Cocaine Anonymous (CA) is an international support group meant for people recovering from cocaine addiction. 

The program is based on the 12-step model used by Alcoholics Anonymous and has helped hundreds of thousands of recovering cocaine addicts take up new habits and maintain sobriety. 

Members can either attend physical or online meetings, depending on convenience. 

Read on to learn more about Cocaine Anonymous, its main features, and its advantages. 

More About Cocaine Anonymous

Cocaine Anonymous takes a similar approach to Alcoholics Anonymous, the main difference being it focuses on people addicted to cocaine and similar narcotics. 

Members attend meetings and share their unique addiction and recovery stories. And while members are encouraged to open up and share their testimonies, everything discussed in meetings must be kept confidential.

No membership fees are required as the group is free for all individuals looking to overcome cocaine addiction and maintain lifelong sobriety. 

How Cocaine Anonymous Works 

Although not affiliated with AA, Cocaine Anonymous uses the 12 steps and 12 traditions. The non-profit organization shares two primary texts, the AA text and its unique text, “Hope, Faith, and Courage: Stories from the Fellowship of Cocaine Anonymous.”

Below is a brief description of the 12 steps of CA. 

Honesty: The first step requires members to admit that they’re powerless over the addiction and that the disorder has made their lives unmanageable. Honesty is an important step that sets the tone for the subsequent steps.  

Faith: Step two requires members to believe that a higher power exists and is capable of restoring their lives.

Surrender: In this step, members must surrender to the care and power of the higher power. This allows members to let go of what they can’t control and focus on what they can. 

Soul Searching: Members must conduct a fearless moral inventory to determine faulty areas that require improvement. 

Integrity: After conducting a sincere moral inventory, members are required to admit to the higher power, themselves and others, the wrongs committed due to cocaine addiction. 

Acceptance: Members accept their weaknesses and surrender them to the higher power. 

Humility: In this step, members humble themselves before the higher power and ask for forgiveness and inner strength to change. 

Willingness: Members are required to make a list of people who were directly affected by their cocaine addiction. They must then be willing to make amends. 

Forgiveness: In this step, the members must try to make amends to people affected by their addictive behavior as long as doing so doesn’t cause more harm or damage. 

Maintenance: Members are required to maintain the willingness to seek forgiveness and reform from the life of old. 

Making Contact: In this stage, members are required to seek assistance from the higher power to overcome challenges and eventually achieve the set goals. 

Service: All CA members have the responsibility to help others recover and lead drug-free lives. 

Advantages of Cocaine Anonymous

Safe, Non-judgemental Environment

People recovering from cocaine need all the support in the world, and CA does exactly that. In addition to keeping discussions under wrap, CA members are also expected to be compassionate and non-judgmental to fellow members. 

The compassionate environment allows members to share testimonies and interact without fear, which is vital in the fight against relapses. 

Supportive Network

CA gives members the opportunity to interact and create a network of like-minded friends. Over time, these meetings become less official and more like social gatherings between friends looking to share and assist each other. 

Considering the risk of relapse is high when in the wrong company, it is crucial for members to surround themselves with positive-minded friends who share the same recovery goals. 

Structure

CA gives members a much-needed structure that keeps them grounded. The more involved an individual is in support groups, the more likely they won’t relapse. 

The strictly scheduled meetings and the 12 steps (and traditions) ensure that all members have something to look forward to every week.

 Moreover, the regular meetings allow members to interact frequently and continue motivating (and challenging) each other consistently. 

Is Cocaine Anonymous Worth It?

Although not everyone recovering from cocaine addiction joins CA, doing so can significantly reduce the chances of relapse. 

Attending CA sessions allows you to interact with a group of like-minded people looking to overcome cocaine addiction. Regular interactions not only breed friendship but also foster a compassionate yet challenging environment where recovering addicts can thrive. 

Joining Cocaine Anonymous is easy as you’ll only need to search online to see if there are groups around your location. 

You can also attend CA meetings online, which can work well if you can’t find a physical group near you.