Newcomers
If you are reading this at 2 a.m., you are in the right place.
Nobody arrives at a C.A. meeting because things were going well. Here is exactly what happens, so that walking in is one less unknown.
The next meeting
Tuesdays at 6:00 PM — The Friendship Club, 1316 Apache Ave, Santa Fe, NM 87505.
Your first week
Four things, in order.
- 01
Just get in the room
Pick any meeting on the schedule. Arrive five minutes early if you can, but late is fine. Sit anywhere.
- 02
Say your first name if you want to
Most meetings ask if anyone is new. Raising your hand means people will introduce themselves afterward, which is the whole point. Not raising it is also fine.
- 03
Get a phone number
Ask one person for their number before you leave, and use it before the next meeting. This one habit changes more outcomes than any other.
- 04
Come back next week
The first meeting rarely fixes anything. The sixth one tends to. Try six.
Honest answers
The things people actually worry about
Will I have to talk?
No. You can say your first name and pass, or say nothing at all. Plenty of us sat silent for weeks. Listening is participating.
What does it cost?
Nothing. A basket goes around for rent and coffee, and newcomers are specifically asked not to put anything in it. There are no dues or fees.
Do I have to be clean to come?
No. Come as you are. We only ask that if you are loaded you sit quietly and let the meeting happen. Nobody will throw you out.
Do I have to be religious?
No. C.A. is spiritual, not religious, and it is not affiliated with any church or denomination. Atheists and agnostics stay clean here too. Nobody will ask what you believe.
Will anyone find out I was there?
Not from us. We use first names only and we do not repeat who we saw or what they said. There is no sign-in sheet and no records are kept.
What if cocaine was never really my thing?
Then you are still in the right place. Members come in from every drug there is, and from alcohol. If you think you have a problem with any mind-altering substance, this room is for you.
What if I have already relapsed a hundred times?
So had most of us. There is no probation period, no strike count, and no shame attached to coming back. Come back.
What if I am on prescribed medication?
That is between you, your doctor and your conscience. C.A. has no opinion on anyone's medical treatment and nobody in the room is qualified to give you one.
If tonight is bad
The next meeting can be a long way off. You do not have to wait alone until then.
- Call C.A. World Services — 1-800-347-8998
Answered around the clock. A real member of the fellowship picks up.
- Join an online C.A. meeting
There is one running most hours of the day, from your phone, with your camera off if you want.
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — call or text 988
If you are in danger right now, this comes first. Call 911 for a medical emergency or an overdose.