What is the CMA Program?

What is the CMA program?
Crystal Meth Anonymous is a fellowship of people for whom crystal meth has become a serious problem. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stay clean and lead a sober life. There are no dues or membership lists; each group is self-supporting through its own contributions.

The members of Crystal Meth Anonymous meet regularly to share support and fellowship, and create a safe environment to stay clean. The fellowship advocates complete abstinence from crystal meth, alcohol, inhalants, as well as all other mind-altering substances.

Prayer and meditation are important parts of our program. Some of us are suspicious at first, fearing that we will be made to believe certain things. We may also react to our past experiences with organized religion. This is a spiritual program. We can define for ourselves the nature of our personal relationship with spirituality. For now, we accept that something has helped us stay clean and sober. We will begin to define our relationship with spirituality as we work the Twelve Steps with a sponsor.

The Twelve Steps are a set of principles designed to produce a spiritual awakening. The steps promote actions that help us to achieve and maintain sobriety. They offer a plan for recovery that helps repair the damage our addiction to crystal meth has caused. The steps guide us in new ways of living to create a fulfilling life in recovery. The Twelve Steps of our program provide us with a plan with which to build a sober, better life. We believe that if we work these simple steps we will live a life free of active addiction.

Does This Sound Like a Tall Order?
Don’t expect to do all of this overnight; you didn't become addicted in one day. Easy does it. We suggest you begin a program of recovery by taking Step One—admitting that you are powerless over crystal meth, and that your life has become unmanageable. It you are in a jail or hospital, then you have probably gone through complete withdrawal and have stopped using for the time being. Upon release, make a commitment to yourself that you will not use today. Most importantly, get in touch with a member of Crystal Meth Anonymous or attend a meeting of CMA at once. It you are not in a jail or hospital, the same thing holds true: Stop using just for today.

If the compulsion becomes so great you can’t see going through a whole day, then put yourself on a five minute basis of not using. After five minutes, do it for another five minutes. Minutes will grow into hours, hours into days. Quitting for one day, then another, will eventually help you break the habit. You move from Step One to Step Two. Then to Step Three. You do it by stages, first thing first. By attending at CMA meetings regularly, and working the program, you will find answers to the questions that may seem unanswerable to you now.

How can CMA help me with my problem?
We’re not professional therapists or drug counselors, and we’re not here to dispense advice. We understand what it’s like to be addicted to crystal meth because we are recovering addicts ourselves.

We know what it’s like to keep making hollow promises to ourselves and our loved ones that we’re going to stop using crystal meth, and find ourselves breaking our promises again and again. We know what it’s like to suffer because of our crystal use—our members have suffered financially, socially, romantically, professionally, emotionally and physically. However, by working together with our fellow recovering addicts in CMA we’re rebuilding our lives and learning how to be sober and free from addiction.

How do I join CMA?
The only requirement for membership in CMA is a desire to stop using crystal meth and all other mindaltering substances. Basically, you’re a member of CMA if and when you say so. It’s that simple!

So how much does it cost to join CMA?
There are no dues or fees for CMA membership. Typically, each CMA meeting will pass a collection basket to cover expenses such as rent, literature, etc. All members are free to contribute as much or as little as they wish.