UK Narcotics Anonymous Convention

Here I go again for this year’s UK Narcotics Anonymous convention in the Birmingham Metropole Hotel . Its been there for quite a while now, not sure exactly how long but do remember going to the first one about 14 or 15 years ago. The hotels brilliant and are more than happy to have NA there as we give them a lot less hassle than your average convention or function, musty have something to do with us all being clean and sober :) I usually catch up with friends from all over the country who I only see at conventions with all sorts of backgrounds of long term substance abuse or drug addiction prior to recovery, depending on how you look at it. Narcotics Anonymous is not affiliated with any outside organisations or treatment centres and you hear this at the beginning of most meetings, however in my experience the vast majority of recovering addicts got introduced to NA via being in a rehabilitation centre of some sort or another. Not all rehabs are 12 Step motivated and some do encourage other forms of on-going recovery. I can’t comment on how successful or not these are but everyone that I have come across in 20 years of being a member of NA has arrived there after other methods failed miserably. So off up to Birmingham tomorrow to see recovering friends here shares and sit around catching up and having a laugh for a couple of days, just what the doctor ordered. The majority will be getting into the disco or dance on Saturday night but this old man will be drinking cocoa and enjoying the luxury of an early night. Sunday morning in the Metropole stands for an early swim and large breakfast to me. Have fun whatever you get up to.