Alcoholics/Narcotics Anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special workers.
We have no 12-Step program professionals, no staff psychiatrists, psychologists, doctors, lawyers, or counselors. The power of recovery is based on one alcoholic or addict helping another and the fact that we can do together what none of us were able to do alone. I need to remind myself of this fact being a mental health nurse and a college professor. When I received my PhD with a focus on humor and addiction, my NA friends lovingly referred to me as Dr. Dope Fiend. Truth is I’m just one drink or drug from a living hell. There are plenty of us professionals that have problems with substances and find help in 12-Step programs. Addiction does not discriminate between education levels, professions or economic status and just laughs at how much we think we know. Tradition 8 commits to all members being non-professional as equal members trying to recover and freely giving to each other. Members don’t need any degrees, certificates, or special coursework to carry the message of recovery, only our experience, strength, and hope. Our stories are our training, and our recovery highlights our success. Members should never be singled out as having special knowledge of recovery because of their profession or having any expertise other than one member helping another.