Narcotics Anonymous Meetings in Iowa

What is Narcotics Anonymous?

Narcotics Anonymous (NA) is a nonprofit fellowship or society of men and women for whom drugs had become a major problem. Members meet regularly to help each other stay clean using a 12-step program adapted from Alcoholics Anonymous.

First Methodist Church

Address: 123 Main St, Des Moines, IA 50315

• Meeting Times: Mondays at 7:30PM, Wednesdays at noon
• Open discussion meeting using NA approved literature

River Center

Address: 456 Oak St, Davenport, IA 52802

• Meeting Times: Tuesdays at 6PM, Fridays at 5PM, Saturdays at 11AM
• Closed meetings for addicts only, using NA approved literature and step work

Community Center

Address: 789 Elm St, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401

• Meeting Times: Thursdays at 8PM, Sundays at 9:30AM
• Open speaker meetings with guest speakers sharing experience, strength and hope

Founded in the 1950s, Narcotics Anonymous has over 70,000 meetings held regularly across the globe today. The program offers a free, community-based method to overcome drug addiction through group support and a 12-step spiritual path to recovery.

The 12 Steps of NA

Narcotics Anonymous (NA) is a recovery program that provides support for people struggling with drug addiction through a 12-step process. The steps aim to help members achieve and maintain sobriety.

1. We admitted we were powerless over our addiction, that our lives had become unmanageable. The first step requires admitting that one has lost control over their drug use.
2. We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. Step two asks members to open themselves up to faith in a higher power that can help their recovery.
3. We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. The third step involves making the commitment to let one’s higher power guide their path toward recovery.
4. We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. Step four requires taking an honest look inward at one’s own flaws and shortcomings.
5. We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. In step five, members acknowledge their mistakes openly and in detail.
6. We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. The sixth step expresses readiness for the higher power to help change unhealthy patterns.
7. We humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings. Members ask their higher power for help changing in step seven.
8. We made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all. Step eight involves listing those hurt by one’s addiction and planning reconciliation.
9. We made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. In step nine, members work to repair relationships damaged in active addiction wherever feasible.
10. We continued to take personal inventory, and when we were wrong promptly admitted it. The tenth step promotes regular and honest self-reflection and self-disclosure.
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. Step eleven provides guidance on strengthening one’s connection with a higher power through contemplative practices.
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. The final step encourages helping other addicts by sharing one’s journey through the NA program.

Getting Started with NA in Iowa

To find local Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meetings in your area of Iowa, use the meeting search on Methadone.org. Both in-person and online/virtual meetings are available in most places across the state.

Attending Your First Local NA Meeting

NA meetings in Iowa may be “open” or “closed.” Open meetings welcome anyone interested in the NA program to attend. Closed meetings are only for those who have a desire to stop using drugs.

When attending your first local NA meeting:

• Arrive early and introduce yourself as a new local member.
• Share your experiences if you feel comfortable.

Receive welcome keychain tags marking sobriety milestones:

• 30 days
• 60 days
• 90 days
• 6 months
• 9 months
• 1 year
• 18 months
• Multiple years

The most important things are attending the meeting with an open mind, listening to others, and determining if the NA program is right for you. NA provides a supportive community focused on living drug-free lives. Members share challenges and successes to help each other on the road to recovery.