I came to Al-Anon in 2020 during COVID by way of phone meetings. During these meetings, it was not easy to know who was present and how many were attending. Nevertheless, I found the help I needed and eventually got a Sponsor. My Sponsor encouraged me to attend an in-person meeting a few years later. I took his suggestion and noted I was the only man present. It was only then that I realized there are some Al-Anon groups in which women outnumber men by as much as ten to one.
This might seem uncomfortable for some men, especially when sharing, but I found the opposite to be true. I found we are all in the same situation. The details may differ, but we have the same plight: living with the family disease of alcoholism. Race, gender, nationality, creed, and sexual orientation make no difference in how the family disease of alcoholism affects us. I found the group was happy to have me there, and nobody was uncomfortable with a man joining the group. Our group has found having a male perspective enlightening just as I have found having the female perspective enlightening.
If you are male, I would encourage you to attend at least six meetings before deciding if Al‑Anon is right for you. Al-Anon has but one purpose: to help families of alcoholics. If you “Keep an Open Mind”, you will find help, Al-Anon has room for all of us.
By Anonymous
The Forum, June 2026
Feel free to reprint this article on your service arm website or newsletter, along with this credit line: Reprinted with permission of The Forum, Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA.