Letting Go of Second-Guessing
It happened again. Soon after I shared my honest feelings with a loved one, I doubted myself. Had I said too much? Would it have been better if I’d kept quiet? Growing up gay in a home affected
Shifting My Focus to Myself
Before I came into Al-Anon, my focus was on anyone but me. It was mostly on my husband, who had just entered an outpatient rehab program. My sole purpose was to be supportive to him and to ensure
Public Outreach Posters: The Origin Story!
The Al‑Anon public outreach poster designs were inspired by requests from various Areas after seeing a poster depicting a woman holding a child trapped in a bottle. The original poster was created in Florida, and the World Service
Navigating Recovery with al-anon.org
Alcoholism is a cunning, baffling, and powerful disease, manifesting in ways that can leave families and loved ones feeling helpless and overwhelmed. In my journey, coming to understand that I didn’t cause it, can’t control it, and can’t
Walking the Walk: Speaking Step Twelve into Action
“Actions speak louder than words,” a phrase ingrained in me since childhood, has seamlessly transitioned into my Al‑Anon program, emphasizing the importance of moving beyond mere talk and embracing the opportunity to walk the walk. As I think
The First Step to Healing
I think for a long time the only power I felt I had was to get enraged. I felt powerless in every other way. It’s funny that I think I’m in charge and intimidating when I get angry,
Lost-and-Found Self
I was addicted to my son. Coming to that realization was a major aha moment for me. For years, I hadn’t been able to separate my son from his disease. I thought I just needed to “fix” his mental
Uncovering the Beauty Within
My adult daughter was visiting me from out of state. Throughout her life, she has struggled with anxiety and depression. When I look at her, I see a beautiful, statuesque young woman, but her appearance shows only her
What Compassion Really Means
Before coming to Al‑Anon, I had a hard time understanding exactly what compassion was. I thought it meant covering for the alcoholic and making excuses for his actions. I thought I was being compassionate when I looked the
From Victim to Victory, Using the Tools of Al‑Anon
When I think of the word victory, I think of achieving success despite significant obstacles. I see it as living my best life with serenity, dignity, and grace. One of the biggest barriers to my own victory was my
Conference Approved Literature—A Vital Aspect of Self-Support
When I first started attending meetings, it was all I could do to listen to members share. I had no capacity in my chaos-filled life to quiet my mind enough to be present and absorb any readings from Conference
A Family Disease of Attitudes
I went to my first Al‑Anon meeting with no expectation of ever going to another one. A friend had said, “I find it helpful.” I figured I would give it one shot and then cross it off my list.