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For people struggling with a substance use disorder, a Southern California rehab is the first and most important step towards sobriety. Rehab helps people to get medical, mental, and emotional care during the first and hardest days of sobriety. However, you do not automatically lose all drug cravings just because rehab sets you on the right path. Many people still deal with temptation after rehab ends, so it is important to get proper care in the months and even years after recovery. Regularly attending Southern California NA Meetings can help reduce your relapse risks. Here are some important things to know about attending NA meetings in Southern California after your rehab.
How Common Are NA Meetings in Southern California?
If you are looking for Southern California NA meetings, you are in luck. As the birthplace of NA, California is filled with meetings. There are currently 470 groups located throughout the Southern California Region. Furthemore, most of these groups hold several meetings each month. Altogether, there are 879 meetings to choose from each month in Southern California.
There is quite a lot of variety in these groups. There are roughly 300 virtual meetings you can attend if you are homebound, ill, or travel frequently. Over 150 meetings directly address the needs of LGBTQ+ addicts. There are also 50 meetings for women only and about 20 for teens and young people.
The History of Narcotics Anonymous
Narcotics Anonymous, or NA for short, has its roots in the Alcoholics Anonymous program founded in California in the 1930s. Though AA was mostly used for people dealing with alcoholism, many people with other types of drug addiction started attending the meetings. The effectiveness of 12-step programs ensured that they ended up spreading throughout the nation. By the 1950s, many addicts were setting up separate 12-step groups specifically for those with a drug addiction instead of an alcohol addiction.
In 1953, Narcotics Anonymous officially became its own separate group. Unlike AA, it focused more on the core problem of addiction instead of the dangers of alcohol. They still used the same meeting structure and 12-step method as AA, but they welcome anyone with any sort of substance abuse problem. This provides help to people dealing with a wide range of drug addictions.
Are the 12 NA Steps Actually Helpful?
The 12 NA steps are:
As you can see, the official NA steps are filled with spirituality and considering how your addiction has affected those around you. For those who are religious, NA can be an extremely useful tool for considering how your religion may assist you with sobriety. It can provide a lot of mental and emotional peace to work on your sobriety in a spiritual environment.
Even those who are not religious may find that the NA 12-step program provides them with help. The welcoming environment and emphasis on community can give you a lot of support in the later stages of recovery. A study that looked at how 12-step programs helped both religious and secular members showed that regular participants were four times as likely to maintain sobriety over a six month period.
How Does the NA Sponsorship Program Work?
One of the big reasons NA is so effective is the sponsorship program. A sponsor is an NA member who works to assist other recovering addicts along their journey. There are no official rules about who can be a sponsor since NA operates on a platform of democratic agreement and personal freedom. However, most groups agree that a sponsor will be most effective when they have been clean for at least a year, have a thorough knowledge of the NA steps, and are not the gender that is sexually preferred by their mentee. Some groups may encourage newcomers fresh out of rehab to ask around and find a sponsor on their own while others may help pair available mentors with those interested in sponsorship.
The sponsorship process provides a lot of benefits for both the sponsor and the mentor. It gives both people a sense of accountability and support as they work to stay sober. A sponsor is not responsible for the sobriety of their mentee. Instead, they are meant to be a friend who helps the mentor grow. A mentee gets a lot of valuable advice from their sponsor, while a sponsor may find that the responsibilities of their position help them work towards being a better person.
How to Find the Right Southern California NA Meeting for You
As one of the leading southern California rehab centers, Mission Harbor is happy to help you find NA meetings in the area. We are committed to helping people with long-term sobriety. Our partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs give you the tools you need to confront work towards sobriety, and we also provide aftercare assistance for those who are ready to leave our program. If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, our team is here for you. Contact us now to discuss treatment or ask us any other questions about substance abuse disorders.
The facilities at Mission Harbor are staffed with trained experts to best assist patients with their mental health issues. We are capable of dealing with any and all cases with a licensed staff, equipment, and approved techniques. Our mission is to help those who want to help themselves, and we support your decision in seeking help.
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