Shortly after she posed her question, I remembered a column I wrote several years ago on that very subject. In fact, I think I have run the article twice in the last 10 years.
Searching through my documents, I found the column and decided to update it a bit and run it again for those who didn’t see it the first or second time it was printed. I’m hoping that at least one of our readers will find comfort and help in the following information:
Although I would guess that most people know about Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and maybe even Narcotics Anonymous (NA), many folks don’t realize there are more than 50 other recognized 12-step programs around the county, and many of them have meetings within our Long Beach/Signal Hill area.
According to Wikipedia, the 12-step program has been adopted by other fellowships for individuals who deal with the powerlessness over people, places or things. The requirement for membership in each of the groups is the desire to stop using either a substance or quit a behavior that has caused such powerlessness. The powerlessness over a substance or behavior must be self-diagnosed by each member. There is no cost for membership or to attend meetings. Some of the 12-step programs available include:
AA-Alcoholics Anonymous • ACOA-Adult Children of Alcoholics • Al-Anon/Alateen-support for families of alcoholics • CA-Cocaine Anonymous • CDA-Chemically Dependent Anonymous • CEA-Compulsive Eaters Anonymous • CLA-Clutterers Anonymous • CMA-Crystal Meth Anonymous • CoDA-Codependents Anonymous • COSA-Codependents of Sex Addicts • DA-Debtors Anonymous • DA-Depressed Anonymous • DDA-Dual Diagnosis Anonymous • EA-Emotions Anonymous • EAA-Eating Addictions Anonymous • FA-Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous • GA-Gamblers Anonymous • MA-Marijuana Anonymous • MA-Methadone Anonymous • NA-Narcotics Anonymous • Nar-Anon-family groups of addicts • NicA-Nicotine Addicts Anonymous • OA-Overeaters Anonymous • OLGA / OLG-Anon-OnLine Gamers Anonymous • PA-Pills Anonymous • PIR-Pagans In Recovery • Procrastinators Anonymous • RCA-Recovering Couples Anonymous • SA-Spenders Anonymous • SARA-Sexual Assault Recovery Anonymous • SLAA-Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous • SMA-Self-Mutilators Anonymous • VA-Vulgarity Anonymous • WA-Workaholics Anonymous
For those of you who are interested in any of the programs or just have questions regarding 12-step meetings, you might want to visit the store Easy Does It, located at 3517 Broadway in Long Beach. Richard, the owner of the establishment for more than 20 years, is quite an expert on the topic. As he tells it, he has inventory on texts, books and other materials pertaining to 24 different 12-step programs. The phone number there is (562) 621-1042.
When I spoke to him last Wednesday, Richard encouraged me to tell our readers that those who are not comfortable going to the store or calling may feel free to email him directly at richard@easdoesitbooksandgifts.com.
Note from Neena: The Serenity Prayer, believed by many to have been authored by Reinhold Niebuhr in the early 1940s, has been adopted and recited at most, if not all, 12-step program meetings. The message is as follows: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.
