Running head: Narcotics Anonymous Reflection Paper

Narcotics Anonymous 12 Step Program Reflection Paper LaVelle Figueroa Victory University

Narcotics Anonymous Reflection Paper

Narcotics Anonymous Reflection Paper Last night, I attended a Narcotics Anonymous meeting. This was not quite a new experience for me, be my late father was an alcoholic and narcotics addict that died of cirrhosis later on in my life this is why I identified myself with them. Narcotics Anonymous is a fraternity or association where there a recuperating addicts and their main purpose is stay clean. Consequently, the member of this fraternity were well-groomed, yesterday was ice cream sticks day where they had a keyword written on a little piece of paper, such as perseverance. Anyone can be a narcotics or alcohol user. Furthermore, as I stated previously Sunday night I attended was a NA meeting. This meeting included one woman and approximately eight men, all the attendees were recuperating addicts. Personally, I did not feel out place or anxious around them because, I identified myself with them by my personal experience with my father and myself being that some of the medication I take for both my emotional and physical disability are addictive as well. This experience was not any different from my experience with the Alcoholics Anonymous fraternity as well because I stayed sober or clean from my occasional drinking habits because suffer gastritis or acid reflux. . As the apostle Paul wrote inspired by God Older men are to be quiet and to be careful how they act. They are to be the boss over their own desires. Their faith and love are to stay strong and they are not to give up; teach older women to be quiet and to be careful how they act also.; they are not to go around speaking bad things about others or things that are not true.; they are not to be chained by strong drink; they should teach what is good; older women are to teach the young women to love their husbands and children; they are to teach them to think before they act, to be pure, to be workers at home, to be kind, and to obey their own husbands. In this way, the Word of God is honored; teach young men to be wise (Titus 2: 2-6, NLV 1969). The general public tends to have preconceived stereotypes, of an addict because

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they have a maladaptive behavior that is considered abnormal, but I firmly believe that you must trust an addict to a certain extent, but not 100% because it builds up their self-esteem and selfcontrol they lack of at the moment. The attendees of the meeting were individuals that were street-wise from all socioeconomic classes and walks of life. Hitherto, the moderator of this meeting was conducted in the same manner as the AA meeting where each member had the chance to give an account of their past experiences. One woman admitted her family lost trust in her as a result of her addition, she was grateful to God because her family trusts her again and that she is productively contributing in society. As each one of the participants of the fraternity to their own person experience with addiction, I recalled my own personal experienced with my father, because he himself was an addict, but contrast to them he never had the willpower to stay clean or sober. On the other I also, compared my own life experience to theirs because almost all pain killers I am prescribed with are addictive, as well as some of the medication I am prescribed for my emotional illness is addictive too. They also said that NA is a spiritual program of recovery from the disease of addiction, but not at all religious, they also emphasized all throughout the meeting the significance of having fruitful relationship with a "higher power" This primary belief conflicted with my Christian because it seems quite pantheistic, existentialistic and seemingly reared towards Carl Rogers and Maslow psychological theories that were in essence person based, and where New age religions are centered and modern humanism as well. Their arch rival is the recovery program known as Celebrate Recovery which is a bible-based ministry that is reared to offering counsel to their participants, which suffer from all "hurts, hang-ups and habits", including but not limited to drug and alcohol addictions, sex addiction, eating disorders, and people who have been sexually abused, that was established in the early 1990 by Pastors John Baker and Rick Warren of Saddleback Church, in a counteraction to teachings of twelve-step programs such as Alcoholics

SUPPORT GROUP REFLECTION PAPER Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous Its creators thought that Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous definition and allusion of God as a "higher power" was very ambiguous, in addition they wanted a more Scriptural and Christian based program. Celebrate Recovery applies the eight Recovery Principles that are based on the Sermon on the Mount. Former

incumbent President George W. Bush honored them with his attendance to their Faith-Based and Community Initiative Conference in 2004, who praised John Baker and Celebrate Recovery by saying that, "government is not good at changing hearts. But a person like John Baker has been good about it and successful doing that." (Wikipedia, 2012) Hereafter, a male participant was grateful to his Higher Power because he helped him overcome basically some of obsessions, compulsions as well as his stay clean for a long time. AS well as, another participant admitted he was an addict that came from the high class, but for the last four years he has been clean and is again working thanks to his Higher Power. Basically there are two different types of meetings and closed. The first one I attended last Friday at noon was closed this means its for addicts or those who think they may have an addiction to drugs. He was also an alcoholic which made his situation even worse. They also stated that suffer from a chronic illness that lasts through their lives, and they also stated that when all them were addicts they all had in one specific trait in common their lack of self-control. Self-control is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, under the providential grace of God. As all the participants reflected on their past experiences, they all know and appreciate their Higher Powers has allowed them a live a profitable life in society once more. Humberto and Carmen admitted that they are addicts in recuperation for several years already. And another called Luis was grateful to his Higher Power because is probation sentence was extinguished in less than six months and his wife is having a baby.

SUPPORT GROUP REFLECTION PAPER During both the Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings, three Scriptural teachings accounts kept coming to my mind. As every attendee discussed their challenges of staying clean from bondage and addictions, I thought about the story in where Jesus cast out the demons from the woman called Mary Magdalene, which had seven demons casted out of her. As the apostle Luke wrote There were also some women with him. Jesus had healed these women of sicknesses and evil spirits. One of them was Mary, who was called Magdalene, Seven demons had come out of her He was undesirable and brought fear to those who came into contact with him (Luke 8:2, ERV 2006). She was not a lot different than the people I met at those meetings and me that were bondage due their addictions. In sum, this experience was enlightened to me in more than a few ways, because it allowed me to reflect introspectively to consider some of the challenges I might confront as a Christian counselor. I understand that a lot of my clients in my professional practice a Christian counselor, and the ethical dilemmas that society accepts as desirable are undesirable to because

they conflict with our Christian beliefs, values and ethical. With Gods help I am unwavering to not allow a clients problems or social status influence the counsel I will offer them. As a Christian, I am familiar with the fact, I can confront our worst enemy ourselves/ themselves, this last one is referring to the counselee, because when we realize that Jesus is the only true friend that loves us with all His heart. I would hate to think that I can miss the chance to minister to

someone because all of us are unworthy of his grace. Then, I want to be a vehicle to the world of Jesus love (agape) to this broken world, because he cared so much for us the he died on the cross over five thousand years ago. As John wrote For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life; God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him (John 3:16-17, NLT 2007).

SUPPORT GROUP REFLECTION PAPER References Celebrate Recovery. (2012, July 26). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved October 2, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Celebrate_Recovery&oldid=504204068
Narcotics Anonymous. (2012, August 28). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 14:24, October 2, 2012, from , 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Narcotics_Anonymous&oldid=509551653