the message - michigan narcotics anonymous

THE MESSAGE
APRIL/MAY
2011
Oakland County “Hospitals and
Institutions” needs your
willingness!!
Oakland County Jail has two men
and three women volunteers to
cover one meeting every week.
There are also H&I meetings in
Eastwood Clinic, C.P.I (Community
Program
Inc.)
and
Irvine
Neurological Center.
Oakland
County H&I meets every first
Wednesday of the month at the
Fernwood Tonight meeting at
6:30pm. Please spread the word.
We need volunteers to carry the
message to the addict that still
suffers!
-Marty K. Metro Detroit Regional H&I Chair
…The first thing to do is to stay
clean. This makes the other stages
of recovery possible. As long as
we stay clean, no matter what, we
have the greatest possible
advantage over our disease. For
this we are grateful.
…We share from our own
personal experience what
is has been like for us. The
temptation to give advice
is great, but when we do
so we lose the respect of
the newcomers. This
clouds our message. A
USING DRUGS ARE BAD
simple, honest message of
RECOVERY IS FREEDOM
recovery from addiction
I’M GRATEFUL TODAY
-Rich S.
rings true…
Page 51 Basic Text (12th Step)
Hugging the Newcomer
The first NA meeting I ever went to was at Eleven Mile RD and John
R. I remember feeling awkward and uncomfortable as I walked into
the church and found a place to sit at one of the tables. When I got
up to get a white surrender key tag, I was overcome with emotion
and had to choke back the tears. Relief finally came when someone
from my table got up to hug me. I finally felt accepted. And it’s for
this reason, no matter what I’m doing at a meeting, I always hug the
newcomer.
Mike F.
Page 84 Basic Text (Recovery and Relapse)
SURRENDER
Although this program is based on
anonymity, I will remember him for
the rest of my life. The first time I
hugged him I thought he was
someone who held an important
position at the meetings. I would
point him out and tell people who
he was, not realizing he was just
one of many. When he stood at
the front of the room I truly
thought he was speaking directly to
me. He went on for what seemed
like hours but it was only a few
minutes. And when he finally
offered a new way of life with a key
tag and a hug I raised my hand
high, jumped out of my seat and
started crying like a baby. I haven’t
seen him in years but he represents
the beginning of my recovery. I am
grateful he had the willingness to
do “key tags” that day, grateful he
took the ceremony seriously and
gave it all he had.
-anonymous
ELECTIONS :
THE OAKLAND COUNTY AREA SERVICE
COMMITTEE OF NARCOTIC ANONYMOUS
st
MEETING TOOK PLACE ON MARCH 31 .
ELECTIONS WERE HELD AND POSITIONS
WERE FILLED AS FOLLOWS:
CHAIR:
Sheldon S.
CO-CHAIR:
Open
SECRETARY:
Mike F.
CO-SECRETARY:
Open
TREASURER:
Steve S.
CO-TREASURER:
Open
AREA SERVICE REP:
Todd F.
CO-AREA SERVICE REP:
Open
MSO BOARD REP:
Rita T.
HOSPITALS AND INST: Bunny B.
HELPLINE:
Mike M.
POLICY AD-HOC:
Mike F.
PUBLIC INFORMATION: Mindy E.
NEWSLETTER:
Donna B.
MARATHON MEETING: Syrus H.
ACTIVITIES:
Open
OUTREACH:
Open
LITERATURE:
Open
POLICY:
Open
ADDITIONAL NEEDS: Open
THE NEXT TWO DATES AREA WILL BE
MEETING ARE:
th
SUNDAY, MAY 15
th
SUNDAY, JUNE 12
SAINT JOSEPH HOSPITAL
WOODWARD AVENUE
PONTIAC, ROOM 4C
MEETING BEGINS AT 1:00PM.
HUMILITY
ISN’T
THINKING
LESS OF
YOURSELF,
IT’S THINKING
OF YOURSELF
LESS.
CLEAN DATE ANNIVERSARY
If you would like your clean date to be in
the newsletter then please give it to your
GSR or send it to
theocmessage@gmail.com. Celebrating
increments of clean time shows the
“newcomer” that this program works!
In 1986 I got in trouble with the law, and the Judge gave me a choice of treatment
or ten days in jail, you know which one I chose. Because I wasn’t ready to
surrender, I continued to go in and out of treatment more than twenty times,
that’s not including the psych wards. My addiction continued to progress and my
life continued to go downhill, more trouble with the law, my sister had to put me
out, and I still didn’t want to quit. And this went on for twenty two years:
homelessness, felonies, fired from GM, living in three quarter houses, beat left
lying in the street for dead and I still didn’t want to surrender. Lapeer would
always tell me you haven’t had enough pain, and I would say yes I have and go use
again. I was fired from GM in 2000 and I went to jail and treatment, and got my
job back in 2002 on a last chance agreement through the UAW and GM and still
didn’t stay clean. In 2008 GM was offering an early retirement and as much as I
didn’t want to take it my sister and a friend in the program kept suggesting that I
go and sign up for it because I was headed down the same road again. So I did. I
continued to use for a few more months after I came out in June of 2008.
Something finally clicked in this thick head of mine and I didn’t want to live the
way I was living anymore. I finally got sick and tired of not having food to eat,
eviction notices every month, and it just wasn’t fun anymore. So I surrendered. I
didn’t have to go to treatment this time, I surrendered to the program. I always
went to meetings, did service work, but I didn’t stay clean. I believe it was
because I wasn’t ready. I was given a sponsor in the other fellowship and he
immediately started working the steps with me. Am I working them perfectly, no?
But finally I’m getting the first step right one day at a time. I truly thank God for
his grace and mercy because I don’t know where I would be if he had not kept me.
I’m still here because of grace.
-Rodney R. (12/07/2008)
AUTHOR’S RELEASE: This signed release must accompany all submissions. I hereby grant permission to
THE MESSAGE (Oakland County Newsletter), their successors, assigns and those acting on their behalf,
authority to publish the attached original material titled ___________________________________. I
understand that this material may be edited or reprinted in other Narcotics Anonymous journals. I
possess legal capacity to authorize this and release THE MESSAGE from any liability thereof.
Signed:____________________________________________. Date: ______________________________
From the Editor: Hello All! I
am the Newsletter Chair for
the upcoming year for THE
MESSAGE. I need your help
for this newsletter to be
successful. Do you have an
experience, strength or hope
you would like to share? Is
there a step that has special
meaning to you? Have you
written a poem or have a
piece of artwork that carries a
message? Is there an
upcoming activity? All I ask is
that it is NA or recovery
related and no more than 300
words. You can email it to
me or if you see me in person,
hand it to me! I would
greatly appreciate your help
and I know others in the
program would too! The
newsletter subcommittee
meets the first Sunday of
every month at 7:00pm, just
before the “Survivors”
meeting. Thanks! Donna B.
(theocmessage@gmail.com)
Living in the present means
not having conversations with
people who are not in the
room…
Forgiveness is giving
up all hope for a better
past…
The symptom is physical
The problem in emotional
The solution is spiritual
“A SECOND CHANCE TO LIVE”
I came to the program of NA in 1987 and stayed clean until 1999. Yes, relapse is
part of my story. I quit going to NA because I relapsed and had been drinking for
many years. I was ashamed and didn’t want to face my addiction again. This
time was worse than in the past. My relapse took me to places that I never
dreamed I’d reach or ever wanted to go to. After having destroyed my entire
life I asked for help and entered into a treatment facility on April 24th, 2010. I
was reintroduced to the fellowship of NA and was happy to be home again. I
could not explain why or how I managed to make it to recovery again. I had
given up on myself and the belief that I would ever get or deserve a second
chance at recovery. During the past year I have learned many things about
myself as a person and as an addict with the disease of addiction. I have learned
that as stubborn or as full of false pride as I can be, that I must always ask for
help and not make major decisions alone and unadvised.
I have learned that we are here to help one another. We need a sponsor and
need to work and apply the steps in our lives. We do need a "personality
change". We don’t have to do everything alone. If we can get ourselves to reach
out and be honest and ask for the help that we need, we will receive it. I’ve
learned that therein lies the miracle of recovery. We ask for help, we receive it,
and then we give it away to the next person who needs it. I believe that it is my
higher power’s will to help others with their lives so they can stay clean and be
happy. I will be celebrating a year clean on April 24th, 2011 and am so filled with
happiness that it brings me to tears. Having to come back through "those doors"
after having 11 years clean and another 11 years of complete horror using was
not an easy thing for me to do. But it was necessary and it was a must. You see,
I am not the same recovering addict today that I was 22 years ago when I first
came here.
Today I am ready and I want this thing called recovery. Today I place my
recovery first. I don’t want to build my recovery around my life. I tried that and
life took over. Today I’m trying to let my higher power guide me and I have a
new found confidence in myself that has been a direct result of coming back
here. I have had to be humble so as not to be humiliated. I have had to realize
that this is a second chance at happiness for me. Before, I tried to intellectualize
my way through recovery. Today I just want to stay clean, follow instructions
and feel the spirit of recovery hold me.
Today, I am living my "Second Chance".
–Leo E.
EMPTY CHAIR
Oakland County has an
empty Activities Chair!!
Are you outgoing, fun and
adventuresome? Do you
have some creative ideas
for Oakland County’s
Events and Activities?
We need you! Come to
the next Area meeting to
learn more about the
position and clean time
requirements.