Often when we talk about addiction statistics, we talk about deaths, overdoses, and hospitalizations, sad statistics which tell an important part of the story. At New Paradigm Recovery, however, we know that the story doesn’t always end in tragedy. On the contrary, there are millions who live happy, healthy, and fulfilling lives in recovery.1 2It’s vital to recognize that recovery is possible, and it happens all around us. This includes the recovery that happens in Northern Virginia.
While it’s difficult to find the metrics to know for sure how many people are in recovery, we can be encouraged by the astounding number of 12-step meetings in the area. In the Washington, DC metro area alone, there are over 300 Narcotics Anonymous meetings3 and over 1000 Alcoholics Anonymous meetings4 every week. While anonymous groups are, by nature, anonymous (not the type of associations where members are registered or studied by scholars), these numbers still inform us of a vibrant, welcoming community of the recovering addicts and alcoholics in Washington, DC, Northern Virginia, and the Maryland suburbs who come together in groups large and small, via Zoom or in-person, to meet with each other, support each other’s recovery from addiction, and live a positive life without drugs.
New Paradigm Recovery is an outpatient addiction treatment center located in Northern Virginia dedicated to treating alcohol and drug addiction holistically through individual, group, and family counseling. We want to celebrate the recovery community around us; when we realize just how many of our neighbors have found recovery, we can start to shake the stigma and take steps towards a happier, healthier future. No matter how bad it is, we’re not in this alone.
Take the next step and give us some insight into what’s happening. This is your chance to invite help into your life.
1 Alcoholics Anonymous. Estimates of AA groups and members as of January 1, 2012. New York, NY: A.A. General Service Office; 2012. [Google Scholar]
2 Narcotics Anonymous. 2009 membership survey. 2010a Retrieved from
http://www.na.org/admin/include/spaw2/uploads/pdf/NA_membership_survey.pdf.
3 Meetings in the C&P Region. Narcotics Anonymous Chesapeake & Potomac Region. (2020, March 13). Retrieved December 15, 2021, from Meetings in the C&P Region
4 Meeting List. Washington Area Intergroup Association. (n.d.). Retrieved December 15, 2021, from https://aa-dc.org/meetings?tsml-day=any
