Narcotics Anonymous Meetings Online: The Advantages
Can't make your meeting? Online NA meetings can be joined by video or phone from home. Who they suit, how to find one, and how to protect your privacy.
Medically reviewed by Daniel R. Karlin, MD, MA, Chief Medical OfficerPubMedGoogle Scholar
Online Narcotics Anonymous meetings let you join a live meeting by video or phone, which helps when travel, distance, disability, or your schedule makes in-person attendance difficult. NA is peer support, not medical treatment. A meeting does not diagnose a condition, manage withdrawal, or replace a prescribing clinician.
Healing is sacred, and the thought of not being able to fit Narcotics Anonymous meetings into your schedule can add to your stress.
Luckily, there are ways to stay on track without attending every meeting in person. Here's why you might take your 12-step program online.
Who Are Online Meetings For?
Many people benefit from Narcotics Anonymous online meetings. For example:
The Introverted or Anxious
As an introvert, attending a Narcotics Anonymous 12-step program in person can be overwhelming. An online meeting may be easier to take part in, without the pressure of feeling that everyone is watching you. You can ask the organizer whether it is fine to listen at first.
Night Owls
Although many friends from meetings encourage recovery-related phone calls, sometimes they may not want to talk late at night.
Online access makes a wider range of meeting times available, which is helpful for night owls or those who work non-traditional hours.
Those With Mobility Issues
Another advantage of Narcotics Anonymous online is that it's accessible from your home. If you don't drive, can't find a ride, or have a disability that prevents you from leaving home, you don't have to miss out.
How to Attend Narcotics Anonymous Online
Whether you want to log on to try Narcotics Anonymous just for today or for longer, here is how to get started:
Find a Meeting
Start with NA World Services virtual meeting resources, which links to virtual meeting listings and guidance. Check the meeting's time zone, language, format, and joining instructions before the start time.
Video and Phone Meetings
Some meetings use video platforms, while others offer phone access. Individual groups may set their own participation and security practices, so read their instructions instead of assuming every meeting works the same way.
Virtual Meetings
Like an in-person meeting, a virtual meeting is made up of people in recovery, each with a name and a story. A meeting may include readings, a speaker, or sharing by participants. It's a way to hear from those who are new and from those who have been in recovery for years.
You can ask the organizer about newcomer expectations and how to request a chance to speak. If the first group does not feel like a fit, another may have a different format or atmosphere.
Advantages Of Online Meetings
Before you make the decision to take your recovery online, get familiar with the benefits and the limits of online meetings so you can decide what suits you.
1. More Privacy
An online meeting lets you take part from your own space. Use headphones and a private location when possible. Check the name displayed on screen and what is visible behind you. Avoid recording, taking screenshots, or sharing another participant's identifying details.
No online platform can promise complete anonymity. Group confidentiality expectations and technical privacy are related but different. Ask about a meeting's practices if you have concerns.
2. Easier to Attend
If you're concerned about your ability to attend in-person meetings, online meetings may be for you. Online access can reduce transportation needs. It may be especially useful during travel, illness, or a period when local support is limited, and you are not restricted to meetings near where you live.
3. Stay Connected With Others In an Effective Environment
Getting involved in an online 12-step program doesn't mean you're giving up the chance to connect with others in recovery. You'll still learn a lot, and what matters most is that you find the group useful.
Online meetings can have drawbacks too: an unreliable connection, difficulty finding private space, or feeling less connected through a screen. Some people prefer in-person meetings or a combination of both.
4. More Convenient
Get your feet wet with an online meeting, especially if you're nervous about attending one in person. When you're connecting online, you won't have to sit in a room with others or leave your home. Instead, you can take part as long as you have a phone or a computer with internet access.
5. A Safe Space
In many cultures, substance use is frowned upon or unacceptable. Addiction support groups may not be available in your area, or you may face harassment, social exclusion, or being disowned by your family if you are seen attending.
Because of this, online meetings can be a safer way to get support.
6. Overcomes Language Barriers
You may live somewhere you're not fluent in the local language. Online meetings can be joined from anywhere, so even in the U.S., where most meetings are in English, someone who only speaks Spanish can look for a meeting in their own language. Check the language in the meeting listing before you join.
7. Improves Cultural Diversity
If language barriers aren't an issue, people of all cultures can get involved in a single support group. This is beneficial because different perspectives and attitudes come together in one room.
Also, people from different cultures can reach one another and talk about issues caused by cultural norms.
Will You Attend Narcotics Anonymous Meetings Online?
Narcotics Anonymous meetings are now available online. This means people who are nervous, who cannot travel, or who have busy schedules can still check in with others in recovery.
It can also be a safer place to connect with people, especially if substance use is disapproved of in your culture.
People taking prescribed buprenorphine, methadone, or naltrexone can benefit from peer support. Medical decisions belong with the patient and clinician, not with an informal meeting vote. If a group makes you feel pressured to stop effective medication, discuss that experience with your treatment team and consider a support setting that respects your care plan. Evidence-based medication remains an important part of opioid use disorder treatment. CDC: Treating Opioid Use Disorder
Choose a meeting, check the joining instructions, and set aside a private space. Afterward, consider whether the group felt useful and respectful. Keep your medical appointments, and use emergency services when needed instead of waiting for the next meeting. Good luck!
Start Suboxone treatment online. Our online Suboxone doctors see patients by video visit. The first visit is $89. Follow-up visits are $50 weekly, $75 every two weeks or $89 monthly. Visits are cash pay, and medication is priced separately.