“Keep Coming Back”
After an Al-Anon meeting one night, I stood outside the church in the freezing rain. Cars drove away, and people waved to each other with promises to meet next week. Once again, I felt deep despair because no
My Burdens Weighed Me Down Until I Found Al-Anon
My therapist suggested that I attend Al‑Anon. The keyword is “suggested.” Believe me, I did not want to sit around a table with a bunch of strangers, but something told me to and gave me the strength and
I Felt Welcomed and Wanted
I remember the first day of visitation when my son was in a treatment center. He suggested that I attend an Al‑Anon meeting afterward. It was truly an invitation by my Higher Power to take that giant step
Mothering or Enabling?
When I first came to Al‑Anon, I spent a great deal of time wrestling with the term, “enabling.” I am a mother. Surely a mother’s role is to enable her children, is it not? It has been a
Dealing with Feelings
In the past, feelings ruled my life. If anyone displayed an emotion, I quickly absorbed it as my own. Once triggered, I found it difficult to let go of anger and fear. Then, as if this were not
I’ll Keep Coming Back
I have been in Al‑Anon for a little over 20 years, and I keep coming back because of the transparency and honesty in these rooms. Nowhere else in my life do I find people who are willing to
This Is My Story
“I am so grateful to have the program to pull out and use in any situation.” I lived with my parents until I was five. When they divorced, I went to live with my grandparents. I was so
I Don’t Have To Participate in the Drama
I could have written a novel about what alcoholism and addiction did to me and those around me, but today my novel would be completely different. Working the Al‑Anon program helped me move past the anger, bitterness and
Al-Anon Saved My Life
I knew at that moment that neither he nor any man would ever lay a harmful hand on me again. I had only been in Al‑Anon for three months and already my sense of self-worth had grown so much.
What I didn’t Understand at My First Al-Anon Meeting
I walked into my first Al-Anon meeting after my boyfriend had his first relapse. Tears that hadn’t stopped in days were running down my face. I wasn’t wearing makeup and my hair was tied back just to keep
What happened at my first meeting?
Dear New Member, Welcome! No matter how fearful you are, please don’t leave the meeting. I was so scared to go to my first Al-Anon meeting. I had promised myself that I’d sit in the back of the
I Stopped Hiding Behind the Masks
My oldest daughter and I were driving past the house where we had lived until she was eight years old. I asked her, “Do you remember living in that house?” She said she did. So naturally, I asked,