Nova Scotia's Narcotics Anonymous, NA Meetings NS

When a drug addict in Nova Scotia is getting ready to complete their outpatient drug rehabilitation program they are strongly urged to become active in Narcotics Anonymous. The idea is that the NA program will support the recovering addict when they are battling demons and tempted to turn back to drugs.

Anyone and everyone is welcome to sit in on a Narcotics Anonymous meeting. The only requirement the program has is that the person who is attending the meetings and taking advantage of the programs many resources be serious about getting over their drug addiction.

Once advantage that the drug addicts in Nova Scotia have over the addicts in other, smaller provinces is that there are plenty of Narcotics Anonymous meetings available. The province has 25 cities that have an active Narcotics Anonymous program with regular weekly meetings.

Like Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous relies on a twelve step program to help addicts get started on the road to recovery. The very first step of the recovery process is not just admitting that the person is addicted to drugs; they also have to understand that they have no control over the addiction.

This is sometimes the hardest step for drug addicts to accept. There are a few different reasons why drug addicts resist this step. The first is that sometimes the addict does not really believe that they are addicted to drugs. They know that they use, but in they always have ready excuses. The excuses range from they are only doing it to calm their nerves, have a vision, alleviate physical pain, or to heighten the sexual experience. Most drug addicts are also quick to add that they are able to quit any time they want.

The excuses for using drugs might have started out as legitimate reasons, but they are no longer valid. The world is full of people who are able to get through life without ever having to take any drugs. Besides, the addict needs to understand that the very fact that they are involved in any type of narcotics rehabilitation program at all means that they have a problem.

The second point that most drug addicts say, especially during the start of their rehabilitation program, is that they can stop using at any point. If this were the case, the patient would not be dealing. Narcotics Anonymous operates with the idea that a drug addiction is not the result of a weak will, but rather the result of a mental illness. The hope is that as soon as the addict accepts that they are not to blame for their addiction they will be more receptive to the idea of treatment.

One of the best things about Narcotics Anonymous is that an addict can attend meetings no matter what stage of the rehabilitation program they are currently going through. Many addicts actually start to attend the meetings while they are on a waiting list for a short residential drug rehabilitation program which helps give them an idea of what to expect from the entire rehab program.