AA, NA, or CODA?

I have been in and out of AA for years---went to a rehab for 65 days last year, then to a doc who took me off the Phenobarb.
I have narcotic issues (Vicodin, Norco, Percocet,) and have abused them in the past.
I was put on Suboxone and my doc wants me to try Xanax again---I am really having a hard time deciding between AA, NA, or CODA--all of them fit--I am not an alcoholic---but what's the scoop--I am so confused I believe I am an addict or I wouldn't have sit in the rooms for years off and on the last 6 years.
*very confused as to where to go from here*

It sounds like your main issue is narcotics? If so then it sounds like NA would be a good fit. CODA is for co-dependants right? Or am I thinking of alanon? Hmmm I don't know.

Yes - CODA is for codependents--and that i am.

I fit with NA, but AA is where I think there is far better recovery?

I haven't been to an NA meeting, or any other anonymous meeting other than AA. I've had friends say that they had a better experience at AA, its just difficult for people who don't consider themselves alcoholic to share if they don't want to say they're an alcoholic. Our third tradition says "the only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking". So most meetings will ask that in keeping with the 3rd tradtion, anyone who is alcoholic is invited to share, all others to participate by listening. Since its a meeting for alcoholics to come and give/get support, we appreciate hearing from alcoholics. Most times I'm of the belief that its the same disease, but I know for me personally I cringe when I hear "addict" in place of "alcoholic" at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.

Don't know if that helps any.

I would go to whichever one you are most comfortable in, kind of like I'd pick a church? Whichever one has helped you most in the past or is closest/easiest and the most likely one you'll attend?

I'd go with NA since it sounds like msot of your problems are with drugs & NA is a little broader than AA in they treat all substances the same, a drug is a drug, is a drug. We're having a bit of a split amongst groups up here in AA as to whether it's ok to identify as an alcoholic and and addict at aa mtgs. sometiems addicts come to aa mtgs simply because there are more of them, but recently some groups have started adding a line at the beginning of meetings that says "if you have other addiction issues, please at this meeting identify only as an alcoholic and share only about your problems with alcohol." which personally I think is a bit of overkill.

--splitimage

Its a difficult call, for sure. Especially in this day and age with so many different addictions. When AA started, it was pretty much just alcohol. But now.....I mean its endless the amount of addictions out there. For me, I'm a total alcoholic, simply because I was never introduced to anything else. While I identify with any addiction, I identify most to other alcoholics. Though I believe a drug is a drug is a drug and alcohol is a drug. So its rough. My bf's big trigger is pot. While some scenes in movies with alcohol bother me, scenes with pot bother him more. Since it wasn't my trigger, it doesn't bother me. I think it just really boils down to what you identify with. If you identify better in an AA meeting, maybe there's some alcoholic tendancies there as well. But this "ism" is what we really all suffer with anyway, until we begin the recovery journey.

Ok I don't think I've made any sense hahaha. I'm off to a meeting.

In Southern California--you will almost get kicked out of an AA meting if you identify as an addict---which,imo, is wrong!
It is a WE program. When I lived in Northern California, they accepted alcoholics as well as addicts--now THAT'S program. We all have the same goal in mind----

S O B R I E T Y

Exactly. And I'm in agreement. Thats why its so great that there are so many meetings. Its said that all a new meeting needs to form is a coffee pot and a resentment.

Here, in the great land of Ohio, addicts are welcome in AA meetings as full fledged "members." My boyfriend goes to AA and he says there are addicts as well as alcoholics...I think there are more AA meetings than NA meetings, so sometimes, a person here goes to AA.

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Raynaadi said:
Its said that all a new meeting needs to form is a coffee pot and a resentment.

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That is a good one!!!

Haha if only I had come up with it on my own tee hee

I know this is an old thread but I'm still playing catch up.

I've been to AA and NA. Where I live there are far more AA meetings and they seem to welcome addicts (though honestly, I can identify myself as an alcoholic too, I just know that drugs are a bigger problem for me). Ultimately I chose AA because of the people I was connecting with. It had nothing to do with either program as both were good.

So my advice, find a place you like and that accepts you and hold on to it.

Cyran0