Are You Ready to Welcome Newcomers this Holiday Season?
The holidays are approaching quickly. For newcomers seeking help at this time of year, please make sure that your group meeting information is correct. Ask yourself and your group, “What did I need when I went to my
Adventure Awaits in Albuquerque at the 2023 Al-Anon International Convention!
Registration for the 2023 Al-Anon International Convention will be opening soon—on November 8, 2022—and now is the time to plan your 2023 summer getaway to the beautiful city of Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. In addition to celebrating Al-Anon
How I Found My Sponsor
I came to Al‑Anon to find out how to survive my alcoholic family situation. Early in the program, I heard “Keep Coming Back,” so I did. It took time and courage, but I found the hope I was
From One Generation to the Next
Before going to Alateen, I often felt alone and lonely. I did not want anyone outside of my dysfunctional house to know what I was living with. I was always trying to hide or wanting to disappear into
With the Help of Fellow Al-Anon Members
I first came to Al‑Anon looking for a way to “cure” my alcoholic wife, to convince those who enabled her of the seriousness of my wife’s disease, and to be reassured that I was not crazy. To my
The Last Alcoholic
When my mother, whom I called “the last alcoholic” in my life, died at 90, I felt surprisingly lost. All my life, she had been the goalpost I had either run to or from. In her last years, I
A Professional Feels Challenged
Tradition Eight: Al‑Anon Twelfth Step work should remain forever non-professional, but our service centers may employ special workers. One of my best friends committed suicide. As a psychologist by profession, I carried a lot of guilt for not
What Is the Value of the “World Service Conference Summary”?
Each April, members of the World Service Conference convene to conduct the business of Al‑Anon Family Groups. Following each Conference, WSO Staff compiles a full report of the proceedings into a World Service Conference Summary (P-46)—also known as
Celebrating the Five-Year Anniversary of “In The Loop”!
The World Service Office (WSO) electronic newsletter, In The Loop, celebrates its five-year anniversary with over 35,000 subscribers! The newsletter was originally launched in 2012 as Group eNews and was published in English, French, and Spanish. The monthly
Privileged to Serve in Prisons
Al‑Anon service in prisons has been a privilege and the most rewarding aspect of service I’ve ever experienced. Sounds totally crazy, right? But in prison meetings, I am privileged to see and know people as they are: broken,
I Found What I Needed
At my first Al‑Anon meeting, people were chatting and laughing. It was hard for me to understand how they could find anything to laugh about. I was miserable. Singlehandedly supporting a family of four, I was angry at
The Strength to Let Go
The most difficult thing a loved one of an alcoholic is asked to do is to let go. For perfectionists and control freaks like myself, it is almost impossible. No mother wants to abandon her child when she