Recovery in Narcotics Anonymous from the Perspectives of Long-Term Members: A Qualitative Study

Narcotics Anonymous (NA) is a community-based, 12-step organization that holds nearly 62,000 meetings weekly in 129 countries. Relatively little is known about NA members’ recovery experiences. This study presents results of focus groups conducted with long-term NA members to identify key ingredients of recovery, recovery-related processes, and quality-of-life outcomes beyond abstinence. Participants identified personal and program characteristics that were critical to recovery (e.g., responsibility), illuminated several recovery-related processes (e.g., using the 12 steps to obtain a deeper self-understanding), and described personal and interpersonal quality-of-life enhancements (e.g., improved relationships). In addition, fellowship was described as a pervasive and essential element of recovery.