What is Cocaine Anonymous (CA)?

The short answer

Cocaine Anonymous (CA) is a free, worldwide fellowship of people recovering from addiction. It grew out of the same 12-step tradition as Alcoholics Anonymous and is non-professional and peer-led. Although the name points to cocaine, CA is deliberately broad: members work to stay free of cocaine and all other mind-altering substances, alcohol included. If your story involves stimulants but also other drugs, CA is built to hold all of it.

The only requirement

The single requirement for membership is a desire to stop using. There are no dues or fees, no forms, and no one is turned away. You are welcome whether you have stopped already or are still struggling, and whatever combination of substances brought you to the door.

How the program works

CA rests on the same familiar pillars as other 12-step fellowships:

• Meetings — regular gatherings where members share honestly and support one another.
• The 12 steps — a personal process of honesty, change, and connection, worked at your own pace.
• Sponsorship — a more experienced member who walks alongside you and shares what worked for them.
• One day at a time — staying clean for today rather than being overwhelmed by forever.

What a meeting feels like

A typical CA meeting is people sitting together, reading a little, and sharing about their week and their recovery. You can simply listen — no one will pressure you to speak. Members identify by first name only, confidentiality is taken seriously, and what is said in the room stays there. Meetings are free, though a basket may be passed for expenses.

Spiritual, not religious

Like other 12-step fellowships, CA describes itself as spiritual rather than religious. It asks members to draw on a "higher power" of their own understanding, which each person is free to interpret in their own way. It is not tied to any church or denomination.

Where to start

Cocaine Anonymous's own website lists in-person, phone, and online meetings around the world. Online meetings run at many hours, so support is available even late at night when cravings are often worst. You can attend and simply listen until you feel ready to speak — and if a particular meeting does not feel like a fit, try a different group, since they vary in tone and personality. If CA is not available where you live, NA covers the same ground and welcomes anyone recovering from any drug.