Recovery support
Nar-Anon meetings in New Jersey: support for families of people who use drugs
Nar-Anon is a free Twelve Step fellowship for family members and friends affected by someone else's addiction. In New Jersey, Nar-Anon of New Jersey lists meetings held in person and online seven days a week, and its lists at naranonofnj.org are the place to start (Nar-Anon Family Groups, 2026; Nar-Anon of New Jersey, 2026).
- Cost No dues or fees; a basket is passed for voluntary contributions
- Who Anyone with a problem of addiction in a relative or friend; teens have Narateen
- Your person Doesn't have to stop using or be in recovery for you to go
- In NJ In-person, virtual and hybrid meeting lists, plus a hotline: 877-424-4491
Reviewed against public records, October 2026. Sources are listed at the end of the page.
Who is Nar-Anon for, and does your loved one have to be in recovery first?
Nar-Anon is for anyone with a problem of addiction in a relative or friend; that is the only requirement, and your person doesn't have to stop using, admit a problem or be in treatment for you to go (Nar-Anon Family Groups, 2026).
Nar-Anon describes itself as a group for people who know, or have known, a feeling of desperation about the addiction of someone very near to them. Teens have their own groups, called Narateen, which are part of the Nar-Anon fellowship (Nar-Anon Family Groups, 2026).
Not sure it fits? Nar-Anon of New Jersey publishes its own list of questions: Do you need Nar-Anon?
“Nar-Anon helps relatives and friends of addicts whether or not the addict continues to use.”
Nar-Anon of New Jersey, 2026
Members include
- Parents
- Partners and spouses
- Sons and daughters
- Brothers and sisters
- Other relatives
- Friends
How does Nar-Anon work?
Members share their own experience, one person at a time, without advice, cross-talk or judgment, and keep the focus on their own lives rather than on the addict's (Nar-Anon Family Groups, 2026; Nar-Anon of New Jersey, 2026).
- Peers, not professionalsNar-Anon is a non-professional fellowship; it is not a replacement for treatment and doesn't provide it (Nar-Anon Family Groups, 2026).
- Twelve Steps, Traditions and ConceptsThe program is adapted from Narcotics Anonymous (Nar-Anon Family Groups, 2026).
- Spiritual, not religiousMembers rely on a Higher Power as they understand it; specific faiths aren't discussed (Nar-Anon Family Groups, 2026).
- You can just listenSharing is your choice, and questions can wait until after the meeting (Nar-Anon Family Groups, 2026).
- You didn't cause it"We did not cause it, we cannot control it, and we cannot cure it" (Nar-Anon of New Jersey, 2026).
- Each group sets its formatGroup sharing, step or tradition study, topic or speaker meetings (Nar-Anon Family Groups, 2026).
- SponsorsA member you identify with and talk to between meetings (Nar-Anon of New Jersey, 2026).
What is a first Nar-Anon meeting like?
You can walk into any Nar-Anon meeting without signing up or paying, sit and listen, and leave with a newcomer packet and a phone list (Nar-Anon Family Groups, 2026; Nar-Anon of New Jersey, 2026).
At a glance
Your first meeting, in order
- Pick a meeting and goJoining is just attending. There are no dues or fees.
- Take the newcomer packetNewcomers get a packet of reading and a phone list at their first meeting.
- Listen, or shareOne person speaks at a time. You can choose to just listen.
- The basket goes roundGive what you can afford, or nothing.
- Ask questions afterwardStay after the meeting to talk with members.
- Come backNar-Anon suggests attending as many meetings as you can.
Sources: Nar-Anon Family Groups, What Is Nar-Anon? and FAQ; Nar-Anon of New Jersey.
Printable card
Your first Nar-Anon meeting
What happens
- One person speaks at a time. You can just listen.
- Newcomers get a packet and a phone list.
- A basket is passed. Giving is voluntary.
- Stay afterward to ask questions.
What to bring
- Nothing is required.
- A few dollars, if you want to give to the basket.
- A way to save the phone list.
How to find a meeting
- naranonofnj.org: complete NJ list, virtual, in person and hybrid lists
- nar-anon.org/find-a-meeting: in person and virtual, plus Narateen
- Nar-Anon NJ hotline: 877-424-4491
From "Nar-Anon meetings in New Jersey". Sources: Nar-Anon Family Groups; Nar-Anon of New Jersey; accessed October 2026.
NJ Sober Living (201) 231-1066
How to find a Nar-Anon meeting in New Jersey
Start with Nar-Anon of New Jersey's meeting lists at naranonofnj.org, which cover in-person, virtual and hybrid meetings across the state, or call its hotline at 877-424-4491 (Nar-Anon of New Jersey, 2026).
The hotline's hours aren't posted. You can also email [email protected]; Nar-Anon of New Jersey asks you to include a phone number. To find a group near you, look through the complete New Jersey list by town, or join a virtual meeting.
This page doesn't list meeting times or places. Groups change them, and the official lists stay current. If there's no group near you, Nar-Anon's FAQ says you can start one (Nar-Anon Family Groups, 2026).
Nar-Anon, Al-Anon, Narateen or NA: who each group is for
Nar-Anon and Narateen are for the family and friends of someone who uses drugs; Al-Anon is for people affected by someone else's drinking; Narcotics Anonymous is for the person who wants to stop using (Nar-Anon Family Groups, 2026; Al-Anon Family Groups, 2026; Narcotics Anonymous World Services, 2026).
Narcotics Anonymous says the only requirement for membership is a desire to stop using (Narcotics Anonymous World Services, 2026). Al-Anon is for the families and friends of alcoholics, whether or not the drinker admits a problem or seeks help (Al-Anon Family Groups, 2026). Nar-Anon's only requirement is a problem of addiction in a relative or friend, so a family facing both drinking and drug use can go to either group, or to both (Nar-Anon Family Groups, 2026).
Youa parent, partner, relative or friend
- Nar-AnonRelatives and friends affected by someone else's addiction naranonofnj.org
- NarateenTeenage family members and friends, part of Nar-Anon nar-anon.org
- Al-AnonIf the problem is someone else's drinking Al-Anon guide
Nar-Anon's Twelve Steps are adapted from NA
Your loved onethe person using drugs
- Narcotics AnonymousThe only requirement is the desire to stop using Narcotics Anonymous guide
Drinking and drug use both part of the picture? You can go to Nar-Anon, Al-Anon, or both.
Sources: Nar-Anon Family Groups, FAQ and What Is Narateen?; Al-Anon Family Groups, What Is Al-Anon and Alateen?; Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Who Are Our Members?
What Nar-Anon is not, and other options for families
Nar-Anon is a non-professional, spiritual Twelve Step fellowship: it is not a replacement for professional treatment, and its program depends on a Higher Power (Nar-Anon Family Groups, 2026).
- Not treatment or therapyNar-Anon says it is not a replacement for professional treatment and doesn't provide it. It is a non-professional fellowship in which members share their own experience, strength and hope (Nar-Anon Family Groups, 2026).
- A spiritual programMembers rely on a Higher Power as they understand it, and Steps 3 and 11 speak of "God as we understood Him" (Nar-Anon Family Groups, 2026). Families who want a non-spiritual approach have other options.
- The focus is on youMeetings keep the focus on members' own lives rather than on the addict's, and Nar-Anon doesn't recommend specific recovery programs for your loved one (Nar-Anon Family Groups, 2026).
- A non-spiritual alternativeSMART Recovery runs Family & Friends meetings and says its family resources combine SMART tools with CRAFT (Community Reinforcement and Family Training) strategies (SMART Recovery, 2026). SMART Recovery Family & Friends
Questions families ask about Nar-Anon in New Jersey
If someone may be overdosing or is in danger, call 911. SAMHSA's National Helpline, 1-800-662-4357, is free, confidential and open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year (SAMHSA, 2026).
Sources
- Nar-Anon Family Groups. What Is Nar-Anon? nar-anon.org/what-is-nar-anon. Accessed 30 October 2026.
- Nar-Anon Family Groups. FAQ. nar-anon.org/faq. Accessed 30 October 2026.
- Nar-Anon Family Groups. What Is Narateen? nar-anon.org/what-is-narateen. Accessed 30 October 2026.
- Nar-Anon Family Groups. Meetings. nar-anon.org/meetings-page. Accessed 30 October 2026.
- Nar-Anon Family Groups. Find a Meeting. nar-anon.org/find-a-meeting. Accessed 30 October 2026.
- Nar-Anon of New Jersey. Home. naranonofnj.org. Accessed 30 October 2026.
- Nar-Anon of New Jersey. Crisis Support. naranonofnj.org/nar-anon-support. Accessed 30 October 2026.
- Nar-Anon of New Jersey. Complete NJ Meeting List (and virtual, in-person and hybrid lists). naranonofnj.org/complete-nj-meeting-list. Accessed 30 October 2026.
- Al-Anon Family Groups. What Is Al-Anon and Alateen? al-anon.org/newcomers/what-is-al-anon-and-alateen. Accessed 30 October 2026.
- Narcotics Anonymous World Services. Who Are Our Members? na.org/who-are-our-members. Accessed 30 October 2026.
- SAMHSA. National Helpline. www.samhsa.gov/find-help/helplines/national-helpline. Accessed 30 October 2026.
- Nar-Anon of New Jersey. Do You Need Nar-Anon? naranonofnj.org/do-you-need-nar-anon. Accessed 30 October 2026.
- Nar-Anon Family Groups. Our Principles (Twelve Steps). nar-anon.org/our-principles. Accessed 30 October 2026.
- SMART Recovery. Alternatives for Family & Friends. smartrecovery.org/how-to-help-a-loved-one-find-addiction-recovery. Accessed 30 October 2026.
This page is general information about a fellowship this site isn't part of.