Thriving in Recovery: NA Meetings in Costa Mesa

Finding NA Meetings in Costa Mesa to Support Your Long Term Recovery

Addiction often plays tricks on those it affects to make you believe that no one else in this world could possibly understand what you have been through and why you have turned to drugs. This thought process often leaves individuals feeling isolated and alone which can be a leading trigger to continue to use drugs as a means of coping. The more these perpetuating thoughts run through your mind, the more you will continue to push others away and live a life under the dark cloud of addiction.

Costa Mesa residents have found that they are no longer alone when they enter the rooms of Narcotics Anonymous (NA). Most are surprised when they attend NA and hear the stories of others around them as, quite often, the stories they share resemble similar struggles you have been through. Hearing that you are not alone in the challenges and barriers you have overcome can often give people a renewed zest for life that encourages you to continue going towards a clean life in sobriety. With over 70,000 NA meetings held daily across the globe, Costa Mesa residents can rest assured that there will be a meeting every night of the week to help guide them to the path of recovery. 

What is NA?

Narcotics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who have all been through the trials and tribulations of addiction just like you have. Drug addiction is a damaging disease that knows no bounds on who it affects. When you enter into an NA meeting, you will meet people from all walks of life that addiction has crept their way into their life. While your demographics, socioeconomic background, and history with drugs are different, one thing remains the same, that you all have a desire to quit using drugs and find your way to live clean and sober from drugs. While your story is unique to you, during an NA meeting, you will be surprised at how much you can relate to someone who is older or younger than you, comes from a different lifestyle, or might be someone who shares similar backgrounds. The common theme in a NA meeting is one of unconditional support and shared feelings and thoughts when it comes to your addiction. How often have you thought to yourself there must be something wrong with you if you can’t stop your use of drugs on your own. NA meetings will invite you to meet others who struggled with the same thought processes and benefited from the support group that surrounds them in each meeting. Through sharing and connecting with one another at meetings, you will hear stories and examples of how others have persevered through even their darkest days and remained sober. 

NA holds a common belief and value that in order to get clean from drugs and be successful in sobriety, you need the support of other NA members. The belief that no addict can get clean on their own and remain clean is one of the founding ideas of NA. When you enter into the fellowship, you will be welcomed by a group of people who may be strangers at first but by the end of the meeting, you will have gained a new support network. 

The 12 Steps of Narcotics Anonymous

Narcotics Anonymous was created by Jimmy Kinnon in 1953 after the success that was noticed within alcoholics anonymous. Jimmy recognized that the foundation of AA had been saving the lives of thousands of people each day and wanted to create a program that would speak to the needs of those suffering from drug addiction. The 12 steps of Narcotics Anonymous were derived from the 12 steps of alcoholics anonymous but made to be applicable to those using drugs. 

1. We admitted that we were powerless over our addiction; that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. We humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. We made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. We made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to addicts, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

NA believes that in order to achieve each step, you will need the support of a person that has completed all 12 steps on their own and has had over 6 months of sobriety. This person is referred to as a sponsor. Their role is to support you in your early recovery and assist you with going through each step. As you go through the steps, you will gain an understanding of the severity of your disease and how it has negatively impacted your life and relationships. With the support of your sponsor, you will work to mend those relationships, where possible, and learn the ability to have faith in a higher power and regain your self-worth. Recovery is not always an easy road. Your sponsor will be there to support you as you encounter the roadblocks in recovery and be the sounding board you need to help keep you on the path to sobriety even at your most challenging of times. 

It is not uncommon to go through the steps more than once. As you gain more clean time, you will get more perspective and mental clarity on how your addiction has affected your life. Going through the steps over again is often beneficial in learning more useful knowledge on how your life had reached the point of addiction and reminds you that you never want to end up back in that place again. 

Benefits of Attending Recovery Support Group Meetings in Costa Mesa

NA meetings are often an essential part of an addict’s journey to recovery for many reasons. Costa Mesa residents have found NA to beneficial in the following ways:

Maintain focus on recovery 

Often after someone has been in recovery for a prolonged period of time, it can be easy to feel like you have conquered this disease. The fact of the matter is addiction will last a lifetime and often waits until you get comfortable to rear its ugly head again. Going to NA meetings regularly will keep your mental processes in check and remind you that addiction is still a part of who you are and the importance of keeping your recovery at the forefront of your mind. Through the various topics discussed and special speaker meetings, you will learn more about how others live their life in recovery and continue to develop a routine that best suits your lifestyle and needs. 

Increase in positive social circles

When you are at the height of your addiction, it is common to surround yourself with others who follow in the same footsteps and also have addictive patterns. When you choose to get clean, many feel like they no longer have any friends as they leave the world of drug use behind. Attending NA meetings is a great way to connect with others who have shared common experiences and interests. Making friendships within the fellowship ensures that you surround yourself with other sober individuals who share the same goal to remain clean and sober. 

Accountability and Routine 

Attending meetings forces you to have a structure in your life with regularly attended meetings. As you begin to develop connections with others, they will hold you accountable when you miss meetings. This level of commitment and accountability can often give individuals the nudge on a day where you don’t feel like going and have you back in the rooms in no time. Once you get to an NA meeting, you will walk away with a renewed outlook and relief that you attended. 

NA Meetings in Costa Mesa

If you are a Costa Mesa resident and are ready to see how an NA group can benefit you, here are some local meetings you can attend: 

For younger people looking to connect with others your age that is struggling with addiction, you can attend the Just For Today Young People Study book. Held on Tuesday nights at 715 pm.

2040 Placentia Ave, Costa Mesa, CA 92627

Costa Mesa residents who want support from peers in working through the 12 steps, can attend a step group on Mondays at 7 pm.

2040 Placentia Ave, Costa Mesa, CA 92627

If you are a woman and want to connect with other ladies with shared experiences you may want to try the lady’s meeting on Wednesdays at 730 pm. 

275 Victoria St, Costa Mesa, CA 92627

For men and women wanting to connect and discuss topics related to early recovery, you can attend the Friday night group at 7 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church. 

2845 Mesa Verde Dr E, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

David Rofofsky
After growing up in New York, David chose to get help with substance abuse in California because of the state's reputation for top-tier treatment. There, he found the treatment he needed to achieve more than nine years of recovery. He's been in the drug and alcohol addiction rehab industry for eight years and now serves as the Director of Admissions for Resurgence Behavioral Health. David remains passionate about the field because he understands how hard it is to pick up the phone and ask for help. However, once the call is made, someone's life can be saved.

Research | Editorial