NA and A.A. on the Same Day

Key takeaway

You can go to NA and to A.A. on the same day. You are allowed to attend both. They are different fellowships. An A.A. discussion may be asked to stay on alcoholism. NA's message is any addict and drugs. NA grew from the A.A. program in the late 1940s, with meetings in Los Angeles in the early 1950s.

Last updated: Tue Oct 06 2026 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

You went to one meeting and mentioned the other, and someone frowned. Or you never made it to either, because alcohol and the other drugs are both in the story and you are tired of picking a team before you are allowed to sit down. You can go to both. Nothing you need tonight forbids it.

They are different fellowships. NA sprang from the A.A. program of the late 1940s. Meetings first emerged in the Los Angeles area in the early 1950s. That is why the shape feels familiar and why the rooms are still not the same room. A family resemblance is not a rule that you have to choose one parent.

What each hour is for

A.A. is for recovery from alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. You do not have to pay. You can sit and listen, or you can share. At both open and closed meetings, discussion may be asked to stay on recovery from alcoholism. Open meetings are for anyone interested in the program, and a nonalcoholic may attend as an observer. Closed meetings are for members, or for people who have a drinking problem and a desire to stop drinking. The open and closed guide is that choice. The first meeting guide is the walk-in.

If you talk about the other drugs in an A.A. discussion, a chair may ask you to come back to alcohol. Members conduct the meeting and determine the format. Each group is autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or A.A. as a whole, so one group's frown, or one group's request, belongs to that group. You are still allowed to have gone to NA in the morning. Keep the share in the room where it fits. You do not have to pretend the other half of the story never happened. You also do not have to make an A.A. meeting hold a conversation it asked to keep on alcoholism.

NA's message is that an addict, any addict, can stop using drugs, lose the desire to use, and find a new way to live. The message is hope and the promise of freedom. When new members come to meetings, the sole interest is their desire for freedom from active addiction and how the people there can be of help. NA meetings are run by and for addicts. That word is NA's. The NA meetings guide is how you find the hour. The comparison is there if you want the longer side-by-side after you have been to one of each.

A frown is not a membership rule

You may attend both on the same day. Neither fellowship describes a rule that takes one meeting away because you went to the other. Do not let a sigh from a stranger write a law the fellowships did not write. If a group asks for a topic, follow the topic while you are in the chair. Then go to the other meeting if you still need it.

aa.org does not contain a meeting finder. It points you to local A.A. resources. Search meetings for either fellowship and confirm each listing. The search on this site is not a verified directory. Online A.A. meetings exist at the hours groups choose. Some are video, some have the cameras off, some are a phone call. The online guide covers that side. NA's listing is a separate confirm. Do both before you drive.

If the family is the one fraying, they need their own door. Al-Anon for someone else's drinking. Nar-Anon for someone else's addiction. NA says if you are looking for help for a loved one, you can contact Narcotics Anonymous near you. The meeting is still for people who want to stop using.

The history guide is A.A.'s longer story, if you want it later. You do not need it to sit in two rooms today.

If stopping is making you sick

Two meetings will not detox you. If you have been drinking heavily and you stop suddenly, NIAAA says withdrawal can be life-threatening. Get medical help. Call 911 if you are in danger. Call or text 988 if you are in crisis. NIDA describes mutual-help groups as peer-led, not led by healthcare professionals, and not a substitute for treatment.

If you need a program, call (800) 653-9376. The call is free to you. Treatment providers pay for the referral. The line is not A.A., not NA, and not SMART Recovery. SAMHSA's National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357), is a treatment referral line, free and confidential, in English and Spanish. FindTreatment.gov lists licensed care.

Tonight you can pick the meeting that matches the thing that is loudest, and you can go to the other one after. Confirm the times. Let a frown stay one person's face.

Additional Resources

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Common Questions

Am I allowed to go to both NA and A.A.?

Yes. You may attend both. Nothing in the public description of either fellowship forbids you from going to one in the afternoon and the other at night. They are different fellowships. NA sprang from the A.A. program of the late 1940s, and meetings first emerged in the Los Angeles area in the early 1950s. That history explains the family resemblance. It does not make them one club with one rulebook. A frown from one person is a person. It is not a law against dual membership.

Why did someone shut me down when I talked about drugs in A.A.?

At A.A. meetings, open and closed, discussion may be asked to stay on recovery from alcoholism. Members conduct the meeting and determine the format, and each group is autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or A.A. as a whole. So a chair may ask the share to stay on alcohol. That ask is about the topic of the hour. It is not a finding that you are unwelcome on the planet, and it is not a ban on the NA meeting you already attended.

Which welcome fits which room?

In A.A., the only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. Anyone with that desire is welcome, and you do not have to pay. You can sit and listen. In NA, the message is that an addict, any addict, can stop using drugs, lose the desire to use, and find a new way to live. When new members come in, the sole interest is their desire for freedom from active addiction and how the people there can help. NA meetings are run by and for addicts.

What if my family is the one who needs a meeting?

A.A. and NA are for the person who wants to stop. Family members get their own rooms. Al-Anon is for someone else's drinking, and you can go whether or not that person seeks help. Nar-Anon is for someone else's addiction. The only requirement is a problem of addiction in a relative or friend. If you are looking for help for a loved one, NA also says you can contact Narcotics Anonymous near you. The meeting itself is still for people who want to stop using.

What if I am sick because I stopped both?

Get medical help before you stack two meetings on a dangerous withdrawal. If you have been drinking heavily and you stop suddenly, NIAAA says alcohol withdrawal can be life-threatening. A meeting is not detox. Call 911 if you are in danger. Call or text 988 if you are in crisis. NIDA says mutual-help groups are peer-led, not led by healthcare professionals, and not a substitute for treatment. When you are safe, you can still go to both rooms.