and translate literature to ensure that the message we carry is true and
consistent across time and distance. As we have grown, we have created
service boards and committees in many different ways. Groups have come
together to form service bodies that help them achieve their primary purpose.
Service bodies have formed workgroups, boards, and committees to
accomplish the tasks that support the groups.
We understand that “ought never be organized” doesn’t mean that we do
what we do without any planning or predictability. Our meetings are at
regular times and places; we create and maintain meeting schedules,
websites, and phonelines. In order for us to grow and recover, we need some
structure. Administration is not the same as governance, and the structures we
create in service are not the kind of organization this Tradition addresses. We
absolutely organize our service efforts, our meeting schedules, and our event
calendars. What is never organized is the part that matters most: one addict
helping another, reaching out and sharing from heart to heart. The wordless
language of empathy is what makes NA work. Without that, the rest of what
we do would be meaningless.
We do not organize what people say; we do not choose who will reach
out to whom, assign sponsors, mandate Step work, or insist that the Twelve
Steps must be worked in one certain way. There is no certifying exam to
qualify one addict to help another, we do not drug test each other, and our
membership is not determined by the quantity or quality of work we do. We
never know who will save our lives, or the life of another addict, or who will
help an addict get the message or stay clean another day. Each of us shares
our experience, strength, and hope in our own way, and the result is
something bigger than any of us could manage or organize—it’s the spirit of
one addict helping another.
We can’t organize our collective spirit; it’s free. However, we can—and
we must—ensure that that spirit has all it needs to thrive and grow. Chapter
Two in our Basic Text tells us, “The heart of NA beats when two addicts
share their recovery.” That heartbeat is “NA, as such.” The work we do in
service to NA ought always be in a spirit of unity: We hold each other
accountable, and we are responsible to those we serve, so that our
personalities are less likely to divert us. The practice of being responsible to
those we serve teaches us to surrender to the will of the group and have
patience with the process. These skills serve us in our personal recovery and
in our ongoing development as a Fellowship.
WORD BY WORD
Example: responsible
We can understand the word responsible in a number of different ways, and
each brings another understanding of Tradition Nine. Deriving from the root
“to respond,” the word implies communication. Being responsible means that
we are accountable for our actions; it also means that we are able to respond
to something coming from outside ourselves. Having a feeling is one kind of
response; sharing that feeling is another kind. When we are responsible, we
are both accountable and in communication. These two parts are especially
important to us in NA, because our inclination is often to mistake
responsibility for ownership or control—and no one of us owns any part of
NA. We take care of it with each other, for each other, and for the addict still
to come.
humility prudence fidelity honesty communication trust harmony love

Example: simplicity
When It Works: How and Why addresses spiritual principles in Tradition
Nine, it begins with simplicity. Both our service and our thought about this
Tradition should be simple. We start not from the sometimes complex
relationship between service boards and groups, but instead with “NA, as
such,” the Fellowship of recovering addicts who help each other stay clean.
When we start from here, the rest falls into place. The relationships between
this Tradition and our First, our Fifth, and certainly our Twelfth all become
evident. Unity and anonymity allow us to carry our message without getting
distracted by personalities. When our service is simple and uncluttered, we
can stay focused on our primary purpose. It is easy to see the connections
between our work and the suffering addict.
For Members
As individual members, our relationship to Tradition Nine develops in two
ways: in what it has to teach us about our personal lives, and in the guidance
it offers for how we serve. Our willingness to take responsibility for our
Fellowship is not separate from our practice of taking responsibility for our
own lives.
Practicing the Traditions teaches us balance. Tradition Seven encourages
us to be self-supporting; Tradition Eight reminds us that total self-reliance
can be a defect and encourages us to seek assistance when we need it.
Tradition Nine cautions that while we may need assistance, we don’t get to
walk away after we ask for it.
We balance between asking for help and ensuring that the work is done
according to plan. We balance between maintaining our responsibility and
allowing service boards and committees to carry out the tasks assigned to
them. We give our trusted servants room to carry out their tasks, and we also
keep ourselves informed enough to ensure that the work stays on course and
there are enough members involved to get it done.
Allowing others to have input can improve our work many times over. It
takes patience and open-mindedness to be able to listen to feedback, but the
process is almost always worth the time. Even if it results in no change to our
practice, we gain a deeper understanding of the principles involved. Almost
always, however, opening a process to input changes the result for the better.
Some of us come into recovery with no sense of personal responsibility,
as if it was someone else’s job to take care of us. Others of us experience
self-obsession as a belief that we are responsible for everything around us.
The reality is usually somewhere in between. We find peace of mind when
we are able to trust others to carry out responsibilities without constantly
looking over their shoulders, and they show the same courtesy to us.
Service can be joyful and exciting. It feels good to do good. We learn and
grow in service, and our lives are enriched by the relationships we build
there. Yet we are always responsible to those we serve. It may be that we
serve our home group, or the area, or another service body. It is up to us to
understand who we serve and to whom we are accountable. Whatever task we
are doing, we can ask, what body am I serving? And then, what body does
that body serve? And so on, until ultimately the answer takes us back to the
group, and from there to the addict who still suffers and our Higher Power. In
between, we should be able to see a clear line of accountability. That helps us
to understand our role in the process.
Loving service is the work of a Power greater than ourselves. The
privilege to participate in the miracle does not make us miracle workers.
Tradition Nine helps us to retain our anonymity even as we help to
accomplish great things, because it reminds us that we are always servants.
Whatever our service efforts, we are guided by our sense of responsibility to
the addict who still suffers, and by the direction of those who care enough to
stay informed and involved.
Without other people to discuss our plans with, it’s much easier to run off
course. We may encounter trouble when service responsibilities are one-
member operations. When we act alone, we make decisions alone, and it’s
hard not to feel an ego investment in those decisions. NA service never
happens in a vacuum; even when we seem to be by ourselves, there are no
solo efforts in Narcotics Anonymous. Our direct responsibility to those we
serve keeps us from falling victim to our own egos. It can be very difficult
not to hear feedback as personal criticism.
When we communicate openly, we invite discussion, and as we discuss,
we often find better ways to do things than any one of us had imagined. In
order for a discussion to get us to a new place, we need to let go of our
attachment to one particular answer. Being able to track lines of
accountability helps us to see the connection between responsibility and
surrender. That, in turn, helps to free us from the traps of isolation,
resentment, and suspicion that can divide us from one another. Open and
clear communication helps us to achieve and maintain accountability in
service.
Early in the process we begin to learn the difference between freedom
from and freedom to. Freedom from active addiction begins with not using
today. That, in turn, gives us freedom to experience a new way of life, which
may take us places we had never dreamed of or restore dreams we had lost
long ago. In much the same way, we find that responsibility for something is
different from responsibility to. We are responsible for the task assigned to
us; we are responsible to the body we report to. In our services, these two are
equally important. All the service we do involves accountability to and for
NA, and accountability doesn’t just keep us honest; it keeps us connected to
the group conscience and our Higher Power. It can be easy to mistake self-
will for a driving need. Surrender to group conscience doesn’t disempower
us; it reminds us to keep service separate from our ego, and frees us from any
illusions that service experience or outcomes somehow affect our value as
members. Serving in a spirit of selflessness and humility can be challenging,
but it’s good for us and good for the service we do. That process of surrender
will drive us to the Steps—probably more than once.

________________________________
NA members.
IN NA
1. When do I most feel like a part of NA, as such? What actions help me
to experience that feeling?
2. How do I practice responsibility as a member and a servant? To whom
am I responsible in any service positions I currently hold? To whom
am I responsible when I perform service without a title?
3. How do I balance accountability, responsibility, and authority in my
NA service positions? How do I determine when it’s best to seek
guidance from those I serve and when it’s appropriate to exercise the
trust placed in me as a trusted servant?
4. How do I know when to serve and when to step away? What happens
when I try to run things in NA? When have I struggled to step out of a
service position gracefully?
5. How do I determine what needs to be communicated to my group or
between levels of service? Where do I turn for reliable information?
6. What are some examples of effective communication in service? How
can I make my communication more interesting and understandable?
What has NA service taught me about listening?
IN ALL OUR AFFAIRS

11. How do I take responsibility for my actions while practicing surrender
about outcomes?
12. How easy is it for me to ask for and accept feedback? What is my
response to constructive criticism?
13. When someone asks me for an opinion, how do I respond? Am I kind?
Do I feel like I have to find something to correct? Do I point out
something positive when I offer criticism?
14. Are there areas of my life that would benefit from more planning? Do
I do better with more or less structure in my life? Do I resist routine or
embrace it?
15. How do I create structure and predictability in my life without being
rigid or controlling? Can I plan for the future if I’m living just for
today?
16. How would I describe the spirit of service? What would it mean for
me to embrace that spirit in all my affairs?
17. Do I find it easier to handle tasks on my own when it might be
beneficial to include others? Are there things I’m taking care of myself
that should be done with other members of my household, community,
or work environment?
For Groups
There are at least two ways Tradition Nine offers guidance to our groups,
both in how the group operates and in the relationship between the group and
the boards and committees responsible to it.
NA, as such, ought never be organized. However, our groups have
formats; we elect trusted servants; we have business meetings to handle
matters that keep the group functioning and connected to NA as a whole.
These are ways of being organized—our groups are organized. Our services
need to be structured, and our bills paid; much of what we do in NA requires
organization. However, the organizing we do to keep things functioning
smoothly and predictably is not organizing “NA, as such.” Groups don’t tell
people what to say to carry the message, or what is the only way to recover.
Our groups create space for an unstructured, undefined thing to happen: One
addict helps another by freely sharing experience, strength, and hope. We
apply our Steps and Traditions in countless ways, and there are as many
styles of recovery in NA as there are members. There are no professional NA
members. We are all equal in NA, and all equally able to carry a message
from our first day clean. In our recovery meetings, we make room for each
other and for the magic that happens when we share recovery. Outside of
meetings, we reach out to one another in ways that aren’t structured. Our
groups create an atmosphere of recovery; what happens inside that
atmosphere is bigger than us. We don’t get to control it.
In order for the group to practice its primary purpose, it needs to be
focused on the message of recovery. Creating an atmosphere of recovery is a
big job. To stay focused on that job, groups turn over most other tasks to
service boards and committees—to ensure that the work gets done without
diverting NA groups from their primary purpose.
Group responsibility does not end at creating boards and committees.
Tradition Nine tells us that boards and committees are directly responsible to
those they serve. Groups have a responsibility to be attentive to our service
bodies. We can only be responsible if we are involved. If our boards and
committees are responsible to us as groups, then we are responsible to pay
attention to what they are doing. It’s up to us to see that they know what is
expected, and to ensure that there are NA members there to serve on that
committee. We choose trusted servants to help communicate between each
group and the rest of NA. Those members are responsible for bringing us
accurate, timely information including reports, emails, flyers, local
newsletters and websites, and so on. As a group, we are responsible for
helping our trusted servants learn to do their jobs effectively.
When trusted servants are excited about service, we can feel it. When
those we serve are grateful, we want to do more. Direct responsibility doesn’t
mean we look for reasons to criticize. We share responsibility when we
participate, when we help each other to serve effectively, and when we
acknowledge each other’s efforts. Accountability is important, but so is
celebration.
In places where only a few NA members have much cleantime, it can be
easy to mistake experience for authority. In the same way, when a few groups
actively participate, we can mistake them for “the groups that run things
around here.” No single member is more important than any other, nor does
any single group have a greater say than others. This can be hard to
remember when one or a few members are much more involved and
informed than others. We can confuse the need for accountability with a
belief that our group alone dictates to service committees what they should
do. We are responsible to those we serve, not to those who serve most or
speak loudest.
Every NA group participates in its own way. NA groups are autonomous,
and our service bodies answer to the groups, not the other way around. Some
members will do more service than others; some groups will be more
involved than others; some communities will be more active than others.
When we are present at the creation of service boards or committees, our
sense of responsibility may be different from when we join a fully
operational service body. Each of us has a part in our services, and all of us
together create the conscience of our groups and our Fellowship.
While some of our service entities have been created by the groups, others
have been created within service bodies themselves. Groups support and
maintain local services. We create an area service committee, and that, in
turn, creates subcommittees. Or the groups create a local service conference,
and that creates workgroups to get things done. In either case, the tasks that
emerge over time may grow far beyond what the groups originally
envisioned. We need methods to communicate, challenge, consent to, and
change our plans. Those systems may look very different from place to place,
but the question we ask in our groups is whether it’s working. If we remain
flexible in our approach to carrying out our services, our services can
continue to meet our needs and circumstances.
Communication is key to this Tradition. Any breakdown in the process
ought to lead us to look at how we are communicating. As in any inventory,
we look for our part. Sometimes, our groups have lost interest or felt
disenfranchised by service matters. Other times, groups find it difficult to
adequately participate due to distance or lack of time and other resources.
Communication needs to be clear and interesting to make it attractive. Asking
if a new member will understand what we are saying when we make an
announcement will help us to consider how to get people excited about
service. When service is exciting to us, it is naturally attractive to others.
The first three Concepts speak to the nature of NA services in the same
way Tradition Nine does. Our groups join together to create services, and the
final responsibility and authority rest with the NA groups. That we have so
many reminders leading back to this same point indicates two things: one,
that our groups are the heart of NA, and two, that we forget that a lot. We
wouldn’t need to repeat it so much if this were easy for us. For the groups to
retain their focus on the primary purpose and to be able to exercise the
authority vested in them, group members must be willing to devote time,
energy, and thought to learning about NA and participating in decision
making, however that occurs in our community. Being involved with local
service is a choice for some groups and a challenge for others. Still, we look
for ways to participate, support the services that further our message, and
hold our service bodies accountable. Tradition Nine ensures that the groups
always have a voice in our services.

____________________________
1. How do we understand the phrase “NA, as such”? How does our
group’s understanding of “NA, as such” affect our actions or decisions
as a group?
2. As a group, which aspects of our work together are organized, and
which happen organically? Do we engage in any planning? Are our
planning practices adequate for our group’s needs?
3. How do we understand the roles of our trusted servants? Do we have
positions for most tasks, or are they completed in a more informal
manner?
4. Which of our trusted servants help us to stay connected to the larger
NA community? How does this connection help to provide
communication and accountability?
5. Why have we created boards or committees? How do we practice
responsibility for the boards or committees we create?
primary purpose?
In Service
Tradition Nine speaks directly about our service bodies, and this Tradition is
vital to understanding how we serve in Narcotics Anonymous. Traditions
Seven, Eight, and Nine together remind us who we are and what we are: a
Fellowship of addicts seeking recovery. We are not a school, a business, a
treatment center, or a governmental agency. NA is nonprofessional, as
indicated by Tradition Eight, and ought never be organized—but that doesn’t
mean we’re thoughtless and disorganized. We create service bodies that do
business on our behalf, but they are always a part of Narcotics Anonymous.
They are responsible to those they serve, and that responsibility ought always
determine what we do and how we do it.
Being directly responsible may sometimes seem inefficient or
inconvenient, but some things are more important than efficiency. As addicts,
most of us are familiar with living in a perpetual state of emergency, and it
can be too easy to operate this way in service. The sense of desperate urgency
—we have to do it right now, we have to fix it right now, or we need to raise
funds right now—is a sign that we are running on fear rather than hope. Our
perception of our circumstances doesn’t just determine how we feel; it
changes how we respond to the world around us. When we are compelled by
fear and desperation, we are not likely to make our best decisions.
The relationship between our groups and NA services is much more than
a two-way street; it’s an elaborate web. Autonomous groups have
relationships with each other, service boards and committees have
relationships with the groups, and boards and committees are in relationship
and communication with each other. The web is made up of many strands
and connections, and making sure those threads remain strong begins when
we ensure that there is a free flow of information, support, and goodwill.
When we are deep in a service project, we may develop a close working
relationship with others on the project. H&I can sometimes feel like its own
tribe, for example, or a convention committee may come together like a
family. When we get through all the difficulty of developing a working
committee, when consensus develops and the way forward seems clear—it
can feel inconvenient or even wrong to have to consult those outside the little
group. Service bodies can feel separate from those they serve. But
responsibility doesn’t work without communication, and sometimes we have
to explain our decisions and accept input; we may even be redirected in ways
that are hard for the committee to accept. Direct responsibility to those we
serve means that those we serve have a voice in what we do, wherever or
however we serve. Constructive criticism sometimes feels like just plain
criticism, but if we set aside our feelings and listen closely, the input may
improve our service efforts.
Finding the balance between ensuring that our service boards are
responsible and allowing a minority of onlookers to micromanage or bully
our trusted servants can be harder than it sounds. A small number of people
or groups may have very strong feelings about an issue that has already been
settled. Resolving these differences without bitterness is challenging, and
requires that we listen carefully to each other. Small changes can often
resolve big issues if we can listen for the principles behind a problem. Direct
responsibility thrives on mutual respect and unity. Even when we have very
different ideas of how to get there, we are working together toward the same
primary purpose. Our commitment to unity and goodwill keeps us involved
even when we don’t agree.
Service efforts are enriched by active involvement. When it’s not just the
same few people doing most of the work, when there’s rotation of trusted
servants and new people are getting involved, service is dynamic and
exciting. Otherwise, service bodies can start to feel closed. New people feel
like they’re interrupting, or unwelcome. We resist new ideas or new ways of
doing things. Complacency can kill an NA community in much the same way
it can kill an addict: The spark goes out of our recovery, and gradually we
forget it was ever there.
While “those we serve” in this Tradition ultimately refers to the NA
groups, we may want to consider some other layers of responsibility we
experience in NA service, and be mindful of what it means to be directly
responsible to, and through, our levels of service. A hospitality committee
may be responsible to the convention committee, for example; the convention
committee answers directly to the hosting service body; RCMs report back to
the areas, and so our groups are informed and able to be responsible. Because
there are so many layers, we need to think carefully about what must be
communicated and how to get that information to and from our points of
responsibility. Each has a part to play in the work at hand, and yet the work
must go forward in a way that is timely—and, yes, organized.
We recognize that some issues really need to go back to the groups, but
sometimes the groups will attend to an issue that a committee hadn’t seen as
important, or had been decided long ago. Allowing everyone into the process
means that we need to be able to explain how and why decisions were made
without becoming impatient or intolerant of those who are asking. Even so,
when an issue has been raised and decided many times already, it may not be
prudent to revisit decisions if the circumstances and information haven’t
changed much.
Concept Five gives us tools to more effectively practice Tradition Nine:
Clear lines of accountability and decision making draw clear lines of
communication between our boards and committees and those we serve. Our
groups always hold the reins on our service bodies—not the other way
around. No single group is responsible for our service boards; our service
boards do not manage or oversee our groups. Groups, not service bodies, are
autonomous.
Direct responsibility is difficult. It’s a practical principle that requires
spiritual effort. The relationship between our groups and our service bodies
changes over time and differs from one place to another. Our widespread
growth and development is a testament to the value of our flexibility and
reliance on the simple guidance offered by our Traditions. Our commitments
to avoid professionalization, organization, affiliation, and outside support
keep us free to do what we do best regardless of changes in fashion or
politics. Tradition Nine helps us practice anonymity by keeping us from
creating structures that would make us unequal. We practice mentorship and
train our trusted servants in a spirit of rotation and continuity. Whatever our
lives or circumstances are like, in Narcotics Anonymous we all have a voice
in the process and an opportunity to serve. Our service helps others every
day, and each of us who serves finds our own recovery enriched by the work.
It drives us to learn, to grow, to practice principles, and to reach out in new
directions. Tradition Nine reminds us that we are never doing this alone. Our
service efforts are always guided and supported by our groups and by that
greater conscience that guides us all.
WORKSHOP QUESTIONS
___________________________________
1. What functions does this service body accomplish on behalf of the
groups? How do we get input from groups as we plan? How can we
maintain effective communication between groups and their boards or
committees?
2. What role do collaboration and communication play in helping us to
create NA unity?
3. What is the meaning of the term directly as it relates to Tradition
Nine? How does the “direct” link help us to maintain responsibility?
How does this body remain directly responsible to those we serve?
4. How do our needs change in times of rapid growth? Are we growing
now, or have we hit a plateau? How can our service efforts help us
grow in ways that are sustainable for us?
5. Have we noticed occasions when our services need to be more
organized than they were, or when our efforts have become too
structured?
6. How do we balance our needs for both rotation and continuity? What
are our practices regarding training, support, and mentorship? Are we
willing to leave a service position open rather than electing a member
who is not well suited to the role?
efforts?
services?
Direct responsibility is a critical concept in our lives and in service.

It’s not just that we are accountable for the work we do; we stay
aware of what we are doing, why we are doing it, and who will
benefit from our efforts. This clarity keeps us from being diverted
or distracted by our egos, or by arguments over territory or control.
Narcotics Anonymous belongs to all of us, and it is too easy to
mistake our desires and opinions for those of the Fellowship as a
whole. Being directly responsible keeps us on track and in
proportion.
Tradition Nine reminds us where our service bodies fit within NA

as a whole. Our service boards and committees are always
ultimately responsible to those they serve. In our efforts to practice
this Tradition, each of us can learn to communicate more
effectively and to practice principles including honesty, patience,
and accountability. Tradition Nine helps us to keep our primary
purpose constantly in mind as we serve.
As our thinking becomes clearer, our ability to be honest
increases. Honesty begins with not lying, but that’s not
where it ends. We start to recognize the difference between
what’s true for us and what sounds good—or what we wish
was true. We don’t have to argue about practices or politics.
Recovery is no longer based in theory; it’s our own
experience. The better we get at telling the truth, the clearer
our message becomes.
We know that anything that affects our recovery is material

for sharing, but finding the message in the raw material of
our lives can be challenging. When we share in meetings, it
helps if we look for a connection to the topic, to a Step, a
Tradition, or another recovery principle. Sharing can help
us look for solutions, which is part of how sharing helps us.
Finding the message in our experience helps us to
understand its exact nature.
We experience unity when we hear our story from a

member who seems so different from us. Our shared
experience as recovering addicts is stronger than any of the
forces that could divide us. That connection is the heartbeat
of NA, and evidence of a Higher Power working in our
meetings.
Our experience, strength, and hope carry a

clearer message than our opinions ever could.
Sharing from the heart connects us to our
common experience and common purpose.
Tradition Ten
Clarity and simplicity are keys to our message. Tradition Ten is clear and
simple, as well. Narcotics Anonymous, all by itself, is enough. We promise
freedom from active addiction. We don’t take positions on outside issues, and
we don’t allow the NA name to be drawn into controversy.
NA is a program of complete abstinence, and it works in the lives of
countless addicts around the world. Recovery is possible for any addict who
chooses to follow our way. Still, our way is not the only way, and we don’t
even have an opinion on whether it is the best way. The NA way is the only
approach on which we have an opinion. We know it works for those who
want what we have and are willing to make the effort to get it.
Some of the principles that are central to our program are not universally
shared outside NA. Our belief in total abstinence is viewed by some as
extreme. Some disagree with our commitment to personal anonymity. These
principles are not negotiable—and we do not have to debate them. We may
want to defend our name or explain our position, but we don’t need to. We
don’t need to argue that NA is the best or the only way to recover; what
matters is that it works for us.
The language of this Tradition points to two ways we can find ourselves
in the storm of public opinion: by taking a position ourselves, or by being
drawn into public controversy by someone else. There are issues closely
related to our primary purpose that may feel urgent—it might seem like we
should take a position on public policy or trends in addiction treatment, but in
fact these things have nothing to do with Narcotics Anonymous. The PR
Handbook offers guidance on how we practice Tradition Ten in a
presentation or H&I meeting: “The only way we can be drawn into public
controversy is if we offer an opinion on an issue outside the scope of our own
program.” When we get tangled up in argument, we risk being drawn into
positions that will compromise us in some other way. Rather than taking
positions on issues that are none of our business, we talk about NA and then
stop. Our message speaks for itself; our success is defense enough. Many of
us are drawn to an interesting or heated debate, but Tradition Ten requires
that we let it go by. We are responsible for keeping our focus.
Engaging in debate with those whose approach differs from ours, or with
those who criticize our program, would distract us from our primary purpose
and risk alienating the newcomer. We don’t need to invest energy or interest
in the conversations that swirl around us. We know our message and our
purpose. We do what we do. Focusing on our primary purpose frees us from
the need to be distracted or diverted into debates with those whose interests
and motives differ. No one outside NA is under any obligation to respect our
Traditions. Our commitments to unity, anonymity, and our primary purpose
are ours alone.
Drawn directly from the experiences of those who went before us,
Tradition Ten serves as a guidepost and a warning. One early addiction
recovery movement grew to thousands of members, until some of its leaders
began speaking for the organization on a number of political issues. As the
group started taking public positions on issues other than recovery,
membership fell away, and they were soon forgotten. Throughout the history
of NA, a number of fledgling NA communities have faced difficulties or
collapse because of promotion, publicity, and controversy. Our commitment
never to draw the NA name into public controversy is a matter of survival for
the Fellowship we love, and for all of us addicts who need Narcotics
Anonymous.
The lines between NA and the outside world are often clearer than the
lines between our personal lives and our membership in NA. It can be
difficult to see where our relationship with NA ends and our outside interests
begin. If we have a religious or spiritual practice outside NA that matters
deeply to us, we may feel very little distance between our experience on that
path and “practicing these principles in all our affairs.” Or, if we work in
treatment, we may be addressing suffering addicts all day long before we
come to a meeting. Still, what we do in NA is different. Recognizing and
honoring that difference is critical to our integrity as a Fellowship and to our
personal recovery.
We don’t live outside of history. Our recovery and our Fellowship exist
against a backdrop of real events and issues that sometimes affect us
profoundly. Outside issues that appear to intersect with our purpose or
message almost invite us to take a position. Our ability to rise above in these
moments protects us from debates that would tear us apart.
WORD BY WORD
Example: controversy
In general, a controversy is a disagreement in which there are strong
opposing views. Some say a dispute needs to be public, prolonged, and
polarizing in order to be considered a controversy. We immediately see the
danger, as well as the attraction. Controversy is interesting, and we like a
contest. The prospect of winning or losing can become more important to us
than the idea over which we are fighting. We often see this pattern in our
personal relationships as well as in service. Keeping our Fellowship out of
public controversy protects us from ourselves: We cannot afford to risk our
reputation or the well-being of our members over an issue not directly related
to our primary purpose. The root words of controversy mean “to turn
against,” so it’s easy to see the challenge controversy presents us in NA.
What can we turn against without affecting our unity?
humility unity responsibility prudence anonymity integrity discernment

Example: fidelity and integrity
When we practice fidelity we are also practicing integrity. We are consistent,
true to our message, and faithful to our purpose. Integrity suggests that we are
acting in accordance with our beliefs and values—we are not just sharing
clean, we are living clean. Fidelity suggests that we are true and faithful to
our message, that it is consistent on all occasions. When we practice these
principles together, it is virtually impossible for us to engage in controversy.
When we are stuck in an argument we can’t seem to resolve, it may be useful
to consider how fidelity and integrity can help us to get back on course.
For Members
Narcotics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues. As members we do,
and each of us has a right to our opinions, although a recovery meeting is
usually not the best place to discuss them. In recovery, we get to think for
ourselves. As we work the Steps, we come to an understanding of our own
morals and values, and develop our own beliefs about how to live and how
we recover. Those beliefs may change over time, sometimes surprisingly.
Recovery is a dynamic process of evaluation and reevaluation of our actions,
perceptions, and values. Tradition Ten asks us to be vigilant in ensuring that
our personal beliefs aren’t mistaken for principles of Narcotics Anonymous.
We carefully consider the effect our words and actions may have on the
Fellowship we love and the message we carry. We learn to speak wisely and
to understand the power of silence.
Though we express it in many ways, NA has only one message: “An
addict, any addict, can stop using drugs, lose the desire to use, and find a new
way to live.” When we hear another message outside NA that resonates
strongly with us, it may seem that we could do a service by bringing it to our
fellow members. That is not our purpose in an NA meeting. We are here to
help and be helped through the program of Narcotics Anonymous.
We don’t all know how to share a recovery message when we get here. If
we have experience with some kinds of counseling or therapy, we may be
inclined to offer advice to other members, but in NA we share experience, not
advice. The ways we share with one another are different from the ways
many of us communicated before coming to NA. We learn to share through
each other’s example and guidance, not by being bullied or humiliated. As
we continue to share, we get more comfortable with the process of sorting out
what feels appropriate to us.
Exploring our motives for sharing and asking ourselves what it is that we
bring to the meeting can help guide us away from diversion or controversy.
We may need to share about what’s going on, but we try to stay focused.
Many of us struggle to share without getting tangled up in details, especially
when our feelings are strong. “A guy shared that his political work was
tearing him up,” one member recounted, “but he never mentioned which
party he was from.” Another suggested, “When I’m having a hard time
keeping what I share to the topic of recovery, it’s usually a sign that I need to
get back into my Step work.”
We don’t always share an elegant, tidy message, and we don’t rate or
police each other’s sharing. Many members connect with raw, emotional
expression, while others may relate to a quiet, thoughtful share. Sharing in a
meeting is both personal and courageous, no matter what we share. There is
no such thing as sharing perfectly. Each of us struggles sometimes to get to
the heart of the matter or to find a message of hope in our experience, and
that struggle is part of the process for us. Placing unity first and anonymity at
our foundation allows the message to shine through, even in the most
awkward moments of a meeting.
Clarity, focus, and discretion are all assets that make our message
attractive and effective. Even members who have been around a while can
find it challenging to separate opinions from experience, but we try to be
aware of that task. Sharing about a Higher Power without mentioning a name,
sharing about our experience without identifying other people, institutions, or
beliefs: These are skills we develop over time, and with some help. The
ability to share clearly even when we are passionate about something is a
message in itself.
NA has no opinion on human nature, but it seems that addicts are not the
only people vulnerable to ego inflation. Winning an argument, being
recognized as special, making a name for ourselves in the world, feeling
loved and approved of—all these are positive experiences that almost anyone
might be tempted to seek. But they carry a special risk for us. As we recover,
many of us go forth into the world with renewed confidence in ourselves and
our beliefs. That is beautiful, but it’s essential that we leave NA out of it.
Traditions Ten and Eleven remind us not to try to leverage membership into
fame or fortune, power, or public approval. Anonymity is no small thing; it is
the foundation of our Traditions, essential to our new way of life.
On the internet, and especially on social media, different aspects of our
lives and beliefs can be visible in surprising ways. Our challenge is keeping
the NA message separate from the other messages we may carry. If we are
not vigilant in our privacy practices, we may discover that we are engaging in
controversy—or being drawn in—as members of NA in ways that don’t serve
us or the Fellowship. The service pamphlet Social Media and Our Guiding
Principles offers guidance on practicing the Traditions in our actions and
behaviors online.
In so many ways, Tradition Ten is about wisdom. We learn when to speak
the truth, and when silence is the wiser choice. When we feel we need to
defend or explain, it’s often because we are still not quite sure. “The wisdom
to know the difference” that comes from practicing this Tradition in NA helps
us in our work lives and our personal lives as well. We practice honesty and
discretion, focus on the purpose at hand, and are not diverted by side topics
or invitations to argument. We learn what is true for us and stand firm in that
truth. The most effective approach may be to let go and let a challenge go by
unaddressed. We can move mountains in recovery, but we don’t have to
move every mountain. Tradition Ten frees us to mind our own business.
Being able to distinguish between necessary conflict and needless
controversy frees us to direct our efforts where they can do the most good.
We share about our lives in ways that highlight our experiences rather
than our opinions. When we interact with the public on behalf of NA, we
refrain from speaking on any issue that doesn’t relate to who we are and what
we do as a Fellowship. We let go of our investment in other people’s
opinions. One member commented, “I practice this Tradition by
remembering that your thoughts and opinions are outside issues to me.”
Practicing this personally helps us choose our battles, focus our efforts, and
walk away from challenges with dignity.

________________________________
NA members.
IN NA
1. What issues does NA have an opinion on? What do I understand NA’s
opinion to be? What is the difference between sharing my opinion and
sharing my experience?
2. What are some ways my opinions on outside issues affect my
participation in NA? Do those beliefs affect the ways I sponsor, or
participate in events? How do I balance strong opinions with the need
to carry a clear message?
3. What would constitute an “outside issue” for NA? When I’m affected
by such an issue, how can I share about it in a way that honors
Tradition Ten? Have outside issues ever created conflict or disunity for
me inside the rooms?
4. Have I had disagreements with other NA members about issues that
seem to be affecting NA? What is the difference between public
controversy and internal debate? How do I keep my opinions from
reflecting on NA as whole?
5. When does controversy within the Fellowship start to feel like public
controversy? What do I do when disagreements within NA feel intense
or unsolvable? How do I avoid judgment and isolation?
6. Do I use my NA membership to gain credibility or authority in debates
on outside issues? How can I avoid entangling the NA name in
controversy, especially in my use of social media?
IN ALL OUR AFFAIRS

11. What constitutes inside issues in other areas of my life? How do I
determine which issues are and are not relevant in various areas of my
life?
12. What value is there for me in setting aside controversial matters in my
workplace, family, or elsewhere?
13. When have I taken a position on a subject I meant to stay neutral on?
What drew me into controversy in that situation? Are there particular
kinds of situations in which it’s hard for me to remain neutral?
14. When have issues that seemed unimportant spiraled into conflict?
What do those situations, in and out of NA, have in common?
For Groups
Tradition Ten reminds us that our groups do best when we allow NA—the
simple way that has been proving itself in the lives of many addicts—to
shine. Diversion, distraction, and controversy cloud our message and make it
difficult to carry out our purpose. Integrity, clarity, and simplicity free us.
The group is the front line for our primary purpose. It is also a place
where we can be easily distracted or disrupted. Creating an atmosphere of
recovery is no easy task—but once that atmosphere exists, the job of
protecting it is not that difficult. In much the same way that it’s easier to keep
a clean house tidy than to make a dirty house clean, when we maintain an
atmosphere of recovery in a spirit of unity and goodwill, we can readily come
back to the message after a momentary disruption.
We protect the atmosphere of recovery, but that doesn’t mean we need to
protect ourselves from everything shared by every member. There is a
difference between a group expressing an opinion and a member sharing
experience. The group can carry a clear message even when someone shares
about an outside issue or attempts to create controversy. Our automatic
response may be to want to debate or correct, but it is so much more powerful
when we simply bring the sharing back around to what is important in NA,
and keep it there.
Groups that continually struggle with outside issues being brought in may
benefit from adding a statement to the meeting format, having literature study
as part of the format, discussing rather than simply reading the Traditions, or
offering meetings or workshops on our primary purpose. Members don’t
automatically know how to carry a clear message; we need guidance more
than scolding, which might do more harm to the atmosphere of recovery than
the initial share.
In our group business meetings, we make decisions about how the
meeting will run, and other internal matters. Ensuring that those choices
support our primary purpose rather than feeding disunity is a matter for group
conscience. When outside issues creep in or cause problems, our first impulse
may be to try to exert control by trying to ban a topic, enforce language
norms, or set and announce a position in the group format. When we back
away from the impulse to control, we can seek a solution based in principle
that enhances unity, rather than enforcing uniformity. Practical decisions of
the group are also spiritual, and often reflect back on NA as a whole.
Some groups hold workshops or newcomer meetings. Other groups have
language in their meeting format that can help members consider how to
respect the Twelve Traditions when they share. As a group, it’s our job to be
tolerant, listen well, hear the message through the mess, and encourage newer
members to grow. The heart we put into sharing is often much more
important than the words. Membership is not conditional on proper form, and
no one member speaks for Narcotics Anonymous.
Addicts tend to be pretty skeptical. Trust doesn’t come easily to us. We
look for the thing that isn’t true, or the thing that makes it impossible for us to
recover. One by one, the Traditions address our reservations: We don’t have
to be a particular kind of person; we don’t have to be a certain type of
member to be equal as a member; we don’t have authorities; we’re not
dependent on or affiliated with other organizations. Above all, NA is a
program of attraction. Honoring our Traditions makes us attractive as a
Fellowship. Tradition Ten keeps us focused and clean—clarity and
simplicity, and our willingness to decline invitations to controversy, speak
volumes for our integrity. We know what we stand for.
We want the NA name to be free of controversy, and our Traditions help
us to stay true to ourselves. We don’t promote our program; we don’t defend
our way of life; we don’t use NA to make a point in some other argument.
Expressing an opinion on an outside issue puts NA’s name at risk and may
alienate those who hold different views on those issues. Putting a member’s
identity alongside the NA name could have the same effect.
The relationship between Traditions Six and Ten is so close that we can
hardly talk about one without the other. Tradition Six reminds us not to
endorse or affiliate with others outside of NA, and Tradition Ten takes us to
the next level, keeping our opinions on issues as well as organizations to
ourselves. Traditions Six and Ten, along with Tradition Eleven, together ask
us to seek stillness. When we decline to take a position on an issue, we
practice anonymity and humility. Our only opinion is that NA works, and that
is the message we carry in our groups—nothing more, nothing less.

____________________________
1. How does our group understand the difference between an “outside”
issue and an “inside” issue? Does our understanding show up in how
our meetings function?
2. How do we stay focused on our primary purpose when non-NA issues
affect our members and membership?
3. When our group seems pressed to form an opinion on an outside issue,
how do we stay focused on our primary purpose?
4. If a member brings in an outside issue, what are some ways we can
respond that avoid escalating controversy or alienating group
members?
5. When we recognize that the group has been drawn into outside
controversy, how do we regain our focus? What can we do to restore
our atmosphere of recovery?
primary purpose?
In Service
Tradition Ten keeps us focused on our primary purpose and away from those
issues that might divert or distract us. We believe in recovery through total
abstinence from mood- and mind-altering drugs, and our program is founded
on the principle of one addict helping another. When we operate in unity and
keep our focus where it belongs, this seems natural and obvious. When we
get involved in issues beyond our primary purpose, our attention is almost
immediately diverted away from the newcomer.
Tradition Ten simplifies a whole range of issues for us. Learning the
basics about working with the public before we try to do PR or H&I work is
important. It gives us a foundation in principle and a set of answers to
difficult questions that keep us from being drawn into controversy. We read,
discuss, practice, and don’t go alone. When we are able to explain clearly and
simply what NA can and cannot provide, it is easier to stay out of
controversy.
The easiest way to honor Tradition Ten is to keep it simple. There is so
much that isn’t any of our business. We can spend valuable time speculating
about what NA’s positions on particular outside issues would be, if we had
them. We do much better when we focus on inside issues: What is our
message, and how best do we carry it? If we take a position on anything other
than our own message, we risk alienating those who need our help. Outside
issues divert us; when we lose our focus, disunity and discord rush in.
Insulating ourselves from public controversy and inviting a loving Power into
our decisions foster an atmosphere of unity, goodwill, and recovery.
We consider our audience. When we share in a recovery meeting, we may
be asking for help as much as carrying a message. When we share in an
institutional setting, we focus more on the message and less on ourselves: We
share how NA works for us. In a PR setting, our goal is not to make the same
kind of empathetic connection we do in a regular meeting or in H&I; we
share what NA is and is not, and its role in the community. Contesting the
opinions of others or arguing the relative merits of different approaches
draws us into controversy. With practice, we sidestep those questions and
redirect the discussion to something we can talk about: Narcotics
Anonymous.
We don’t want to be so extreme that we act as if any engagement with
another organization is affiliation, or that any involvement with the outside
world is drawing us into controversy. We cooperate with other organizations
so that addicts have a chance to hear our message, and we participate in the
world because we are a part of it. We participate with a clear understanding
of our purpose and the limits of what we can say or do. There are times when
we are seen to represent the Fellowship even when we do not intend to.
Traditions Ten and Eleven work together to help us draw and maintain that
line. We pay attention to the difference between our own positions and those
of Narcotics Anonymous. NA can feel like so much a part of us that we
forget where we begin and NA ends. Indeed, some of us will say that NA is a
part of every aspect of our lives; still, there are times when we speak for the
Fellowship and times when we do not.
One of the most insidious ways we get distracted is that servants become
more important than the service. Our diversions—allowing ourselves to be
distracted or drawn into controversy—often begin with a sense of self-
importance. We may get diverted in this way when we don’t feel heard or
respected. Sometimes the most powerful way we carry our message is to
listen—to our Higher Power and to each other. A loving Higher Power works
most powerfully through us when we can let go of the need to hear our own
voice and strive to hear the conscience of the group instead. When anonymity
guides our service efforts, we can let go of the need to be right, to be
recognized, or to accumulate power.
Sometimes outside issues begin to feel like inside issues, and we can be
drawn into controversy and disunity because conflicts from the outside world
creep into meetings, or because policies and practices of other organizations
have an impact on NA. Time, thought, prayer, and patience help us find
principled responses. We can have a hard time leaving a question open. If we
give too much attention or energy to a question, it begins to feel like a crisis.
Distinguishing between anxiety and emergency takes practice and objectivity.
When outside issues seem to affect the atmosphere of recovery or the quality
of our meetings, we are often more successful when we look for ways to
strengthen the atmosphere from within, rather than trying to control things
outside of NA. Service meetings and workshops can be vital places for
discussion, brainstorming, sharing experience, and offering support to groups
struggling with issues that affect our ability to carry the message. Just as in
our personal recovery, we don’t have to do it alone. We don’t have many new
problems in service; many of our struggles have been addressed in some form
or another before, somewhere in NA. Most of our problems have more than
one potential solution, as well. When we ask for experience, strength, and
hope, and listen with an open mind, we discover solutions we hadn’t
imagined.
WORKSHOP QUESTIONS
___________________________________
1. When asked for NA’s opinion on outside issues, how do we respond?
How might we use such an inquiry as an opportunity to build positive
public relations?
2. What are some specific ways our service body has been drawn into
controversy? Can any of those situations be turned into PR
opportunities?
3. When do we seem most vulnerable to being drawn into controversy?
What tools do we have to prepare for these situations before they
arise?
4. What role does this service body have in helping groups face
challenges related to outside issues? What can we do to support groups
that are facing such challenges?
5. Are there any outside issues currently affecting NA in any of our
communities? What are those issues, and how can we address them
without taking a stance or forming an opinion on anything other than
our message?
6. How might an awareness of current or local outside issues help us in
our efforts to carry the message? How can we seek to understand and
respond to outside issues that affect how we carry the message,
without being drawn into controversy?
efforts?
services?
NA has a single purpose, a single promise, and a simple message.

Just as trees gain strength from deep, steady roots, our Fellowship
draws strength from the simple message of recovery at the root of
all we do. By remaining true to our message, we are able to
weather any storm. Our spiritual foundation supports us, and our
Higher Power sustains us.
When we work the Steps, recovery is evident even if we don’t

speak a word. We turn away from public opinion and focus on our
work. We are clear enough on our motives and purpose that we can
resist being drawn into public controversy. Over and over, we see
members from rival nations or neighborhoods, from different faiths
or families, come to love and trust each other in the rooms of NA.
We recover together in a spirit of unity. We protect that unity by
refusing even the most tempting, noble, obvious, or awful
invitations to engage in controversy. Because NA has no opinion
on outside issues, each of us is free to think for ourselves as we
recover.
It’s difficult to describe recovery, and for many of us, the
pain of active addiction can be just as hard to put into
words. It’s not just that we come in with secrets. We don’t
have language for our experience. Chapter Eight in our
Basic Text describes the wordless language of empathy that
connects us to each other and brings us hope.
When we find the message in our experience, what we have

been through becomes useful. Our message is powerful
because it is true. We listen to each other like our lives
depend on it. When we hear another addict get to the exact
nature of their experience, honestly and clearly, it changes
us. The details don’t matter. We connect with another
addict’s message because the truth is not just something we
hear; it’s something we feel. And when another addict helps
us make sense of our experience by sharing their own, we
begin to recover.
In our relations with the public, as in our recovery

meetings, we simply tell the truth about the NA program
and how it works for us. Personal anonymity frees us from
ourselves; we can hear the message, and carry the message,
free from the need to protect or prove anything.
Practicing personal anonymity is essential in a

program of attraction. Anonymity takes us
beyond what we believe about ourselves or each
other. Empathy brings us to the truth, and we
share it in language beyond words.
Tradition Eleven
Tradition Eleven tells us about our public relations policy. We engage with
the world outside our meetings so that addicts can find us. We use the term
public relations because we build and maintain ongoing relationships with
people and organizations outside NA in order to reach addicts seeking
recovery. Our goal in public relations work is always the same: We want
addicts to come to a meeting and experience Narcotics Anonymous. Nothing
we can say in a presentation, on a bus poster, or even in our literature can
substitute for the identification we experience in the atmosphere of recovery
found in an NA meeting. Hearing addicts share their experience, seeing
recovery in action, feeling the love in the room—all this is as much a part of
the process as the work we do on the Steps.
There are no promises we could make, no comparisons or endorsements,
no claims or opinions that could be as powerful as experience, strength, and
hope. Sharing from the heart is the most attractive thing we have to offer.
Helping addicts find us, explaining NA to those around us, ensuring that it’s
safe for addicts to attend meetings—these are goals of our public relations
policy. Our message—that any addict can stop using drugs, lose the desire to
use, and find a new way to live—is all we have to give, and it is sufficient to
change the lives of addicts all over the world.
Ultimately, Tradition Eleven is about the practice of goodwill inside and
outside Narcotics Anonymous. Like so many things in recovery, how we do
the work is as important as the work we do. A public relations policy based
on attraction requires us to practice self-control: We cannot let enthusiasm
run away with us, either by making promises or promotional claims about the
program or by presenting ourselves as representatives of our anonymous
Fellowship. It’s not appropriate for members to be associated with the NA
name in any form of media that is available to the general public. The PR
Handbook and PR Basics booklet include discussion of our principles along
with practical suggestions to help us work with the public. The guidance
offered in those resources and the wisdom of our experienced trusted servants
can help us practice PR more effectively. To carry out our policy of
“attraction, rather than promotion,” we present ourselves and our program
with humility, honesty, and simplicity, and we allow the miracle of recovery
to speak for itself.
For us, attraction means simply sharing how NA works, and that it works.
The power of our message is in our honesty. Promotion would be to make
guarantees or promises, set an individual member up as a “model recovering
addict,” or suggest that NA is the best or only way to recover. If we are not
careful, our passion for NA could lead us to compromise the anonymity of
ourselves or others, disrupt local services, and mislead others about NA.
When we trust NA to be attractive to those seeking recovery, we can avoid
the impulse to promote our program of recovery, and the challenges that
would result from doing so.
Basing our policy on attraction means we must pay attention to what is
attractive—the NA message. We work to create a space where addicts feel
safe and comfortable and the message is clear. Unity, hospitality, and
empathy serve to create an atmosphere in which addicts can recover. When
there are members in the room with days and with decades; when there is
diversity of experience and culture; when we are open to new people and
welcoming to one another, we are attractive. Each of us is responsible for
making a meeting attractive.
Our recovery is real, and so is our concern for the addict who still suffers.
Our numbers are impressive, but our lives are even more so; the reality of
Narcotics Anonymous speaks more powerfully than statistics or slogans.
Around the world, addicts are recovering in Narcotics Anonymous. Each
time an addict gets to experience the message in a way she or he can
understand, we all grow. When a local translations committee completed
translation of the Basic Text, one of the members smiled and said, “Now no
one has the excuse that we don’t have literature in our language!” Our
principles are universal. They work for addicts in all walks of life, in scores
of languages, with all kinds of religious and cultural beliefs. The growth of
NA is proof of the power of our message. Still, even if we have millions of
members, if we don’t welcome the addict who walks through the door today,
we are not attractive.
The personal anonymity this Tradition demands also offers protection. It
protects us from the notoriety that might threaten our own recovery, it
protects the program from our personal shortcomings, and it sets the NA
message free to do its work beyond the limits our personalities present. The
spirit of recovery that comes through our meetings is greater than the sum of
its parts; each of us matters, and each of us serves best when we bring our
experience, strength, and hope in a spirit of anonymity, allowing it to become
part of the greater whole.
WORD BY WORD
Example: level
The word level, in Tradition Eleven, refers to a position relative to other
things. Tradition Eleven prompts us to set things in relation to each other, to
find equivalences. Sometimes this is easy and obvious; at other times the
challenge this presents is startling. Tradition Eleven was written before the
internet existed and before even television was in wide distribution. We
communicate much differently today, and the media by which we
communicate continue to evolve. So when we see the phrase “at the level of
press, radio, and films,” we are obliged to ask: What is equivalent today?
What is “at the level” that press, radio, and films were when our program
began? We need to think about the spirit of the Tradition—the principle at its
core—as we consider how to apply it now. What does it mean to maintain our
personal anonymity in a much less private world? We are called to practice
this Tradition with more vigilance than ever.
faith service anonymity integrity fidelity prudence discernment accoun

Example: respect
Respect is a particularly challenging principle for many of us. Practicing this
principle doesn’t necessarily mean that others respect us; it means we offer
others the respect we wish for ourselves, and that we respect ourselves
enough to walk in dignity and quiet strength. We don’t fight for respect; we
demonstrate it. We earn the respect of others by being respectful and
respectable ourselves, by standing on the merits of our program, and by
resisting the impulse to boast or brag, to defend or argue. We can explain
who and what we are with clarity, simplicity, and serenity. We no longer
need to sacrifice our self-respect for approval. Our actions and demeanor
show our respect for ourselves and our program. Anonymity is a key
principle in our practice of respect: We each set aside our desire for
recognition or approval—or our desire to hide—and stand together in dignity.
For Members
Tradition Eleven asks us to consider our personal anonymity and NA’s
relations with the public at the same time. Tradition Eleven asks us to
practice restraint. We do not call attention to ourselves personally, even when
we are sharing about the miracle of recovery in our lives. The practice of
personal anonymity allows our recovery to speak for itself and allows us to
live free of the risk that would come with being a spokesperson for NA.
Tradition Eleven tells us that not only is the truth enough—any attempt at
promotion thins out the truth, takes away from its power.
Tradition Eleven speaks about personal anonymity, keeping our
membership in NA confidential, where Tradition Twelve discusses
anonymity as the principle at the foundation of all our Traditions. Respecting
our own anonymity and that of our fellows is a great responsibility. In early
recovery, we may not be concerned about whether people outside NA know
we are addicts. Once our anonymity is compromised, we can’t get it back.
Once our families or employers know, they know. For some of us, personal
anonymity is vital. A casual mention could put our occupation or family
status at risk. If we make that choice for someone else, we rob them of the
opportunity to decide for themselves.
When people know we are in NA, we represent NA whether we mean to
or not. Tradition Eleven tells us that the choice to reveal our membership
comes with an obligation to protect NA’s public reputation. Even if we insist
that we don’t intend to represent NA, to the public we often do. A member
explained, “Every time I take a meeting into the county jail, I represent NA to
both the inmates and their jailors. Every time I wear an NA T-shirt, I need to
be aware that my actions—good or bad, in person or online—reflect on our
program in action to anyone watching. I need to act right when my actions
can affect someone’s opinion about NA.” Using social media puts us “in
public” more than we tend to think about. The old saying is true: We may be
the only Basic Text someone ever reads. Each of us is engaging in public
relations every time we are in public. Our behavior in a restaurant after a
meeting carries a message to everyone there. When we wear NA T-shirts or
jewelry, talk loudly about our recovery or our addiction—people notice. The
knowledge that “we are PR” is one more reason we try to practice principles
in all our affairs.
People are attracted to NA when they see the program work in our lives.
We don’t pretend that recovery gives us a perfect or conflict-free life; often,
the fact that we struggle and get through it clean is what makes recovery
attractive. “My sister dragged me to meetings and that never worked,” one
member recalled. “But over the years, I saw her life change and I knew NA
was working. When I was ready, her example was powerful.” If an addict
doesn’t want to get clean, we can’t help. When we refrain from pushing our
way on others, they are more likely to come to us when they do want help.
We don’t make false promises or guarantees, but we do make ourselves
available so that when an addict is ready, they can find us.
When we try to practice anonymity with an inflated ego, it hurts. That
pain shows that we have room for growth. Anonymity requires ego deflation.
Practicing namelessness leads us to deeper understandings of selflessness.
We experiment with anonymity: doing good deeds that no one knows about;
doing service that no one sees; keeping the confidences of others. We start to
experience the gift of giving freely. We begin to feel integrity, to know who
we are without depending on others to tell us. Much of what has been written
in NA about anonymity frames it as a sacrifice. In reality, it’s a gift. It’s
freedom.
When we don’t respect our own anonymity, the spiritual damage can
make us sick. We have a hard time being vulnerable, asking for help, or
trusting others with confidences we haven’t kept ourselves. When we set
ourselves up as an authority about NA or in NA, we set ourselves apart—
which ultimately means we end up alone. We give ourselves permission to be
human, and we free ourselves from the need to be right all the time. No one
of us speaks for NA.
Technology, communication, and the world at large have changed
dramatically since the Eleventh Tradition first took shape. Our relationship to
technology is much more intimate than it once was. It can be hard to tell the
difference between our public and private lives. A great deal of our online
activity is public, and we don’t always have control over the flow of
information. As members of NA, applying Tradition Eleven means we have a
responsibility to think about how we maintain our anonymity online. As a
Fellowship, we must consider the challenges presented to anonymity, and as
members, we must find practices of anonymity that honor the needs of NA.
Understanding spiritual principles allows us to make wise decisions. We
don’t all agree on which types of online interactions require anonymity and
which don’t, but it merits serious consideration from each of us.
Our service pamphlet Social Media and Our Guiding Principles is a
resource for practicing Tradition Eleven. We see from a new perspective
when we consider the effects of our actions. For some of us, participating in
social media is an important part of our lives; others don’t make use of these
sites at all. Our ability to control our social media presence is limited in part
by the actions and awareness—or lack of awareness—of those around us.
Our anonymity is more often compromised through thoughtlessness than
malice. Addressing these mishaps can be an opportunity to build
understanding, or it can leave us feeling alone and attacked. Raising our
concerns, and responding to the concerns of others in a spirit of love and
unity, allows us to come to an understanding we can live with. Over and over,
Tradition Eleven teaches us about the practical application of humility and
goodwill.
The most important things we do in Narcotics Anonymous come from a
spirit of selflessness. Setting our needs aside in service to a greater good is an
antidote for the self-obsession that plagues us. When we accept ourselves as
we are, owning our assets and liabilities, we are more attractive than when we
pretend to be something we’re not. Similarly, the NA public relations policy
depends on us staying true to exactly who we are and what we do, rather than
making outrageous claims. Tradition Eleven speaks to the value of attraction,
rather than promotion. As human beings, and as a Fellowship, we are enough.

NA members.
IN NA
1. What role did attraction or promotion play in how I found NA? How
does this shape my actions or attitudes as a member?
2. Under what circumstances might the public view me as a
representative of NA? Does my anonymity need protection in
relationships with the public that do not involve press, radio, or films?
3. How do I recognize when it’s important or necessary to maintain my
anonymity? How do I maintain personal anonymity at the level of
press, radio, film, and other public media?
4. Under what circumstances do I protect my anonymity? Under what
circumstances am I open about my membership in NA? How do I
decide what’s right for me and for NA?
5. Do I ever want to share about addiction or recovery in public? Have
there been times when I have tried to promote NA on a public level?
How can I talk about addiction or recovery while maintaining my
personal anonymity?
6. When have I compromised someone else’s anonymity? When has my
anonymity been compromised, and what were the consequences? What
could we have done differently? How can I respond in situations where
that’s a possibility?
7. How does our relationship to anonymity change after death? Do our
departed members still merit personal anonymity? How do we honor
them without compromising that principle for them or for NA?
IN ALL OUR AFFAIRS

12. In my day-to-day life, how can I serve as an attractive example of NA
recovery? In what ways might my actions be unattractive?
13. Under what circumstances would I reveal my NA membership? What
are some differences in the way I practice anonymity with family,
friends, and coworkers, at school, and elsewhere?
14. Are there any friends or family members to whom I’ve wanted or tried
to promote NA? What were the results? What is the difference between
attraction and promotion in those situations?
15. What does the phrase “responsible, productive member of society”
mean to me? How do I view my personal reputation?
16. Are there other areas of my life in which anonymity might be
important? How do I maintain my anonymity in those situations?
17. Do I need to practice attraction or promotion with any other clubs or
organizations I’m involved with? Does the practice of Tradition Eleven
in NA teach me anything that could be useful in understanding
membership in other groups?
18. Does maintaining my personal anonymity ever make it feel like I’m
living a double life? Am I sometimes overly public about my
membership in NA? How do I maintain personal anonymity and
personal integrity at the same time?
For Groups
Groups are the face of NA as much as they are its heart. For the most part,
groups are not engaged in the kind of public relations work that service
bodies undertake, but interacting with an NA group is often the first or only
experience members of the public have with NA. Our group’s relationships—
with the facility in which we meet, the neighbors around the meeting, and the
businesses we frequent—all reflect on NA as a whole. Any time we interact
with the world beyond our meetings, we are PR.
Simple things—being clear on our group’s conscience, knowing how to
contact the facility and having designated group members who interact with
them, being consistent and on time with our payment, and leaving the space
better than we found it—build relationships that last. When we are
responsible and consistent, we build trust. The trust we build in the
community makes people more comfortable with NA, makes it easier for us
to find meeting space, and helps us gain access to addicts in hospitals and
institutions. Our practice of goodwill helps the Fellowship to grow.
When we are approached with questions, it’s good to be prepared. If we
are clear as a group and as members about what NA is, what we do and what
we don’t do, our explanation can be simple and clear. When we are well
versed in our Traditions, we make it easier for others to respect our
Traditions, and to respect us. When our group meets the curiosity of its
neighbors with a friendly curiosity about the world around us, our
communications can be more than one-way information delivery. We are
always seeking ways to reach the addicts around us, and as we inform others
about what NA is we also find out more about how we can reach out. Most of
all, when we foster goodwill with those around us, we make NA attractive
and secure as a part of the community.
In our groups, Tradition Eleven has more to do with how we carry the
message than about our relationship to other organizations or “at the level of
press, radio and films.” In our group we create an atmosphere of attraction;
we remind one another to practice personal anonymity as well as keeping
confidences; and we strive to welcome and inform anyone who is new or
observing what NA is about.
We don’t tell people how to share, but we create an atmosphere of
recovery, a group format, and a group conscience that makes room for all to
feel welcome, share honestly, and find hope in Narcotics Anonymous. A safe,
secure atmosphere of recovery is attractive. We all are responsible to ensure
that addicts feel welcome and have the opportunity to experience Narcotics
Anonymous. Before we got clean, many of us were accustomed to seeing
others as a means to get something. It can take some of us a while to regard
each other with respect and care; in our groups we come to understand one
another’s humanity. When a group ensures that a newcomer is approached by
members who are trustworthy and concerned, we protect the addict and the
Fellowship.
Carrying the message is an act of faith and courage. There is a balance
between not promoting NA (or ourselves) and carrying a message of hope.
We allow our experience to speak for itself, and trust that others will hear
what they need. We don’t sell recovery like a used car. Our job in carrying
the message is not to present a sales pitch, but to share experience, strength,
and hope. We make NA available to all addicts. We cannot force recovery on
anyone, no matter how badly we want recovery for them, and we don’t need
to make false promises or guarantees to be attractive—our message of hope is
strong and true. We don’t need to promote NA in order to share a powerful
message. We share our experience and trust others to find what they need.
____________________________
1. What can our group do to help make our meetings attractive, safe, and
welcoming?
2. Does our group have a strong home group identity? Do we celebrate
group anniversaries, have home group T-shirts, or have other group-
specific events or customs? How do we enjoy these in a way that is
based on attraction, not promotion?
3. What in our meeting could be seen as promoting NA or a particular
group, rather than seeking to make NA attractive?
4. How does our group work to make sure we are viewed in a positive
light by the facility where we meet? In the neighborhood where our
meetings are held?
5. Does our group use any form of social media for communication
between members? If so, how can we preserve members’ anonymity
when we do? How can we take care not to exclude members who don’t
use social media?
6. How should our group respond if we are asked by the local media to
answer questions about drug addiction, about recovery, or other topics?
primary purpose?
In Service
We let people know who we are, what we do, and where to find us. Tradition
Eleven provides our service bodies with essential guidance. First, we don’t
make bold claims about our program of recovery, and don’t attempt to push it
on anyone; and second, we must be careful in how we present ourselves as
members of NA when we interact with members of the public.
Public relations and fellowship development go hand in hand. Fellowship
development helps support the growth and stability of NA communities, and
PR helps to build ongoing relationships with the people and institutions that
help NA to be recognized and welcomed by the communities, institutions,
and governments that may support or prevent our growth. We build
relationships over time in which these entities can learn about NA—and in
which we can learn how we can better communicate what we do.
Although the Eleventh Tradition is simple and straightforward, we have
needed a wide range of service material over the course of our history to
guide our trusted servants on interactions with the public. “Recovery and
Relapse” in our Basic Text reminds us, “Relationships can be a terribly
painful area” for us, and our difficulties in relating to others do not end with
our personal relationships. In NA service, relationships with the public affect
our ability to carry the message. Taking Tradition Eleven to heart as we serve
is how we ensure that those relationships have positive results.
Developing a public relations policy is more than just reaching out based
on our whims. Discussion, planning, and being strategic about how we carry
out and sustain that policy is important. Random or inconsistent outreach can
do more harm to our reputation than not reaching out at all; PR is one of the
areas of service in which we must be most cautious. It can also be some of
the most vital, and rewarding, work we do in Narcotics Anonymous. When
our public relations efforts are successful, we see it not only in the numbers
of newcomers finding their way to NA but in the goodwill we encounter in
the community. It gets easier to find meeting space; institutions welcome our
presence; professionals are more willing to refer addicts to NA and to listen
to us at events and conferences. Ultimately our goal is always the same: to
allow more addicts to stop using drugs and find a new way to live. We don’t
have to promise or compromise to build those relationships: we do have to
pay attention to the communities in which we meet and the concerns of those
we reach out to.
Continuity can be so important in these relationships. We don’t have to
send the same people every time we reach out, but others should know how
to reach us, and that if they contact us they will receive a prompt and
constructive reply. Just as we want to be available when the addict is ready,
we want to ensure that when others want to learn about Narcotics
Anonymous, we are ready to rise to the opportunity. In some regions,
outreach efforts in parks, at health fairs, or even at festivals have become
routine; in others, relationships with correctional facilities are so strong that
NA members behind the walls are able to participate in NA events on the
outside—either virtually or in person.
We carry the NA message and work to ensure that addicts seeking
recovery will know where to find us. That life-saving message may be all an
addict needs to have a chance. Our service efforts include a wider audience
than our Twelfth Step or our meetings. Helping the different types of people
we interact with to see the attractiveness of our message and our program
requires thought and creativity. Our Public Relations Handbook offers some
of our collective experience with how our service efforts can be most
effective in helping addicts seeking recovery to find NA.
Some communities have experienced public relations efforts that were so
successful that they overwhelmed the local groups. “We scheduled some
presentations with local government officials, including some drug court
counselors,” one PR chair shared. “They loved us so much that our meetings
were suddenly full. The people chairing meetings had a hard time keeping the
meetings running smoothly, and one group even received a noise complaint.”
In order to be successful, service efforts need not only to attract more people
to our meetings, but also to coordinate with groups to ensure that the groups
can support and sustain the growth.
We create events and activities to build unity, celebrate together, have
fun, and sometimes to raise funds. While the main focus of this type of
service isn’t to engage in public relations, the events we hold are still very
much a part of NA’s public image. Our events and activities often bring
trusted servants—and other members—into contact with the public. Whether
it’s the business where we print our T-shirts or the hotel lobby where our
members proudly wear those T-shirts, when we interact with the public as
NA members, we must be mindful of our behavior. One member shared, “At
our big convention every year, I’m always thinking of how the hotel workers
and convention center staff see us. If we are examples of NA recovery,
maybe a worker will think of NA when they have a friend or family member
who needs help with a drug problem.” No matter what the circumstances,
when we’re in situations where the public sees us as NA members, our
actions can make a difference in an addict’s life.
Our trusted servants have a responsibility to treat everyone with dignity
and respect. Similarly, we all have an obligation to treat our trusted servants
well. We are sometimes prone to an “us and them” mentality, and one place
in NA where we see this often is at events when there is a feeling of division
between the trusted servants and the members attending. The Second
Tradition essay in It Works: How and Why reminds us that “leadership in NA
is a service, not a class of membership.” We treat each other as fellows,
whether we’re the chair of a convention committee feeling a great sense of
responsibility for the event, or a member attending a campout with lots of
ideas about how the committee could do a better job. When we treat each
other well regardless of our role or position, both our recovery program and
our service efforts benefit.
We have a commitment to personal anonymity at the level of press, radio,
and film. Though this Tradition was written in a time before television was
common or the internet existed, the guidance applies just as well to those
forms of public media as any other. The Narcotics Anonymous name should
not be associated with any individual member, as a member, in any form of
media that is available to the general public. Whether a journalist calls to
interview an addict, or a committee decides to use the internet as a place to
hold service discussions, we take care not to put any of our members on
public view as members of NA. This may mean setting careful terms for how
a conversation can happen, or devoting time and effort to ensure that the
online tools we use to communicate about NA service aren’t visible to the
general public.
Trusted servants are not obligated to maintain personal anonymity in
every interaction with those outside NA. As an example, trusted servants
often must disclose their names and other personal information in order to
rent space for a meeting or an event. When the press or media are involved,
however, protection of the NA name means that members do not have the
ability to break their own anonymity as members of NA. Some NA members
do choose to identify as recovering addicts in the media; as long as the NA
name is not mentioned or implied, discussing addiction can be a personal
choice. We may choose to admit to being an addict, but Tradition Eleven
instructs us to keep our NA membership out of public media.
Tradition Eleven mentions a public relations policy. In NA service, we
have plenty of resources—handbooks, guidelines, and more. These tools all
help us to serve well, but ultimately the spirit of the Eleventh Tradition is our
best guide. We serve most effectively when our service helps NA to be
attractive to all who may need it.
WORKSHOP QUESTIONS
___________________________________
1. What is the difference between attraction and promotion? How does
this difference influence the services we carry out?
2. How does the behavior of our members around our meetings or in our
service efforts reflect on NA as a whole? Are we serving as examples
of recovery in our community, or do our relations with our neighbors
reflect poorly on NA?
3. What is the role of public relations service in the growth of NA in our
community?
4. What tools do we have to assess the PR needs in our community? Are
there professionals in our community who may not know about NA?
What do we do to make sure that professionals are able to find NA in
order to send addicts to us?
5. Are our PR efforts planned and considered, or do they happen
intermittently when someone gets interested? How consistently do we
follow through?
6. What holds us back from doing PR? Are our reservations based in
planning or fear? How can we support each other in our PR efforts?
How can we help our groups to carry the message when our PR efforts
are successful?
7. How does our policy of attraction rather than promotion affect the
service we do beyond PR? How else might this guide our efforts? Is
there anything our service body is doing now that might be improved
or changed by considering this policy?
8. Why shouldn’t any single member be a spokesperson for NA? What
can we do to avoid situations where a member might be seen as a
spokesperson for us?
9. What are some challenges or opportunities social media presents to
our public relations efforts? How do we ensure that the guidance of
this Tradition is applied to our use of communication tools? How do
we protect personal anonymity and NA’s reputation on the internet or
in social media? What can we do to restore NA’s reputation once it’s
been compromised?
efforts?
services?
Our Traditions help us to see how NA fits in the world. Traditions

Six and Seven clarify that we do not align with or indebt ourselves
to anyone outside of NA. Traditions Ten and Eleven provide us
with a specific vision for what NA says to the public: We express
no opinion on issues other than NA, and when we speak about our
program of recovery, we simply describe how it has worked for us.
Our Third Tradition reminds us that recovery works best when
members are free to come and go as they please, and our Eleventh
Tradition frees us from the need to push our program on others.
Navigating the relationship between NA and the outside world is
challenging. Our service materials, recovery literature, and
experienced members help to guide us.
Each of us discovers our own motivations, on our own time, to

humbly reach out for help from those who have found relief from
addiction. As we listen to experience and suggestions and work the
Steps, our lives improve. In turn, others will see the change in us
and, as they are ready, seek out our experience, strength, and hope.
The NA message does not need to be promoted. The fact that our
program continues to prove itself in the lives of many addicts is
attractive in itself.
When we share from the heart, we connect at the heart.
Whether it’s the first time or the thousandth, hearing an
addict tell the truth has the power to crack us wide open if
we set aside our judgment long enough to listen. Many of
us have shared or heard someone share about the beauty of
attending a meeting out of town: “The message was so
clear, because I didn’t know everyone’s story.”
Anonymity allows us to experience equality. We have spent

so much of our lives measuring our own value against our
beliefs about the value of others. Equality, acceptance, and
welcome are a tremendous relief. Simply belonging can be
refreshing.
We find a wellspring of hope in the lives of addicts

recovering around us. When we let go of our own opinions,
histories, and judgments of ourselves and each other, we
can feel the presence of a Power in our meetings, and we
can hear wisdom from any addict, if we are willing to listen
for it. One member suggested that any is short for
anonymous.
Anonymity opens us to grace. It frees us from obsession

with self and society, and it allows us to recognize our
Higher Power in the eyes of another human being.
Anonymity allows us to rise above who we think we are.
We all have the ability to find knowledge of our

Higher Power’s will for us and the power to
carry that out. Anonymity allows us to see it in
ourselves and in another addict—any addict.
Tradition Twelve
Tradition Twelve guides us to let go of all that keeps us from unity. We set
aside all the things that separate us and come together as “we.” That we
stands before everything we do. There is a vital link between Tradition
Twelve and Tradition One; they frame our Traditions and establish the spirit
in which our work will be done. When we embrace our anonymity, we
recognize that our common welfare is also our personal welfare. We can see
ourselves as part of the greater whole, and understand where we fit. Coming
from the alienation of addiction into membership, into anonymity, frees us
from the masks and pretenses that once got us through life. In anonymity we
are finally allowed to be ourselves.
Our principles have a purpose, as we have a purpose. We don’t recover by
sitting around pondering mysteries; applying these principles creates a way of
life, and a way to carry the message. This is a program of action, and our
principles only work when we are using them. They gain meaning as we
apply them. Tradition Twelve is not mysterious, but it grows in meaning and
richness as we practice all our Traditions, pray and meditate, and discover the
gifts within it. Until we incorporate a spiritual principle into our lives, it’s a
word on a page. We can only understand so much from reading a book—we
must live it to understand.
For most of us, anonymity begins as letting go. We set aside our
prejudices and beliefs about each other to place principles before each other’s
personalities, in order to hear the message. Soon we learn that it’s not just
other people’s personalities we set aside; it’s our own. We cannot fully
practice the Traditions without working the Steps, and Tradition Twelve
drives us to the work. Setting principles before personalities means, first, that
we must understand principles, and second, that we must be able to recognize
and set aside the chatter in our heads about who we are, and who others are,
that keeps us from hearing. When we learn to listen, we open ourselves to the
possibility of empathy.
What anonymity gives us is far greater than what it asks from us,
although we may struggle sometimes with the surrender. Anonymity allows
us to be human, and humane. When we are not defined by our success or
failure we can let ourselves, and each other, off the hook. The anonymity
Tradition Twelve describes supports and explains our personal anonymity,
but it’s bigger than that. Our spiritual foundation is not a question of whether
we know each other’s last names; it’s that we accept each other regardless of
who we are and what we have done. Anonymity is the beginning of equality;
we allow each other to be members, to recover in dignity, and to carry the
message to the best of our ability. The Twelve Traditions describe a
Fellowship that takes its collective guidance from spiritual principles rather
than from individual personalities. That selflessness is what the Twelfth
Tradition means by the word anonymity, and it is the spiritual foundation on
which NA is built.
WORD BY WORD
Example: foundation
A foundation is a base on which something is built. The foundation stands
under a structure, securing it and providing a steady footing. Our spiritual
foundation grounds us and keeps us secure. It goes deep, and provides
stability for everything we do. All of our efforts begin with unity and stand
on a foundation of anonymity. When we work toward the greater good,
allowing a loving Higher Power to be in charge, there is no limit to what we
can build.
When the word foundation is used regarding a principle, it means that this
idea is at the heart of everything that follows from it. Tradition Twelve says
that anonymity is our spiritual foundation, which means that every other
principle is built upon and supported by our application of anonymity.
faith service anonymity integrity fidelity prudence discernment accoun
Example: anonymity
Just as white light contains every other color within it, the principle of
anonymity contains every other spiritual principle. The core of our disease is
self-centeredness; its opposite is freedom from self. Anonymity is so much
more than not being identified by name, or having no name; it means we let
go of the things with which we have identified ourselves, and the ways in
which we expect recognition. Only when we let go of our preconceived ideas
of who we should be, or how we think we are perceived, do we get to find out
who we are.
Anonymity means that we surrender to being part of something greater than
ourselves. We are responsible to do the work to embrace our membership;
when we allow ourselves that privilege, we never have to do it alone again.
Anonymity frees us to be better than we have ever been. We don’t have to
worry about who we are and where we fit; we can be one of many, doing our
Higher Power’s will to the best of our ability, in a spirit of unity and
goodwill.
For Members
Allowing ourselves to experience anonymity is a great gift. We learn to trust
and be trustworthy. We learn to give with no expectations—not even
acknowledgment. The exercise of simple, anonymous service, like setting up
chairs or sweeping the floor after a meeting, helps us to feel like a part of the
group. Some of us take this further, trying to do something good daily that no
one knows about, or being of anonymous service in our communities.
When we first come to NA, we might think anonymity is just not
knowing each other’s last names or what we do outside NA—or we just see it
as the most difficult word to pronounce in our readings. Outside NA, most of
us experience a world where some people are in positions of authority or
privilege depending on their job, their education, or their role in society. We
may even be one of those who enjoy such privileges, but there is no room for
this kind of status in NA. Each of us is simply carrying and receiving the
message. This is one way we practice anonymity, and it guides us to place
our principles before our personalities.
We are equals here, regardless of our cleantime, service position,
sponsorship, or any role we play in our lives outside. This doesn’t mean we
leave our personalities at the door; all personalities are welcome in NA. By
taking the focus off our personal differences, anonymity allows addicts of all
backgrounds and personality types to recover together in unity. And yet, this
Tradition does not insist that we eliminate or ignore our differences. The
Tradition Twelve essay in It Works: How and Why tells us, “We enjoy the
color, the compassion, the initiative, the rough-and-tumble liveliness that
arises from the diverse personalities of our members. In fact, our diversity is
our strength.” Anonymity allows us to come together in all our diversity to
support fellow members and fulfill our primary purpose. “I was raised with a
certain set of beliefs about people, and my experience seemed to confirm
those beliefs. In recovery, I got to see people for who they are, not what they
are,” said a member.
Placing principles before personalities protects us from our own defects
of character. While it may take time for us to work through and trust the
process, as we grow in our recovery we learn that we don’t have to make our
personalities smaller; it’s through our differences and difficulties with each
other that we learn how to practice principles. When we hear a message from
a member we have conflict with, or see recovery working in the life of
someone we had no hope for, we start to understand that open-mindedness
doesn’t just help us tolerate others. It broadens our ability to hope. When we
see that the limits of our vision are not the limits of possibility, our faith
blossoms. Learning to hear each other, in meetings and in service, takes
practice. We test each other’s limits all the time, and each of us has particular
challenges with members or behaviors we cannot seem to tolerate. We don’t
have to like everyone in NA, but if we turn our attention to our reaction
rather than the person or thing we’re reacting to, we may find relief much
sooner.
Anonymity provides us with safety, both in NA and in our spirit. When
we let go of the need to judge and be judged, we can take risks, try new
things or ideas, and continue to grow, secure in the love of the Fellowship.
When we find ourselves outside that safety net, it’s mostly because we
choose not to be a part of. When we engage in selfish or destructive
behaviors, we are separating ourselves—often long before we actually
experience consequences. When we grasp or demand, we are not open to the
selfless exchange that is happening around us. Pride can take us outside that
circle. When arrogance and denial come together, we are in grave danger. We
desperately want to be somebody important, but we are terrified that we are
worthless. We forget about anonymity and go back into competition. The
consequence is that again we feel isolated, alone, and separate. Coming back
into the circle can take a great deal of courage, but once we make the leap it’s
not that hard. The love and acceptance we once found in the rooms is there
waiting for us, if we are willing to accept it.
Anonymity is a two-way street. We need the safety anonymity gives us to
grow and change, to take risks, and to keep coming back. But we also need to
trust in the spirit of anonymity that the help we need will be available—even
though it might not look like what, or who, we expected. There are some
things we only learn through pain, and there are times in recovery when each
of us will hurt. Humility helps us to practice anonymity; we can let go of our
demands and expectations of others. Faith in the Fellowship of NA is not the
same as relying on individuals. None of us is perfect, and none of us is
perfectly patient or available. Being willing to accept the help we need
regardless of where it comes from can be extraordinarily challenging. When
we let go of our expectations, we can give where it’s needed, receive where
it’s offered, and feel the presence of our Higher Power in the exchange.
Tradition Twelve brings calm to our lives. We can let go of drama and the
need for attention, and see what is real. In our lives outside NA as well,
letting go of the focus on personality—including our own—can allow us to
see what is happening, what we need, and what we can do. Not every area of
our lives is anonymous, but our practice of anonymity in Narcotics
Anonymous, and our understanding of anonymity as a spiritual principle,
grants us safety and security at our personal foundation. Living the principles
of our Traditions teaches us that we have value, that our lives have meaning,
and that we are worthy of love and acceptance.

________________________________
NA members.
IN NA
1. What are some differences between the personal anonymity in
Tradition Eleven and the principle of anonymity as it’s expressed in
Tradition Twelve?
2. What are some ways that I put principles before personalities when
I’m in a meeting? When I talk to my sponsor? When I sponsor other
members? When I talk to newcomers? When I talk to other members?
3. How do I practice principles before personalities when I have strong
feelings about someone, good or bad?
4. Does my desire to honor those who came before me sometimes affect
how I practice the principle of anonymity? Do members who serve, or
who have served, ever seem more important than others? Do I view
NA members as fitting into any sort of hierarchy?
5. When do I struggle with the principle of anonymity? Are there times
when equality is a struggle for me, or when that idea makes me
uncomfortable? Do I ever want to “pull rank” or establish authority?
Am I intimidated by some members, or are there times I just assume
that they’re right?
6. Do I respect the confidentiality of meetings? Is sharing what is heard
in a meeting always wrong? How do I determine the difference
between gossiping and expressing concern?
7. When do I struggle to serve selflessly? Do I want personal credit for
successes, or feel that members should take personal blame for
mistakes?
8. How can serving with humility give me the opportunity to know
freedom from the bonds of self? When have I experienced this for
myself?
9. Do members give up their anonymity when it comes to mistakes or
failures in service, including theft or other types of inappropriate
actions? How do we balance the need to hold one another accountable
with the need to keep principles before personalities?
10. How can I express my gratitude or appreciation for another member,
present or past, in the spirit of equality we value in NA? How do I
honor the contributions of members in a way that respects the guidance
of Tradition Twelve?
11. How does my practice of anonymity help to foster NA unity? How
does NA unity help me place principles before personalities?
12. How do these Traditions help me understand anonymity? How does
anonymity help me understand these Traditions? How do I practice
anonymity in terms of the Traditions?
IN ALL OUR AFFAIRS

16. What would it mean for anonymity to be my spiritual foundation?
What does this principle bring to my life, or change about my
thinking?
17. How does practicing principles before personalities help me to
experience unity outside NA? Can I apply the principle of anonymity
in my work, in my family, or in my community in ways that would
foster unity?
18. What is at risk when I place personalities before principles in my
personal relationships, at work, in school, or in community
organizations? How and when do I need to place principles before
personalities in these areas?
19. Do I struggle to accept credit for my accomplishments outside NA?
How do I balance these principles in places where receiving credit or
recognition is appropriate?
20. How can I apply principles of this Tradition in areas of my life outside
of NA where not everyone is regarded as equal?
21. Are there times in my life outside NA when I want to “call someone
out” in a way that would be hurtful or destructive? How can Tradition
Twelve help me to navigate conflict or anger?
22. What other areas of my life would benefit from the application of
selflessness? What would change in my relationships if I approached
them from a spirit of anonymity?
23. How do humility, anonymity, and unity work together and separately
in my life? What are some ways I practice these principles? When I
come from a place of unity and anonymity, how does my experience of
the world change?
For Groups
Tradition Twelve makes clear that the principle of anonymity is at the core of
all we do. Anonymity is so important to what we do, in fact, that it makes up
half our name, Narcotics Anonymous. For many of us, our understanding of
anonymity begins with recognition that recovery is easier when we can seek
help for our problem with some measure of privacy. Anonymity includes
keeping the identities of our fellow members confidential, but it is much
more than that. Anonymity establishes our right to equal membership in NA
and makes our groups a place where addicts of many backgrounds and
unique personalities come together to share recovery. The result is an
atmosphere of recovery capable of giving addicts enough hope to stay clean.
We come together as one, but in recovery we are neither nameless nor
faceless. Our distinct personalities, our diversity, and our experience are what
make up Narcotics Anonymous. None of us is better or worse, more or less
important, more or less worthy or likely to make it another day. Anonymity
gives us all a break and gives us each a chance.
Recovery is not a measurable commodity. When we live the NA program
to the best of our ability, we bring hope to the meeting. At some point in our
recovery, each of us goes through some darkness. Facing challenges and
struggling to live our principles doesn’t take away the reality of our recovery.
Our struggles are part of the process. Anonymity means that each of us brings
what we have to the group, and from that material a message develops. Each
of us is a part of that; none of us is the whole thing and none of us “ruins it,”
even when the best thing we’re doing is not picking up.
Our practice of anonymity makes it possible for us to experience unity,
and our contributions to the common welfare of NA improve our personal
recovery. We are a Fellowship of talented, creative, dynamic, and resourceful
people, but when we direct our energies only toward helping ourselves, many
of us end up feeling isolated, alienated, and alone. When we turn our
attention and our efforts toward helping each other, we may feel more like
ourselves than we ever have. Recovery gives us the freedom not just to be
ourselves but to see, perhaps for the first time, how valuable we truly are.
The anonymity we speak of in Tradition Twelve is much more than the
ideas of namelessness or confidentiality many of us associate with the word
anonymous. However, the practice of anonymity does involve being mindful
of these concerns. Tradition Twelve in It Works: How and Why notes that
many of our meeting formats include the statement that “what’s said in this
meeting stays in this meeting.” We all benefit from the freedom that comes
with being able to share from our hearts without being worried about public
disclosure of what we said. It can also be helpful to keep in mind that no one
practices all of our guiding principles perfectly at all times. We practice these
principles to the best of our ability, just for today.
We value privacy and confidentiality in NA, but we also learn to practice
discretion in what and how we share. The confidentiality we hope for in a
meeting is not the same as the deep sanctity of the sponsorship relationship.
We expect our sponsors to keep our confidences, and we build trust in others
over time. Not everyone in a meeting will honor that same degree of
confidentiality, even though we may wish they would. Strong groups foster
an atmosphere where members can share freely, but anonymity is still not a
guarantee of privacy. We each play a part in helping all our members feel
safe and secure in sharing.
Anonymity is important at the group level for another reason: Our groups
have their own identities. Our Fourth Tradition provides groups with the
autonomy to conduct their meetings as they see fit, as long as they adhere to
the guidance in the rest of the Traditions. The Fifth Tradition sets the job of
carrying our message ahead of anything else a group does. The personality
the group develops in its autonomy should always be in service to the task of
carrying the message as best we can. This is one way in which groups place
our principles first.
Another way can be found in the selection of trusted servants. The
members who make up a home group typically lend their personalities to the
identity of the group. Practicing the spirit of rotation when choosing our
group trusted servants can go a long way in helping the group to develop an
identity based on practices and principles rather than particular personalities.
The NA group, as The Group Booklet tells us, is “the foundation of the
NA service structure.” With anonymity as the spiritual foundation of all our
Traditions, the NA groups can establish the spiritual tone for all of our NA
service. Our groups are the place where our members first experience and
learn what anonymity means in the context of our Fellowship. The better our
groups embody the loving guidance found in all our Traditions, the better our
members will be equipped to grow in recovery, serve selflessly, and
contribute in the spirit of goodwill to our primary purpose.

____________________________
1. What are some of the ways our group practices anonymity? How do
these relate to how we treat each other and how we fulfill our primary
purpose? How else is the spirit of anonymity practiced at our group?
2. How do we acknowledge the value of members’ service contributions?
How can we encourage selfless service while maintaining a focus on
anonymity? Do we sometimes base our service on motives other than
selflessness?
3. What can we do to help keep principles before personalities in our
recovery meetings? In our group conscience/business meetings?
4. How do members’ personalities contribute to our group’s identity? Are
there particular personalities that dominate or define us as a group or in
our meetings? How do we keep principles first when our personalities
are strong?
5. What processes do we go through to select our trusted servants? How
does observing the principle of rotation help keep our group healthy?
6. Do we treat everyone who attends our meeting as equal? Are there
some ways or times we fall short, and if so, how? What can we do to
ensure that all members are shown respect?
7. What kinds of things are appropriate to take with us from the meeting,
and what should we leave behind? What is the difference between
anonymity and confidentiality? What responsibility do we have to help
protect the confidentiality of those who share?
8. Are we more willing to tolerate bad behavior from some members than
we are from others? Do we have different standards for use of time or
other behavior within our meeting, depending on who’s involved?
9. Might long-standing friendships or shared sponsorship within our
group seem exclusive? How can our practice of unity extend to include
everyone at the meeting? What draws our attention to the ways people
might feel left out? What do we do when we notice?
primary purpose?
In Service
Being of service takes us out of ourselves and focuses us on the greater good.
Service can be a tremendous relief—we get a reprieve from the self-
centeredness at the core of our disease. It is a gift to be able to set aside the
burden of self-obsession and focus on principles.
We have many reasons for getting involved in service, and sometimes
those reasons are far from selfless. Most of us who have stuck around for
years or decades have at some time or another found ourselves driven by
mixed motives—to boost our egos or get recognition, or just to get our way.
When we experience success or achieve big accomplishments in service, we
may struggle to find comfort with selflessness once more. Even when we
know better—we may not want our name over the door of the meeting hall,
but we want the respect and credit that seem to be our due. No matter how
justified we may feel, self-centered service can be destructive. If our work is
not grounded in spiritual principles, at some level it may not be service.
When we serve NA from a genuine desire to give back and to carry the
message, our spirit and our Fellowship both benefit.
We are the ones who make NA happen. Our service centers may employ
special workers, but there are no professional recovering addicts. A member
shared, “I get asked to take leadership positions a lot, because I have more
cleantime than most people in the room. I have to think carefully about that—
whether it’s wise, whether I should step aside and let someone else have a
chance, or whether my experience is really needed. I can only get to the right
answer if I keep my ego in check.”
We must take care not to treat any one member as if they were more or
less important than another. This can be even more of a challenge than the
struggles we have with those of whom we are naturally suspicious. When we
allow our more charismatic members to get away with something, we harm
them as much as ourselves. We set ourselves up for conflict and disunity.
Acting in ways that lack integrity can become habitual: When we get away
with it for a while, we start to forget that what we are doing is wrong. When
it starts feeling “normal” for some members to have prestige or for the rules
to apply only sometimes, we are not respecting the spirit of anonymity. The
idea that we place principles before personalities means that NA service must
never be a popularity contest.
Our relationships in service reflect the relationships in our lives. We can
come to these relationships in a spirit of harmony and love, or from a place of
suspicion and fear. Trusting each other doesn’t mean that we reject
accountability; we put routines in place to protect ourselves, and our trusted
servants, from the types of mistakes we, as addicts, are liable to make. Active
trust involves helping each other bring our best to the process. When we
serve together in a spirit of love, we remember why we are all here.
Differences of opinion that threaten to tear us apart begin to shrink to
proper proportion when we focus on our primary purpose. Our task in Step
Twelve is to help each other in a spirit of anonymity. Regardless of our
personal differences, we help save each other’s lives. This can be particularly
challenging when we have personal history that has given us good reasons to
dislike or distrust each other. The trust this Tradition asks us to practice is not
blind. Especially after we have been here a while, we know what kinds of
defects addicts tend to act out on, and we know the people we serve with.
Placing principles before personalities is easier said than done. In service, we
persist in tolerance, forgiveness, and hope. We find the courage to address
sensitive matters—which may bring an emotional reaction from other
members—and the wisdom to exercise compassion when doing so. We allow
each other to recover in dignity and to serve with selflessness, because we
know a Power greater than ourselves is present in the process. This exercise
in anonymity will continue to challenge us throughout our recovery.
Personalities themselves don’t conflict with principles, but sometimes our
actions do. We may have to check ourselves: Is this person actually out of
line, or are we just frustrated by who they are? Is this member really the best
one for the role, or are we voting for them because they are our friend, or
because we want them to like us? Are we responding to their actions or their
personalities? Are we asking some members to adhere more closely to
guidelines than others? If an action is wrong, it’s wrong no matter who is
doing it. If an action is right, it deserves our support no matter who is doing
it. Walking that walk is what it means to have integrity.
Serving in a spirit of anonymity can be amazingly freeing. We are able to
focus on what is being said, not who is speaking. Listening is an essential
part of service, and many of us learn these skills for the first time when we
serve as secretary or chairperson. We can help a member with whom we
disagree find the words to make their point. Our willingness to hear each
other and help each other in service in this way reaffirms our understanding
that we aren’t out to gain anything from another’s recovery except gratitude
in seeing each other recover. We get to feel that quiet satisfaction in being
useful, as one of our Basic Text stories says.
We learn to trust the process. Of course, trust doesn’t always come easily.
A member shared, “I have to let go and trust that, while they may not be
doing the task the way I would do it, it’s getting done and it will be all right.
Their way might be good too. Their way might even be better!” If we stick
around long enough, we sometimes get to see the ideas we opposed actually
work out for the best—because they were right, or because we learned
through the experience. And we see our ideas and contributions make a
difference in shaping NA. It may take a long view to see the fruits of our
labor. We don’t give up, whether it’s five minutes or ten years before the
miracle happens.
We come together in unity not in spite of our differences, but with great
pleasure in them. We have such a wide variety of experience and perspective
to share with each other and to help us carry our message. Service in NA is
anonymity in action. We act in a spirit of equality and goodwill, setting none
of us above others. We celebrate each other’s successes, even when we have
disagreed profoundly. We serve not for recognition or approval but to help
carry our message to the addict who suffers. When we serve in a spirit of
anonymity we remember that our unity must come first, and that the powerful
relationship between the First Tradition and the Twelfth holds us together,
even when we feel like we will surely come apart.
The power of Tradition Twelve in our service allows us to bear witness to
greatness, to find joy and comfort in work, and to participate in making
Narcotics Anonymous. A just-for-today program is always beginning anew.
Each of us is founding NA, today, right where we are. Each of us is building
hope for ourselves and for the addict yet to come. We know that the work we
do in service has effects far past our ability to see or imagine. Allowing
ourselves to be part of this work is a gift to ourselves even more than to those
we serve.
WORKSHOP QUESTIONS
___________________________________
1. Why is anonymity so important in service? How does practicing this
principle change how we approach our service efforts?
2. Does our approach to service change when we allow those we serve to
have anonymity? When we allow it for those with whom we serve?
When we apply it to ourselves? How do our service efforts together
change when each of us practices this Tradition?
3. Discuss the connection between unity and anonymity. How does our
practice of anonymity support unity? Can we experience unity without
anonymity? When we practice anonymity and unity together, what
about our service efforts changes?
4. What part does anonymity play in our selection of trusted servants?
How can we consider qualifications, requirements, and skills without
making it personal?
5. Do we hold some members to a higher standard than others? Do we
excuse behavior in some that we do not tolerate from others?
6. What can we do to be more inclusive in our service efforts? How can
we attract and retain members in service? How do we balance our need
for continuity with the practice of rotation?
7. Do we treat more experienced trusted servants as if they have greater
authority or importance than those who are newer to the work? Do our
efforts at consensus offer equal respect and importance to everyone’s
input?
efforts?
services?
Our Traditions as a whole are about learning to love. We learn to

live in peace and dignity with others, to take care of ourselves as
we reach out to help, to offer a hand without overstepping or
demanding anything in return. Our concern for others is no longer
based in what they can do for us, or even whether or how much we
like them. We care because we share a common problem and a
common solution, and in that we find common ground and
common purpose.
Anonymity offers us spiritual safety, an ability to see the work of a

Power greater than ourselves all around us. We begin to trust that
force as a presence for goodness in our own lives. We learn to take
risks, trust, share, and care. Anonymity is not the natural state of an
addict, although many addicts die nameless and alone. Anonymity
opens our heart to the addict who is suffering whether that person
is known or unknown to us, whether we have reason to trust or
mistrust, whether we are afraid or alone or busy or we are ready to
reach out, right now, today. When we reach out a loving hand in a
spirit of anonymity and faith, a Power greater than ourselves is at
work. In anonymity, we are free to be ourselves and to carry and
receive a message of hope with the addict who suffers, regardless
of whenever, wherever, or whoever they might be.
ALL WILL BE WELL
“They are truly the ties that bind us together. It is only through
understanding and application that they work.”
There are many ways to approach our Traditions. We study and practice them
differently around the world and around the neighborhood. It seems like a
paradox to say at once that they are not negotiable and that we practice them
differently—but it’s that simple. Our principles are the same. They are
universal because they are true, and they work. Whether we write about these
principles, discuss them with other members, or simply practice them in our
groups, each of us comes to an understanding for ourselves. The principles do
not change, but as we grow and mature in recovery, as the base of our
personal experience widens, our understandings of the Traditions deepen.
When we come together in unity and goodwill, we weave our varied
experience and understanding into a single, clear voice. A group finds its
conscience not through uniformity, but by coming to a shared understanding
and putting that into action.
None of our Traditions stands alone. We cannot practice some and not
others. We do best when we don’t try to “enforce” one Tradition or another,
at the expense of unity or at the expense of another addict’s right to
membership. Instead, we share perspectives and lessons and trust our fellows
to follow their conscience as we follow ours. Carrying our message can be a
life-and-death proposition for us, and a loving Higher Power is our ultimate
authority. Each of us has the choice to be a member of Narcotics
Anonymous, and all members are equal. When we practice the Twelve
Traditions, we are creating a Fellowship that takes its guidance from spiritual
principles rather than individual personalities.
In our NA groups, the Traditions guide us to create an atmosphere of
recovery in which we can find the identification and empathy we so
desperately need. In service, the Traditions keep us on course. They guide us
to work together in a spirit of unity and interact with those around us in ways
that are appropriate and productive. The Traditions teach us as individuals
what it means to be members of a Fellowship, and how to live within our NA
communities. We also learn more about who we are in relation to family,
community, work, and intimacy. The principles we learn in the Traditions
become part of what we practice in all our affairs. They bring peace in our
hearts and unity in our lives.
The spirit of service is a blend of passion and compassion. Addicts are
remarkable, resourceful, and creative. When we get excited about something,
there’s no telling how far we can go with it. The Twelve Traditions guide us
to moderate our enthusiasm with clarity about what matters to us and the
wisdom of experience. When we know our purpose, our work can be focused.
When we can see the pitfalls awaiting us, we can take action to avoid them
before we stumble. Our Traditions show us our purpose, our path, and the
obstacles in our way. We go forward with optimism and caution, with joy and
hope. We learn from our own experience and from the experience of those
who have gone before us. Willingness fuels our action; open-mindedness
allows us to learn from experience and to bring imagination and creativity to
our service without losing sight of our principles.
Recovery didn’t begin for us when we wished for it; it began when we
heard a message and started taking action to save our lives. We can’t take
creative action if we are afraid to take a risk. In service, in our lives, in our
relationships, we apply the principles of recovery to the best of our ability.
Even when we try our best, we will sometimes make mistakes. In these
moments, it can help to remember that we are in the care of a loving Higher
Power. We learn in our personal struggles that recovery is strong enough to
withstand the storms of life. We learn through service that the NA program is
strong enough to hold us all, and our principles are more powerful than our
worst ideas. We work together to face the challenges that arise in service and
also to solve the problems that we create. When we take on the task in a spirit
of love, unity, and compassion, we turn painful learning moments into
opportunities for forgiveness, growth, and transformation.
Creative action keeps us moving forward. Anonymity in action keeps us
out of our own way, ensuring that our principles always come before our
personalities. Our principles are primary, just as our purpose is primary.
Anonymity in action describes how we act. What we do is up to us, as long as
we are moving in the right direction—toward our primary purpose, focused
on the addicts who still suffer.
The Traditions serve to define the first word of the First Step: “We.”
Suffering addicts, hopeless and desperate, have come together and built a
Fellowship that is saving lives around the world. NA wasn’t created by a
bunch of well-meaning observers, and in each new place where NA grows,
addicts in that community get clean, find a new way of life, and carry the
message to still-suffering addicts. The process is the same from Brazil to
Brussels, from Kentucky to Kenya, from Sydney to Seoul. Our Traditions tell
the story and offer the tools to help us do that same thing over and over: stop
using drugs, lose the desire to use, find a new way to live. And go help
another addict.
Each of us, every day, is creating Narcotics Anonymous. Each new day,
we are beginning. And the process of serving selflessly, carrying the
message, building our Fellowship, “growing our we”—that process heals our
hearts and lifts our spirits. Every addict in Narcotics Anonymous expands the
possibility of freedom for every other addict in Narcotics Anonymous.
Sometimes we know who saves our lives; often we have no idea what chain
of events leads to us hearing what we need when we need it. Our collective
wisdom grows every day. Our Traditions teach us how to take that wisdom—
our shared experience, strength, and hope—and apply it to help ourselves and
our fellow addicts, today and every day.
Like a lighthouse on the rocky shore, guiding us away from danger, the
Twelve Traditions of Narcotics Anonymous help us navigate in accordance
with our principles, our purpose, and our paths. This is not the final word on
our Traditions, but the beginning of a journey with the principles as our
guide. So long as we follow this way, all will be well.
TWELVE STEPS OF NARCOTICS
ANONYMOUS
1. We admitted that we were powerless over our addiction, that our lives
had become unmanageable.
2. We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore
us to sanity.
3. We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of
God as we understood Him.
4. We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the
exact nature of our wrongs.
6. We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of
character.
7. We humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. We made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to
make amends to them all.
9. We made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except
when to do so would injure them or others.
10. We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong
promptly admitted it.
11. We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious
contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge
of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we tried to
carry this message to addicts, and to practice these principles in all our
affairs.
TWELVE TRADITIONS OF NARCOTICS
ANONYMOUS
1. Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends on
NA unity.
2. For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority—a loving
God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders
are but trusted servants; they do not govern.
3. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop using.
4. Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other
groups or NA as a whole.
5. Each group has but one primary purpose—to carry the message to the
addict who still suffers.
6. An NA group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the NA name to
any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money,
property or prestige divert us from our primary purpose.
7. Every NA group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside
contributions.
8. Narcotics Anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional, but our
service centers may employ special workers.
9. NA, as such, ought never be organized, but we may create service
boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.
10. Narcotics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the NA
name ought never be drawn into public controversy.
11. Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than
promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level
of press, radio, and films.
12. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions, ever
reminding us to place principles before personalities.
TWELVE CONCEPTS FOR NA SERVICE
1. To fulfill our fellowship’s primary purpose, the NA groups have
joined together to create a structure which develops, coordinates, and
maintains services on behalf of NA as a whole.
2. The final responsibility and authority for NA services rests with the
NA groups.
3. The NA groups delegate to the service structure the authority
necessary to fulfill the responsibilities assigned to it.
4. Effective leadership is highly valued in Narcotics Anonymous.
Leadership qualities should be carefully considered when selecting
trusted servants.
5. For each responsibility assigned to the service structure, a single point
of decision and accountability should be clearly defined.
6. Group conscience is the spiritual means by which we invite a loving
God to influence our decisions.
7. All members of a service body bear substantial responsibility for that
body’s decisions and should be allowed to fully participate in its
decision-making processes.
8. Our service structure depends on the integrity and effectiveness of our
communications.
9. All elements of our service structure have the responsibility to
carefully consider all viewpoints in their decision-making processes.
10. Any member of a service body can petition that body for the redress of
a personal grievance, without fear of reprisal.
11. NA funds are to be used to further our primary purpose, and must be
managed responsibly.
12. In keeping with the spiritual nature of Narcotics Anonymous, our
structure should always be one of service, never of government.
A VISION FOR NA SERVICE
All of the efforts of Narcotics Anonymous are inspired by the primary
purpose of our groups. Upon this common ground we stand committed.
Our vision is that one day:

• Every addict in the world has the chance to experience our message in
his or her own language and culture and find the opportunity for a new
way of life;
• Every member, inspired by the gift of recovery, experiences spiritual
growth and fulfillment through service;
• NA service bodies worldwide work together in a spirit of unity and
cooperation to support the groups in carrying our message of recovery;
• Narcotics Anonymous has universal recognition and respect as a viable
program of recovery.
Honesty, trust, and goodwill are the foundation of our service efforts, all of
which rely upon the guidance of a loving Higher Power.

Guiding Principals The Spirit of Our Traditions

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Guiding Principals The Spirit of Our Traditions

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What is the purpose of the Twelve Traditions?

What is the purpose of the Twelve Traditions?

What is the purpose of the Twelve Concepts for NA Service?

What is the purpose of the Twelve Concepts for NA Service?

Twelve Steps, Twelve Traditions, and Twelve Concepts

reprinted for adaptation by permission of AA World Services, Inc.

World Service Office

World Service Office–CANADA

World Service Office–EUROPE

World Service Office–IRAN

ePUB Edition first published 2019.

This is NA Fellowship-approved literature.

The dictionary associated with this ePub is provided as a standard

All Will Be Well

About This Book

OPENING AND CLOSING READINGS

WORD BY WORD AND SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLES

GROUP INVENTORY AND SERVICE WORKSHOPS

Our willingness to come together in unity and anonymity

NA unity is our bond with fellow addicts: those

unity surrender acceptance commitment selflessness love anonymity s

QUESTIONS FOR MEMBERS

IN ALL OUR AFFAIRS

GROUP INVENTORY QUESTIONS

The First Tradition makes clear that if we are to thrive as individual

Each of us is healthier in some ways than in others. We

The Second Tradition assures us that NA will be there for

When we trust the process, we are free to

unity surrender acceptance commitment discernment selflessness love

QUESTIONS FOR MEMBERS

IN ALL OUR AFFAIRS

Working the Steps deepens our understanding of

NA membership creates connection and belonging. We are

The most powerful message we carry is the

tolerance compassion anonymity humility patience generosity welcome

IN ALL OUR AFFAIRS

GROUP INVENTORY QUESTIONS

Our Third Tradition offers relief from reservations we might have

This simple declaration makes a commitment to unity, anonymity,

When we make a decision to try NA, we have no idea where it will

Our experience of freedom is no longer a simple absence of

We balance autonomy with responsibility. When we keep

Having a purpose makes our freedom meaningful. We need

independence freedom responsibility open-

QUESTIONS FOR MEMBERS

IN ALL OUR AFFAIRS

GROUP INVENTORY QUESTIONS

Autonomy—the ability to make decisions for ourselves—is part of

Tradition Four frees us from the need to regulate the behavior of

The Fifth Tradition restores purpose to our lives: carrying a

Narcotics Anonymous has grown from a dream to a

Instead of chasing empty goals, today we are

integrity responsibility unity anonymity commitment empathy service

QUESTIONS FOR MEMBERS

IN ALL OUR AFFAIRS

GROUP INVENTORY QUESTIONS

When our groups are focused on their primary purpose of carrying

The better we get at staying present with the things that

When we resist the impulse to get diverted, to