Al-Anon members are people just like you and me–people who have been affected
by someone else's drinking. They are parents, children, spouses, partners, brothers,
sisters, other family members, friends, employers, employees, and coworkers
of alcoholics. No matter what our specific experience has been we share a
common bond: we feel our lives have been affected by someone else's drinking.
The Al-Anon Family Groups are a fellowship of relatives and friends
of alcoholics who share their experience, strength, and hope, in order to solve
their common problems.
We believe alcoholism is a family illness, and that
changed attitudes can aid recovery.
Al-Anon is not allied with
any sect, denomination, political entity, organization, or institution; does not
engage in any controversy, neither endorses nor opposes any cause. There are
no dues for membership. Al-Anon is self-supporting through its own voluntary contributions.
Al-Anon has but one purpose: to help families of alcoholics.
We do this by practicing the Twelve Steps, by welcoming and giving comfort
to families of alcoholics, and by giving understanding and encouragement to
the alcoholic.
Please feel free to share through our online meetings,
chat rooms, forums, and email programs.
It is your choice
to speak or not during the meetings. Newcomers are welcomed to meetings,
usually provided with literature and a local meeting list, and invited to listen
and learn. Some meetings offer beginners' meetings, specifically for newcomers.
Members are available to answer questions before or after the meetings.
Alcoholism
is a family disease. The disease affects all those who have
a relationship with a problem drinker. Those of us closest to the alcoholic suffer
the most, and those who care the most can easily get caught up in the behavior
of another person. We react to the alcoholic's behavior. We focus on them,
what they do, where they are, how much they drink. We try to control their drinking
for them. We take on the blame, guilt, and shame that really belong to the
drinker. We can become as addicted to the alcoholic, as the alcoholic is to alcohol.
We, too, can become ill.
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