“With the love that I am shown in Narcotics Anonymous, I have no excuse for loneliness.”
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       Addiction is a lonely disease.  We may be surrounded by people 
but, sooner or later, our addiction drives a wedge between us and even 
our closest loved ones.  Many of us are driven to Narcotics Anonymous by
 a desperate loneliness.
       Though we may approach the rooms of NA with caution and 
suspicion, we are welcomed with a hug, a smile, and a warm “keep coming 
back.”  This may be the first place where we have felt welcome in a 
long, long while.  We watch other members talking and laughing, leaving 
the meeting in groups for more talk at the local coffee shop.  We wonder
 if we, too, could become a part of this loving bunch.
       Our pattern of isolation can make it difficult for us to join 
in.  Over time, however, we begin to feel “a part of” rather than “apart
 from.”  Soon, when we walk into the rooms, we feel at home.  We begin 
to make friends and our lives start to change.
       NA teaches us how to overcome our isolation.  Through our first 
tentative friendships formed in our home group, we start to find that 
making friends isn’t hard.  A sense of belonging comes when we share 
ourselves with others.
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       Just for today:  I am thankful for the friendships my Higher Power has given me in NA.  Because of them, I am lonely no more.

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