Getting Off the Rollercoaster
The last six years of my life have been a rollercoaster, both physically and emotionally. At times, I have felt like it’s me against the world. I have felt angry, confused, and most of the time, very alone.
A Timeless Tool for Public Outreach
In 2020, significant changes were made to our fellowship’s public outreach magazine Al‑Anon Faces Alcoholism (AFA). Two such changes were to remove the year from the cover and to make the magazine available for purchase throughout the year.
How You Can Participate in Distributing Al-Anon PSAs
One of my strengths has always been problem solving. I learned very early in life how to evaluate a situation and find the safest course of action for me. In high school, I was socially awkward, which made
Weakening the Impact of Alcoholism
Growing up in a home with active alcoholism permanently stained my soul. But in Al‑Anon, I’ve learned that even though I can’t change my past, I’m not hopeless. Maybe because tea is my favorite beverage, this image helps
Hope for a Future with My Son
Before I came to Al-Anon, I thought my son’s drinking was never going to end. I was either going to have to find a way to stop it or totally give him up and never see him again.
Hurting, Healing, Helping
Before I entered the rooms of Al‑Anon, I lived by the motto “Whatever does not kill me makes me stronger.” Funny, huh? The reality was that I ended up getting hurt over and over again. Being beat up
Leaving a Legacy to Al-Anon in Your Will
You’ve no doubt heard it said that Al‑Anon helps us become responsible for ourselves—including our finances. Yet seldom do we think of making a will in terms of responsibility. A will is a legacy to future generations.
My Experience with Service Beyond the Group Level
When I was new in Al‑Anon, the idea of service intimidated me. I thought it meant I had to make big decisions that would affect Al‑Anon all over the world. My thinking was so distorted. Luckily, the members
2023 International Convention—Day of Connecting
Going through my personal photo archive recently, I discovered a snapshot from the 2018 International Convention in Baltimore. In the photo, I am surrounded by my closest Al‑Anon friends. There are more than 30 beautiful, smiling faces—a family
An Enjoyable Life of My Own
The concept of detachment was baffling to me when I first stepped through the doors of Al‑Anon. Were these people asking me to change the way I thought and viewed the world, the way I’d learned as a
I Cannot Save Others from Drinking
After my fiancé died from progressive drinking, I begged God to let me die too. I had failed to save him, and I had failed his parents, who had said I was their last hope. Someone close to
Working on Acceptance of My Son’s Disease
Originally, I thought I came to Al‑Anon to get help for my son. My son, my baby. I used to call him my “police partner” because he went everywhere with me. But things changed. When he was 14,