Regular meetings where people come together and talk about what they’re going through. Usually everyone in the group has been through a similar experience and are using that experience to support each other to achieve their goals.  

How could it be helpful?

Although there a lot of different kinds of support groups for many different challenges, the most common ones in New Zealand for people using drugs are: 

SMART (Self-Management and Recovery Training) is a group for anyone who uses drugs or has addictive behaviours and wants to make changes. You don’t need to be trying to quit using drugs or have a connection to religion or a higher power. Some groups are tailored for specific communities (e.g. LGBTQI+, people with autism, people in prison, families and friends, and indigenous people) With the guidance of a facilitator, participants of the group support each other to:  

  • Build and maintain motivation 
  • Cope with urges and cravings 
  • Manage thoughts, feelings and behaviours 
  • Live a balanced life   

SMART is evidence-based and grounded in Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy (REBT) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). 

You can find more info on the SMART Recovery website. 

Narcotics Anonymous is a support group for people experiencing drug addiction. It is for people that want to quit using drugs altogether and follows the belief that anyone who is addicted can stop using drugs, lose the desire to use, and find a new way to live. Narcotics Anonymous follows a 12-step programme and is not specific to just one drug. Learn more about the 12 steps.

You can find more info on the Narcotics Anonymous website. There is also Alcoholics Anonymous which follows the same steps for people who want to stop drinking alcohol. 

Family/Whānau Support Groups offer support for the family members and loved ones of people who use drugs. They provide space to talk about challenges you are experiencing and get support from others that have been there before.  

Adult Children of Alcoholics & Dysfunctional Families (ACA) is a worldwide fellowship and twelve-step recovery programme for people who grew up in households affected by alcoholism or other forms of dysfunction. While the name references alcoholism, membership is open to anyone raised in an environment characterised by emotional neglect, abuse, controlling behaviour, or other forms of family dysfunction — not just homes where drinking was a problem.

The fellowship is non-professional, non-religious, and self-supporting. Meetings are held globally, and the website provides tools to find local or virtual groups, access free downloadable resources, and connect with the broader ACA community. It emphasises that recovery is possible, and that no one has to face it alone.

You can find more info on the ACA website.

How to access?

For all the groups listed above, you don’t need to sign up beforehand. They all have open options where you can just show up to the meeting. If you don’t connect with it, there is no obligation to come back. They are all free, but some may have the option for donations. 

Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous have closed groups that are for members of the organisations and some NA, AA and SMART Recovery groups may require you to already be getting support from the organisation that’s running it.  

Here is where you can find a list of upcoming meetings for each of the different support groups: 

There are also many other groups run by different organisations that you can attend. See the Mental Health Education & Resource Centre (MHERC) for a list of upcoming support groups. 

Real experiences

“SMART recovery made me realise that I do have power and autonomy. None of the facilitators asked me what my drug of choice was or how many sober days I have because it just isn’t important. You talk about how the last seven days have been and then you talk about setting achievable goals for the seven days ahead. There is no ‘failure’. If you don’t achieve your goals, you don’t have to start again from Day One, you just try again the next week... There is no judgement, blame or shame and addiction is viewed as a behavioural problem that can be changed and resolved.”

- Community Activator at The Level

"I got a sponsor, and he helped take me through the 12 steps of recovery. And from that point, life got really good. It was the foundation of the future I have now...the stable environment I have now is all based on that work that I did, going five meetings a day, getting a sponsor." 

- Dylan

“Through these groups, I’ve had to learn a lot. I’ve tried a lot of sneaky routes around addiction and realised that for me abstinence is the best way to go about it. But it’s so much more than just the drug use. We talk about the involvement of my health, my sanity, my goals, my relationship with my kids.” 

- Bridget

Where

In the community

Time commitment

About an hour a week

Accessing this treatment

Requires a process