 Why is Alcoholism Called a “Family Disease”?
In Al-Anon and Alateen, when we describe alcoholism as a “family disease,” we refer to the fact that one person’s alcoholism affects the entire family. While symptoms of alcoholism are displayed by the alcoholic’s behavior, symptoms of this “family disease” are revealed by the family’s reaction to the alcoholic. Al-Anon can help us lessen these effects.
Chapter Two, “Living with the Family Disease of Alcoholism,” from the book Opening Our Hearts, Transforming Our Losses (B-29) describes the effects alcoholism has on those closest to the alcoholic, as well as ways that Al-Anon helps us heal. This book shares the experiences of Al-Anon members in facing the many losses associated with alcoholism and how they have found recovery through Al-Anon Family Groups.
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“We don’t have to try harder or do better. We have tried long and hard enough. Though we may not be able to change the alcoholic, we discover there is one person we can change—ourselves.”
FromOpening Our Hearts, Transforming Our Losses (B-29), page 23
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