Please attend six meetings so you can decide if Al-Anon is for you. It's important to find somewhere you feel comfortable, so if one meeting does not feel right for you we suggest you try others, as each meeting has its own style and personality. We place a high importance on anonymity at all our meetings because this makes our meetings a safe place to share. We only go by first names. No one needs to know that you are attending meetings, unless you choose to tell them.
What is said in the group, what you hear in the group, whom you see in the group, stays in the group. This is one way we protect our anonymity. What happens at a meeting? Who are the group members? Where are meetings held? How are meetings set up? Do I have to say anything? What is discussed at a meeting? These steps are adapted, nearly verbatim, from the Step program of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Much like AA, Al-Anon members take on a sponsor who helps them work through the steps and who is available for support in times of hardship. The steps are:. After admitting they are powerless, they learn to accept that they can be brought back to sanity. Attendees create a list of how they may have wronged themselves or their loved ones such as with threats. They must be willing to forgive themselves and make amends.
Although members have already made an inventory, slipping up is normal. Step 10 recognizes this is an ongoing process. Make a Call Although Al-Anon is not a religious program, members do have an acceptance of a higher power. Al-Anon accepts members of all religions and beliefs, and no one is forced to alter their beliefs. Learn More. Al-Anon members benefit by being introduced to people who can relate to having a loved one with an AUD. Although everyone is different, Al-Anon members have all had similar experiences in their struggles.
The key benefit of Al-Anon is being able to speak with others have these similar experiences. There are Al-Anon meetings all across the nation. For information on other treatment options, contact a treatment provider today.
After graduation, he decided to pursue his passion of writing and editing. All of the information on this page has been reviewed and verified by a certified addiction professional.
David embarked on his journey into sobriety in June of , which led him to his current career path as a Certified Professional Addiction Recovery Coach in private practice in Greater Nashville. David is also a public speaker and the author of two books. David is cohost of the weekly Positive Sobriety Podcast, as well as being a frequent contributor to various articles and recovery based materials.
As a member of the National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors NAADAC , David works closely with Nashville area treatment centers, nonprofit recovery organizations, and consulting with faith-based groups trying to bridge the gap between the recovery communities and faith-based organizations who wish to understand addiction.
Asheville, NC. View Center. Norcross, GA. Ball Ground, GA. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Most Al-Anon Family Groups meetings are topic discussion meetings. This means the person who is leading the meeting, the chairperson, chooses a topic related to the experience of dealing with a friend or family member who has a problem with alcoholism.
Sometimes the chairperson will ask the group if anyone has a topic they would like the group to discuss. After a topic is chosen, then those who are at the meeting can share their experience, strength, and hope regarding that specific topic. For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database. Below are some of the topics that seem to be of most interest to those who are newcomers to Al-Anon Family Groups, or who want to learn more about the program and learn how to deal with their friends or relatives with an alcohol use disorder.
How have you learned to tell the difference between those things that you can change and those you can't regarding living with an alcoholic? Discuss what accepting that you are powerless over alcohol means to you.
Accepting alcoholism as a disease can help you understand how the alcoholic goes through cycle after cycle of swearing off alcohol but returning to their same habit days later. Explore that topic. You may get mixed messages about anger in your household.
Are you told to control your anger but others in the family are allowed to explode violently? At Al-Anon, you learn that anger is a natural and normal emotion.
Being angry is okay, it's what you do with the anger that makes a difference. The Al-Anon meeting opening statement says, "So much depends on our own attitudes, and as we learn to place our problem in its true perspective we find it loses its power to dominate our thoughts and our lives. The principles you learn in Al-Anon Family Groups can help deal with changes as they come in life - sometimes major changes.
You may not be able to change the circumstances any, but you can change your attitude about the situation. You have choices. You have to accept the things you cannot change. You do not have to accept unacceptable behavior. You have the right to make decisions that are in your best interest—to decide not to be around alcoholic behavior and to walk away from fights and arguments. And to decide to no longer participate in the insanity of others.
Have you found the courage to make those kinds of decisions? Do you have control issues? If you step in and try to solve problems for others you rob them of the dignity of being able to make their own mistakes and learn from them. Are you learning to "let go and let God? Courage to change is not something that comes naturally to those who grew up in alcoholic homes.
You may have found yourself being comfortable in relationships that were not only not healthy but downright sick. In order for all that to change, you have to seek courage from an outside source. Are you able to deal with major crises but find yourself driven crazy by the small, everyday ones?
Are you frustrated by the blatant denial of a loved one with an alcohol use disorder, who won't admit that their behavior is causing problems, damaging and destroying others?
Have you learned that it isn't your job to convince that person they are in denial, turning that over to a power greater than yourself? Learning how to detach can be difficult. When the person with an alcohol use disorder gets into a crisis, do you want to rush in and save the day?
This can be the exact opposite of what you should do to get that person to the point of reaching out for help.
Some of the things that you do to try to help the person with an alcoholic use disorder are the very things that are enabling that individual to continue in the dysfunctional behavior. Are your expectations not reasonable at all when you are dealing with your loved one with an alcohol use disorder?
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