The Moose Jaw chapter of Narcotics Anonymous Family Groups (Nar-Anon), which supports family and friends of people with substance abuse disorders, held its first meeting on Nov. 1, 2021 without knowing what would happen.
A little over a year later, they are still going strong, and have named their chapter 'Hope Restored.' The group’s leadership says the meetings continue to make an important difference in the lives of its participants.
[Editorial note: Anonymity is essential for the comfort, protection, and equality of Nar-Anon Family Groups meetings. Therefore, full names have been withheld from this article.]
Meetings are held at the Alliance Church off Thatcher Drive (14 Neslia Place) every Monday evening from 7 to 8 p.m.
Nar-Anon is a separate process from Narcotics Anonymous and should not be attended by those looking for help with their personal addiction. The group is intended solely as a support for those who are close to someone struggling with a substance use disorder.
The official literature for Nar-Anon states that:
When you come into the family group, you are no longer alone, but among true friends who understand your problem as few others could. We respect your confidence and anonymity as we know you will respect ours. We hope to give you the assurance that no situation is too difficult and no unhappiness is too great to be overcome.
“I just want people to know that they’re not alone,” said Mandy, one of the group’s organizers. “We’re still here. And I want to emphasize the importance of taking care of ourselves.”
“This isn’t about the addict,” agreed another member. “It’s about us, and taking care of our (health).”
The Hope Restored group knows that addiction does not occur in isolation. Friends and family often suffer for years, enduring stress, conflict, despair, desperation, helplessness, and self-recrimination. The impact of strong negative cultural stigmas around the issue also tends to result in enforced silence for fear of social judgment, discomfort, and avoidance.
Nar-Anon helps answer the question of where friends and family of addicts can safely gather to break their silence in a healthy way.
Nar-Anon Family Groups uses the same 12-step program as Narcotics Anonymous and AA. They stress that addiction is best understood as a family problem because substance abuse disorders are, by definition, out of control, meaning that the effects of an individual’s disorder are not limited only to them.
Literature is supplied by the organization to help explain what has happened in the past and to provide guidance into the future. However, the group’s organizers emphasize that no denominational belief system is necessary to the program, and that they are meeting primarily as a support group.
Nar-Anon Family Groups promises anonymity to its members as the most basic safety requirement of their meetings. They also affirm a promise of non-judgment, which can be vital to those whose life context has shifted to a realization that their hopes for their lives must be re-assessed and possibly abandoned.
There is no membership fee, and the group remains unaffiliated with specific causes to keep the focus on supporting its members.
All those whose lives have been affected by another’s addiction are welcome and encouraged to attend.
For more information, contact Mandy at [email protected].
