Time for Al-Anon
When I first came to Al‑Anon about a year ago, I had no idea what to expect. My husband was in recovery, and I wanted to find a way to help myself. My first meeting had me hooked
Terms Used in Al-Anon Service
District Meeting—A meeting of [Group Representatives (GRs)], held as necessary in a central location within a District, to elect a District Representative, to hear his reports and to discuss District matters. District Representative (DR)—An incoming, outgoing or active
Developing Intimacy with Gratitude—One Step at a Time
One of the things about Conference Approved Literature (CAL) that I appreciate most today is that, unlike most “self-help” books, it is not written by any one person telling me what to do. Instead, it includes the voices
A Newfound Inner Peace
As the wife of an active alcoholic, I have been awakened hundreds of nights by crashes of glass, yells from the other room, or intrusions into the bedroom where I was attempting to sleep. Usually these would occur
Finally in a Place of Safety
I arrived in Al‑Anon two years ago. I looked it up on the internet because I was desperate. My husband was no longer working and had been drinking off and on for three years. He would stop and
I No Longer Feel Broken
In the years before I came to Al‑Anon, I felt persecuted—first by my own stinking thinking and secondly by the verbal abuse thrown at me by my alcoholic husband. The abuse went on for 18 years. We met
What Happens to My “Forum” Sharing?
One of the first Al‑Anon slogans I latched onto was “How Important Is It?” At first, I took that phrase to mean that I don’t have to give undue meaning to things other people say and do. However,
It Doesn’t Make It So
Before Alateen, I could never forgive the people who hurt me. I could hold grudges like I could hold a feather—easily. Resentment is a bad habit I couldn’t seem to break. If you hurt me, I was going
I Awakened to My Own Life
I always felt that I was a loving person, but I often lived life by reacting, instead of responding. I wondered why I could not change the alcoholic, so I tried harder. I made sure that the house
Elephant in the Room
Many years ago, a friend of mine went to dinner with my husband and me. As we walked to our car afterward, she asked me “Does he always drink like that?” I said with a plastered smile and
Putting the Focus Where It Belongs
When I came to Al‑Anon, I thought the purpose was to focus on the alcoholic. After all, I thought that he was the one with the problems, the one making my life unbearable. I never thought that I
Al-Anon’s First Contact
In May of 1951, the first letter to the Al‑Anon Family Groups was written by Lois W. and Anne B. Below is a copy of the original correspondence. More information and interesting discussion questions specific to this documentation