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The Twelve Traditions of Narcotics Anonymous
"We keep what we have only with vigilance and just as freedom for the individual comes from the Twelve Steps so freedom for the groups depends on knowledge of our Traditions. As long as the ties that bind us together are stronger than those that would tear us apart, all will be well."
When our Traditions are violated, the special love that powers this Fellowship cannot flow. When we feel hatred or tension, a quick look to the Traditions can sometimes identify the cause. Imposing one's will on another in the grip of a powerful emotion is likely to be faulty in some important regards. Best to pray. Spiritual strength is usually accompanied by a sense of calm. More than most people, we need to remind ourselves that God is the real worker of miracles here. At best, we are but instruments of our Higher Power.
Seeing the Fellowship as the extension of some officialdom beyond what each of us carries in our hearts is a threat to our freedom. We put recovery and our spiritual needs first. We can tell if something is right or not by looking into our heart. Narcotics Anonymous is the spiritual moment that an addict discovers within themselves the strength to stay clean one more day. When we share this with even one other addict, we activate something we call Narcotics Anonymous. This moment is what we share together in recovery and it is the heart of our program.
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. NA 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.
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