Suncoast
Narcotics
Anonymous
24 Hour Helpline:
1-941-257-5055
What is Narcotics Anonymous?
NA is a nonprofit fellowship or society of men and women for whom drugs had become a major problem. We are recovering addicts who meet regularly to help each other stay clean. This is a program of complete abstinence from all drugs. There is only one requirement for membership, the desire to stop using.
6:30 pm Saturday Saturday Night Live
4041 Bahia Vista St Sarasota, FL 342322421
O,D,WC Building 3, behind church
7:30 pm Saturday Fresh Start Group
6502 14th St W Bradenton, FL 34207
O,WC,NS,SD Smoke Free Campus
8:00 pm Saturday Basic Text Study
1801 N Lockwood Ridge Rd Sarasota, FL 34234
O,BT
9:00 pm Saturday No Pants Meeting (ONLINE)
O,VM
9:00 am Sunday Peace in the Morning
8940 Midnight Pass Rd Sarasota, FL 34242
O,SMK,¤,RF
Stay Connected!
Stay up to date with Suncoast Area NA announcements and events.
Meeting Updates:
- Meeting Permanently Cancelled: Get Hooked On Recovery
The Get Hooked On Recovery meeting is permanently cancelled and will no longer meet at Real Recovery (5025 26th St, Bradenton, FL, 34207) on Wednesdays from 7:00 - 8:00 PM.
Event Updates:
- Shark Coast Annual Luau - Sat, Jul 18th - 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Food - Speaker - Fun!
North Jetty Park
1000 S Casey Key Rd, Nokomis, FL, 34275
Get Directions -> - Keep It Simple 2nd Annual Speaker Jam - Sat, Aug 1st - 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Six speakers, three male and three female, one of each with under 5 years, 5-15 years, and over 15 years!
Hope Lutheran Church
4635 26th St W, Bradenton, FL, 34207
Get Directions -> - Just For Friday First Friday Speaker - Fri, Aug 7th - 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Parrish United Methodist Church
12180 US-301, Parrish, FL, 34219
Get Directions -> - Summer Beach Bash - Sun, Aug 16th - 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Join us for food, fellowship, raffles, prizes, rock painting, balloon toss, and 2 guest speakers!
Coquina Beach Gulfside North Pavillion
1438 Gulf Dr S, Bradenton, FL, 34217
Get Directions -> - Dinosaur Day - Sun, Sep 20th - 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Longwood Park Pavilion
6050 Longwood Run Blvd, Sarasota, FL, 34243
Get Directions ->
When:
Sunday, August 9th
Where:
That Church - 6502 14th St W, Bradenton, FL, 34207
Times:
- 1:30 PM - H&I Committee Meeting
- 2:30 PM - Activities Committee Meeting
- 2:30 PM - H&I Orientation
- 2:30 PM - Web Committee Meeting
- 2:45 PM - GSR Orientation
- 3:00 PM - Admin Body Meeting
- 3:30 PM - Area Service Meeting
Notes:
- There is no parking by the green fence.
- No smoking or vaping ANYWHERE except underneath the basketball hoop.
- Please keep the bathroom doors closed. (The air conditioning in the meeting space depends on it)
Group Readings fo NA Meetings
Use the below links to view, download, or print a PDF of the readings commonly used in NA meetings.
Narcotics Anonymous Resource Links
Helpful links to trusted NA resources for recovery support, literature, and local & global fellowship connections.
Daily Meditations
Subscribe →July 18, 2026 |
The gift of desperation |
| Page 208 |
| "Our disease always resurfaced or continued to progress until, in desperation, we sought help from each other in Narcotics Anonymous." |
| Basic Text, p. 13 |
| When we think of being desperate, we envision an undesirable state: a poor, bedraggled soul frantically clawing at something sorely needed, a desperate look in the eyes. We think of hunted animals, hungry children, and of ourselves before we found NA. Yet it was the desperation we felt before coming to NA that compelled us to accept the First Step. We were fresh out of ideas, and so became open to new ones. Our insanity had finally risen higher than our wall of denial, forcing us to get honest about our disease. Our best efforts at control had only worn us out; hence, we became willing to surrender. We had received the gift of desperation and, as a result, were able to accept the spiritual principles that make it possible for us to recover. Desperation is what finally drives many of us to ask for help. Once we've reached this state, we can turn around and start anew. Just as the desperate, hunted animal seeks a safe haven, so do we: in Narcotics Anonymous. |
| Just for Today: The gift of desperation has helped me become honest, open-minded, and willing. I am grateful for this gift because it has made my recovery possible. |
| Copyright (c) 2007-2026, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved |
July 18, 2026 |
Growth Takes Vulnerability |
| Page 206 |
| "By asking for help, we can change. Sharing is risky at times, but by becoming vulnerable we are able to grow." |
| Basic Text, Chapter 9: Just for Today--Living the Program |
| As kids, some of us became completely self-reliant out of necessity because the people and institutions meant to care for and help us consistently let us down. That skill got us through our using days--until it didn't. Others of us definitely sought help when we were using, but it wasn't to assist us in our growth. The help we wanted was for feeding our addiction and often put us in risky situations. We were vulnerable but not safe. The act of coming to NA is an admission that we need help. But are we thinking of our personal and spiritual development as we drag our butts into our first meeting? For most of us, the answer would be a resounding no! We just want to stop using. A member shared, "Asking for help was not an option. That meant I was weak, a whiner, a loser. I could be retaliated against, humiliated, rejected, or abandoned, cuz that's what happened when I showed vulnerability out there." Sharing in recovery does pose some risks. Rejection is possible and real. We expose ourselves to feeling shame and guilt. And who wants to experience any of that? Sometimes the risk is about accountability; like, if we tell someone what we're contemplating or feeling, then we might have to do something about it. However, withholding and going it alone make us less safe. We become more fearful, our isolation intensifies, and then acting out can seem like a good idea. As we grow in recovery, the pain we experience from isolating or acting out eventually outweighs the pain of sharing what's going on with us. Our experience of sharing with other members demonstrates that, overall, we find acceptance, support, and love. We learn that it takes courage to be vulnerable. Our desire to grow as recovering addicts eclipses our fears of feeling exposed. |
| I will assess what I may be concealing and where I'm afraid of being vulnerable. I may not make the choice to ask for help today--but I know I'm safer if I do. |
| Copyright (c) 2007-2026, NA World Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved |