Nar-Anon Stories
The following are the personal stories of hope from RMR members.
I have always had an addict in my life: parents, siblings and children. Before I attended Nar-Anon meetings, I was very frustrated, angry, sad and alone. I even felt that if I died, no one would care. I felt unloved and misunderstood. I wanted more than anything for my addicted loved ones to find sobriety, so that I could finally be happy and have the life I had always dreamed of.
I came to Nar-Anon because someone suggested it. What I learned about addiction was mind-blowing. My family and I have been so deeply enmeshed with it, for more years than we will ever know.
I wish that I could remember exactly how I found It Starts With Us NFG, or that I could recall the first meeting that I attended, but the memory has eluded me. I sometimes get jealous of other members who can recall exactly how they found this meeting, and the things they heard that night, and until this day can still remember. God's plan for me was different.
My personal journey with addiction started when I figured out at age nine that my mother had a drinking problem.
Before coming to Nar-Anon, I was beaten down and broken over my young daughters drug use and constant relapse. It didn't matter how much money I spent in rehabs, it didn't fix her problem.
I came to Nar-Anon two years ago because the addict in my life was in recovery, and strongly suggested that I go. I never thought I would see him using, ever.
I keep coming back to Nar-Anon because I have felt so welcomed and at home. I felt a strong connection with members when I attended my first It Starts With Us meeting.
Although I came into Nar-Anon in hopes to figure out the missing puzzle piece to fix my addicted loved one, what I came out with was so much better!
My daughter entered rehab for the second time, this time as a willing participant. She was asked to leave treatment after a week because she was caught using and was sent back to jail again.
I found myself completely devastated, lost, full of fear, confused, alone… Now that I am a member of Nar-Anon I have found hope, peace, people who understand, and I know that I can be happy, joyous and free, no matter what the addict is doing or not doing!
Nar-Anon is the wind beneath my wings without which I would never get off the ground.
At my first meeting, I heard I should attend six meetings before I decided if Nar-Anon was for me. After six meetings, I felt so much better I decided to go to 90 meetings in 90 days.
Like medication, recovery from any serious interpersonal issue takes consistency and effort to be effective and, like medicine, if you stop it will no longer be effective. This is why we must be patient for results, as change doesn't happen overnight, but it works if you decide you want to put the effort into it.
The addicts' drug use was too much for me to live with alone. Nar-Anon members supported and loved me through it all.
At my first meeting, I heard I should attend six meetings before I decided if Nar-Anon was for me. After six meetings, I felt so much better I decided to go to 90 meetings in 90 days.
I was dying from a drug I never put in my body.
When a complete stranger told my story, I knew Nar-Anon was the answer I was seeking.
The addict and my circumstance have not changed, but my perspective has.
I can be happy, joyous, and free no matter what the addict is doing or not doing.
My serenity is not dependent on someone else’s sobriety.
I'm learning a new way to L-O-V-E: LETTING OTHERS VOLUNTARILY EVOLVE
I have always had an addict in my life: parents, siblings and children. Before I attended Nar-Anon meetings, I was very frustrated, angry, sad and alone. I even felt that if I died, no one would care. I felt unloved and misunderstood. I wanted more than anything for my addicted loved ones to find sobriety, so that I could finally be happy and have the life I had always dreamed of.
Attending Nar Anon meetings have been a life changing and life saving decision for me. I learned that addiction is a disease that my addicted loved ones suffered from. It’s not a matter of their love for me, but their illness that causes them to behave the way they do. More importantly, I learned I was affected by this disease, too. This explains my thoughts, feelings and reactions to my addicted loved ones, and even the world around me. I now understand that the feelings of being unloved and misunderstood were coming from me.
Working the steps with a sponsor has helped me love and understand myself in ways I never thought of. I realized that my happiness and living the life of my dreams is always available to me, regardless of what kind of life my addicts are living. By working on my recovery through Nar Anon, I am taking loving action toward myself. And when I can love myself enough to change my life, maybe I can be an example to others as well.
I came to Nar-Anon because someone suggested it. What I learned about addiction was mind-blowing. My family and I have been so deeply enmeshed with it, for more years than we will ever know.
Nar-Anon has changed my life in many ways, but above all my spirituality has been greatly increased by working the twelve step program. I have been able to let go and let the God of my understanding handle what I was unable to accomplish on my own.
Thank you Nar-Anon for opening my eyes to my Higher Power and changing my perception about the disease of addiction. Everyday I strive to be a better me and am grateful for all my blessings, including my qualifier who is my beautiful, young daughter.
I wish that I could remember exactly how I found It Starts With Us NFG, or that I could recall the first meeting that I attended, but the memory has eluded me. I sometimes get jealous of other members who can recall exactly how they found this meeting, and the things they heard that night, and until this day can still remember. God’s plan for me was different.
I had been in and out of the fellowship for many years, only showing up when I was in crisis. I had the opportunity to share all of my mess in front of a captive audience, who patiently listened and did not judge me. They just kept telling me to keep coming back. Surprisingly enough, I could not understand why others were finding peace and serenity, and I was not. It was not until ine year ago, when I decided to commit to myself and to my home group, to get a sponsor and work the twelve steps of Nar-Anon, that I began to see the light. This group has taught me so much about myself, and how to live my life to its fullest, whether my addicted loved one is in active addiction or in recovery.
Today, I will keep coming back for myself, and for those who may come after me, lost and confused, and needing the help that I have found here. When my life was in chaos, and I had lost all hope, and felt no one understood what I was going through, I came back to the rooms. Someone was always there to offer healing and understanding, along with a boatload of experience, strength and hope. I am a forever grateful member of Nar-Anon.
My personal journey with addiction started when I figured out at age nine that my mother had a drinking problem.
It has been a year and a half, and I continue to grow and change. I’m so grateful for the program and it’s members. One day at a time. Nar-Anon saved my life. I find hope, I hear shares that are so profound, I feel so humbled. It brings me strength. I need healthy people that support me in my life. After a meeting, I feel uplifted. I know I’m not alone and I can make it. I have made very kind friends.
Before coming to Nar-Anon, I was beaten down and broken over my young daughters drug use and constant relapse. It didn’t matter how much money I spent in rehabs, it didn’t fix her problem.
I learned life skills and tools that helped me better accept and manage life on life’s terms, as well as coping and understanding some of life’s most difficult challenges. I finally am starting to feel at peace with myself, which I never realized I was missing.
I came to Nar-Anon two years ago because the addict in my life was in recovery, and strongly suggested that I go. I never thought I would see him using, ever.
So much hope was ripped away. I felt tremendous sadness, anger, and disappointment. Even after being in Nar-Anon for over a year, I spiraled down to a very dark path wondering if my Higher Power had forgotten about me and my family. Gratefully, I remembered to use the tools of Nar-Anon. I reached out to my friends in the program, read the literature, cited the slogans, and asked my Higher Power for peace and perseverance. I was able to put my circumstances in perspective and have faith that if my Higher Power brings me to it, then my Higher Power will bring me through it. I need to take care of myself, and my daughter’s Higher Power will take care of her. Bad times never last as this too shall pass.
