Narcotics Anonymous Reflection

The meeting that I attended this week was Narcotics Anonymous (NA). NA is a fellowship that includes men and women who struggle with addiction. The members of the group are supporters or recovering addicts, and the purpose is to maintain complete abstinence (Narcotics Anonymous, 2017). Prior to attending the group, I was not informed about the group and was uncertain of what to be expected. Unfortunately, the night that I attended was not a traditional session, as they were celebrating the milestones of a few members. From my observation, the group members were very friendly and welcoming. Before the session began, I was greeted with hugs and everyone introduced themselves to me. Another observation that was made is that everyone in the group looked the same (myself included).

Attending the meeting taught me the importance of recognizing our assumptions and learning about the areas that require more work (Corey, Corey, & Corey, 2014). Because the group was celebrating milestones, those individuals had the opportunity to speak to the group about their success; and, a speaker was invited to share his story. As the group members shared their success and the speaker told his story, I experienced a deep sense of humility. It allowed me to empathize and understand the challenges that addicts and recovering addicts are faced with on a daily basis. In conclusion of the group session, I felt that I gained a better understanding of that specific population and how I can help future