Something Akin to a Sufi Order

By Hamid Golpira, "Kicking" - Tehran Times - Tehran, Iran
Sunday, July 13, 2008

Kicking the drug habit is one of the most difficult things to do in life.

Any recovering drug addict will tell you that this is true. Fortunately, most people will never have to go through this experience personally.

There are basically four ways to kick drugs: (1) you can call on God for help and seek out the assistance of a support network of friends or professionals; (2) you can call on God for help without seeking out the assistance of a support network; (3) you can do it with a support network but without calling on God for help; or (4) you can try to do it all on your own without calling on God for help and without a support network.

(...)

Another problem faced by drug addicts is the fact that most of these individuals have addictive personalities.

A person with an addictive personality has an even harder time quitting than people who don’t have this condition. Perhaps they could be encouraged to become infatuated with stamp collecting, modern art, or other interests which are less harmful than drugs.

Thus, their addictive personalities could be channeled in a more positive direction.

Narcotics Anonymous is a group that has many branches around the world that have helped thousands and thousands of people kick the drug habit and begin to lead clean lives.

NA uses group meetings and the 12–step program, in which the recovering addicts are encouraged to believe in a “higher power” -- which is a non-denominational expression that NA uses so that they can be more inclusive.

Narcotics Anonymous has been criticized for the fact that only 25 percent of all the people who have attended meetings are able to stay clean for a long time, but this criticism is unfair since some people only join for one meeting and then disappear. And a 25 percent success rate is a lot better than a 0 percent success rate.

You can see the glass as one-quarter full and not three-quarters empty.

Narcotics Anonymous even has branches in Iran now, and they are doing excellent work by most accounts. In fact, some of Iran’s recovering drug addicts have a quasi-religious reverence for NA, as if they view it as something akin to a Sufi order.

So some positive things are happening amidst all this gloom. But there is an even darker side to the drug world.

The drug trade is a multi-billion dollar business worldwide, and some shadowy elements are trying to get people hooked on illicit drugs in order to control the masses and reap huge profits.

So where do we go from here? Well, clearly, a comprehensive international strategy must be formulated to address the world’s drug problem and all of society must play a role in implementing this strategy.

[Picture: NAIran logo. Image from: http://www.nairan.org/index.asp

To visit NA World click on this link http://www.na.org/].