What is Al-Anon? Al-Anon is a fellowship of those who share the experience of a loved one’s addiction. We offer strength, understanding, and hope to enable us to cope with life as we would hope our loved ones would do. Al-Anon meetings are free, confidential, and open to everyone who has been affected by someone else’s addiction or other destructive behavior.
We cannot solve anyone else’s problems but we can support families in their struggles and help them find ways to improve their own quality of life. For example, Al-Anon provides emotional support for children when parents are struggling with an addict in the family. We also provide emotional support for the non-addicted parent, for the addict, for their spouses and dating partners, and for friends and other relatives.
Al-Anon gives us a way to experience recovery from the effects of living with someone who is still suffering from the grip of addiction. This gives us a chance to improve our own situation. Together we help each other change self-defeating behavior patterns that have made our lives unmanageable. We learn tools that enable us to help ourselves, improve our lives, and become better equipped to cope with day-to-day circumstances with increased peace of mind. We do this by learning how to live one day at a time.
Al-Anon is not a “me-too” group or a “Hollywood-style meeting,” and there is no requirement that we share their experience. Al-Anon has developed its own approach to dealing with addiction, recovery, and life problems. The problem is the same: addiction; the solution is different. We do not use the 12 steps of AA in Al-Anon because the AA program isn’t applicable to us.
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith as a program of recovery based on religious principles. AA has two primary objectives: helping alcoholics stay sober and helping them stop drinking completely.
If you are looking to attend a virtual AA and Al-anon meeting, check out the Double Winner’s Anonymous Meeting Directory!