WHAT IS AL-ANON?

  • Al-Anon is a mutual support group.

    We are friends and families of alcoholics who come together to share experience, strength, and hope with each other and to recover from the effects of someone else’s drinking.

    It's anonymous and confidential.

    Everything you say stays within the meeting. There’s no registration and no attendance list. Anonymity is central to Al-Anon recovery.

    Meetings vary—try a few.

    Each meeting is autonomous and runs as its members choose, within broad guidelines.

  • Al-Anon meetings are open to anyone who wants to recover from the effects of someone else’s drinking. The basics don’t change but some meetings focus on specific themes such as

    -Beginners

    -12 Steps

    -12 Traditions

    -Parents

    -Adult Children

    -Women

    -Men

    -LGBTQ+

    -BIPOC

    If a meeting has a stated theme, members of Al-Anon generally respect that focus, but any member of the fellowship can attend any meeting. The sole exception is Alateen: for safety reasons, only teenagers can attend Alateen meetings.

  • The following questions can help you decide if Al-Anon is right for you.

    -Do you constantly seek approval and affirmation?

    -Do you fail to recognize your accomplishments?

    -Do you fear criticism?

    -Do you overextend yourself?

    -Have you had problems with your own compulsive behavior?

    -Do you have a need for perfection?

    -Are you uneasy when your life is going smoothly, continually anticipating problems?

    -Do you feel alive in the midst of a crisis?

    -Do you still feel responsible for others, as you did for the problem drinker in your life?

    -Do you care for others easily, yet find it difficult to care for yourself?

    -Do you isolate yourself from other people?

    -Do you respond with fear to authority figures and angry people?

    -Do you feel that individuals and society in general are taking advantage of you?

    -Do you have trouble with intimate relationships?

    -Do you confuse pity with love, as you did with the problem drinker?

    -Do you attract and/or seek people who tend to be compulsive and/or abusive?

    -Do you cling to relationships because you are afraid of being alone?

    -Do you often mistrust your own feelings and the feelings of others?

    -Do you find it difficult to express your emotions?

    -Do you think someone’s drinking may have affected you?