It may not be that simple. All the while we were taking, we said to ourselves, “I can stop at any time.” Even if it actually was at first, now it’s different. Drugs manipulated us. We lived to take, we took to live. In simple terms, an addict is a person whose life is ruled by drugs.
You may admit that you have a drug problem, but you don’t think you’re addicted. Each of us had a pre-made opinion about who is addicted. Once you’ve started taking positive action, being addicted is nothing embarrassing. If you identify with our problems, you can also identify with our way of solving them.
The following questions were put together by addicts, recovering in NA. If you have doubts about whether you’re addicted or not, read them and try to answer as honestly as you can. S
ome of these questions don’t even mention drugs. This is because addiction is a very insidious disease that affects all areas of our lives – even those that at first glance have little to do with drugs. The drugs we used are not as important as the answer to the question of why we used them and what they did with us.
When we first read these questions, the thought that we might be addicted was terrifying. Some of us tried to kill her in us, saying:
“These questions are pointless”,
Or
“I am different. I know I’m taking, but I’m not addicted. I have real emotional, family problems, at work,”
Or
“It’s just hard for me to sort everything out,”
Or
“I will be able to stop when I find the right person, get a job, etc.”
If you are addicted, you must first admit that you have a problem with drugs. Only then will progress towards recovery be possible. These questions, if you approached them honestly, can help you see how drugs have made you stop directing your life. Addiction is a disease that, if left untreated, ends in prison, hospital and death. Many of us went to NA because drugs stopped giving us what we expected of them. Addiction took away our pride, respect for ourselves, family, loved ones and even the desire to live. If you haven’t reached this stage, you don’t have to do it at all. We discovered that our own hell was within us. If you want help, you can find it in the Community of Anonymous Drug Addicts.
“Looking for answers to our problems, we went to NA. We were on the first myth with a sense of defeat and we didn’t know what to expect. After one or more meetings, we began to feel that others care about us and that they wanted to help us. Although the mind told us it would not work out, the people in the community gave us hope by telling us that we would recover. Surrounded by other addicts, we realized that we are no longer alone. On myths we recover. We become blacksmiths of our own destiny. We found that the program works by putting recovery first. We came face to face with three harrowing facts:
1. We are powerless against addiction and have lost control of our lives.
2. Although we are not responsible for our illness, we are responsible for our recovery.
3. We can no longer blame people, places and things for our addiction. We must face our problems and feelings.
The most effective weapon in recovery is the recurrent addict.”
Am I addicted?
Literature approved by the NA Community.
Copyright © 2005 by Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
All rights reserved.