Running head: NA REFLECTION 1

NA Reflection

Caroline M. Stewart

Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing

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NA Reflection

This NA meeting was very unique from what you normally hear about or see on TV

because it was an all women’s group. From the moment I saw this meeting listed on the NA

website I knew that was the one I wanted to attend. I thought it would be so interesting to be able

to participate in an NA meeting in which all of the testimonies came from a woman’s point of

view. The group consisted of about 20 women who varied in age from young adult to fifties or

sixties. I went into this experience expecting to walk into the meeting and be surrounded by

people who I could just look at and tell they had abused narcotics. That stereotype just didn’t

escape me as much as I wished I could look past it. It turned out I was completely wrong. Of

course there may have been a couple of individuals who appeared to fit that stereotype, but the

vast majority of the women looked just like you or I. If I had passed them on the street or in the

grocery store I would have never guessed that they had a problem with narcotics. Then it

occurred to me, not all of these people are still actively addicted. They are recovering addicts

who lead a normal, productive life, and maybe they did all of that even while addicted. I had

begun to make up stories in my head about how I envisioned them to be when in fact I knew

nothing about their circumstances at all.

Once the meeting began, the leader was so warm and welcoming to not only me as the

newcomer, but all of the other attendees as well. Her personality and tone of voice just welcomed

testimonies without judgement. The group was run as a participation and discussion format

which made testimonies and conversation flow naturally. I expected the meeting to be awkward,

especially because I was a student invading their meeting and I did not expect them to want to

open up and talk about their addiction in front of a non-addict who has no idea what they are
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going through or have gone through. Yet again, I was wrong. I felt welcome in the group, and

never felt like I made them uncomfortable to talk around.

Instillation of hope is the first curative factor that I noticed during this meeting. In a

therapy group setting, clients have a tendency to feel overwhelmed by their weaknesses,

however, being in a group struggling with similar problems they often feel more comfortable

discussing things of the matter. Helping clients to see that witnessing to others in the group has

the potential to bring change to their lives gives them a purpose and instills hope (“Yalom’s

Therapeutic Factors,” 2017). During the meeting I attended it did not appear that any of the

individuals were new to the group, but they all continued to instill hope in each other by sharing

successes, achievements, and even some failures that had a lesson to be learned from them.

Another curative factor that played a big role in the meeting I attended is interpersonal

learning. For a lot of clients, narcotics anonymous groups are the first place they have truly been

able to honestly communicate with other individuals who have a sense of what they are

struggling with and can provide support and respectful feedback (“Yalom’s Therapeutic

Factors,” 2017). Sometimes hearing about and learning from another’s mistake is enough to keep

from making that same mistake yourself. In the case of this NA meeting, it really seemed like

everyone was receptive to others’ stories. It was like I could see the thought they were putting

into this addiction they struggle with and having other people’s circumstances to relate to their

own was a teaching mechanism in itself.

The first step in the Alcoholic Anonymous/Narcotic Anonymous 12 step program is, We

admitted we were powerless over alcohol – that our lives have become unmanageable

(Townsend & Morgan, 2017, p. 326). This makes complete sense because if you cannot admit

there is a problem then you will not be able to face that problem head on. A NANDA nursing
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diagnosis that can be used in correlation with this step is ineffective coping. Clients who do not

possess good coping skills will be more likely to deny there is an existing problem, however if

the can learn to cope with the guilt, sadness, and other emotions that go along with addiction,

they will more than likely be more prepared to take that step of admitting there is a problem. One

intervention would be to provide the client with chances to express concerns, fears, feeling, and

expectation. This would help because verbalization of actual or perceived threats can help reduce

anxiety and open doors for ongoing communication. Another intervention would be to use

therapeutic communication because empathizing creates a supportive environment that enhances

coping. Lastly, convey feelings of acceptance and understanding without giving false

reassurance. This will likely help because an honest relationship facilitates problem solving and

successful coping.

A 5-year follow-up study was conducted to investigate the relationship between

frequency of attendance at Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and

substance use outcomes. It was predicted that NA and AA meeting attendance would result in

improved substance use outcomes. The findings showed that abstinence from opiates was

increased throughout the 5-year follow-up period in clients who regularly attended NA meetings

post-treatment (Gossop, et. al., 2008).

This study was interesting to me because the perception is that individuals who are

addicted to narcotics and or alcohol rarely succeed in remaining abstinent. However, this article

showed that after a residential treatment, regular attenders of NA and AA meetings were more

successful in being abstinent of substances and remaining abstinent than those clients who rarely

or never attended AA or NA meetings.

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I really enjoyed this experience because I was able to see first hand how individuals who

are addicted to a substance handle that situation and how it could vary so greatly from person to

person. There were so many testimonies shared during the meeting that I attended that were more

than eye opening to me as someone who is an outsider when it comes to substance abuse. I knew

little to nothing about this process and how it worked until I had the opportunity to attend a

meeting and I am so glad that I did. I definitely had a few stereotypes going into the experience

and I was proven wrong about a few things while other things were solidified with me. But at the

end of all of this, I am just hopeful that I can take the knowledge and experience that I gained

and use it to care for patients in my future nursing career.

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References

Gossop, M., Stewart, D., & Marsden, J. (2008). Attendance at Narcotics Anonymous and

Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, frequency of attendance and substance use outcomes

after residential treatment for drug dependence: a 5-year follow-up study. Addiction,

103(1), 119-125.

Townsend, M. C., & Morgan, K. I. (2017). Essentials of psychiatric mental health nursing:

concepts of care in evidence-based practice. Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis Company.

Yalom’s Therapeutic Factors. (2017). Retrieved August 31, 2017, from

http://nextsteptherapy.ie/group-psychotherapy/yaloms-therapeutic-factors-2/