Nar-Anon

Nar-Anon Family Groups Header
Last Edited: December 28, 2023

Author
Claudia Rose

Clinically Reviewed
Edward Jamison, MS, CAP, ICADC, LADC

All of the information on this page has been reviewed and certified by an addiction professional.

What is Nar-Anon?

The Nar-Anon Family Groups focus on providing support for the friends and family of those battling an addiction by providing an environment of understanding that offers friendship and acceptance. Watching their loved one struggle through their addiction can be difficult and in some cases devastating.

Established in the late 1900’s,  Nar-Anon has had a rough start but the time and dedication the founders went through has helped hundreds of family members get through the hard times. This fellowship has been a beacon of hope for the families struggling to understand addiction.

It has been a long road to recovery, but those who have benefited from the Nar-Anon Fellowship go on to live a life that is fulfilling surrounded by a family that loves and accepts the struggle of that journey.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a membership with Nar-Anon cost?
Memberships are Free. Nar-Anon memberships require no dues or fees. They are a self-supporting fellowship that only accepts voluntary donations from members.

Does Nar-Anon have a support group for teenagers and children?
If you’re a teenager and someone important to you is suffering with an addiction, you can find support in a Narateen group. Narateen is designed for teen Nar-Anon members to learn from each other’s effective ways of coping with parents dealing with their addiction. Narateen meetings focus on educating the children of drug addicts about substance abuse from a family illness perspective.

Does Nar-Anon members have to attend meetings for the rest of their life?
No. This fellowship is a support group for family members of recovering addicts. The goal is to educate and help teenagers and adults get through the hard times of an addicts journey of recovery.

Nar-Anon Fellowship Traditions and Values

The Nar-Anon Family Groups focus on providing support for the friends and family of those battling an addiction. Watching their loved one struggle through their addiction can be difficult and in some cases devastating. Nar-Anon provides an environment of understanding that offers friendship and acceptance.

The Nar-Anon Fellowship is not affiliated with a particular type of religion, but emphasizes a spiritual way of life.  There principles and traditions are based on AA’s Twelve Steps and traditions, but are not associated with the AA organization. There are no dues or fees for Nar-Anon membership nor is Nar-Anon allied with any denomination, politics, sect, organization or institution.

The members consist of family and friends of addicts who are struggling to overcome their addiction. Nar-Anon fellowship is fully self-supporting and accepts voluntary donations from the members to cover meeting location costs.

Nar-Anon helps create an understanding that addiction is a family illness. The realization that the addict and the family are powerless over the addiction and other people’s lives are key in finding peace with the constant battle the recovering addict is deals with every day.[/vc_column_text]

Nar-Anon’s Brief History in Time

Nar-Anon was originally founded in California by Alma B., unfortunately, the initial attempt to launch the program failed to the best of her efforts and was revived in 1968 by Robert Stewart Goodrich. The first successful meeting of Nar-Anon took place in 1968 by Louise and Margaret, who identified the need for a family and friend support group to help understand the concept of addiction their loved ones are dealing with. As the fellowship grew, the members began to travel across the United States starting meetings and carrying the message of hope and support.

In 2007, Jim R. organized a meeting at A Recovery Place in Texas and in the following year, more meeting began to follow providing the help recovering crystal meth addicts desperately needed.

Nar-Anon is a non-professional fellowship whose members share their experience, strength, and hope to solve their common problems. We’ve learned to avoid standing in the way of the addict’s recovery. Nar-Anon is not a replacement for, nor provides professional treatment.

Nar-Anon focuses on nonendorsement and does not express opinions on civil, social, medical, legal, or religious issues. Furthermore, the fellowship does not take a stand on addiction-related issues.

Disclaimer: DetoxtoRehab.com is in no way affiliated with Nar-Anon nor do we receive funding from the organization for endorsing their fellowship. Our goal is to educate those in need about aftercare programs that help maintain sobriety and help those struggling with addiction find a meeting. Please attend an Nar-Anon meeting for literature or visit their website for more information.