AL-ANON

If you are unsure whether Al-Anon is for you, it is best to start with the question: Is somebody’s drinking affecting you?

Al-Anon could be for you if:

  • You regularly feel hurt, embarrassed or distressed by the drinker’s behaviour.
  • You dread holidays and special occasions because you are worried that someone’s drinking will ruin them.
  • You find yourself covering up for the actions of a drinker.
  • You often prefer to stay away from home rather than spend time with the drinker.
  • You discourage friends and other family members from visiting because of the drinker’s behaviour.
  • You are ‘walking on eggshells’ because you fear you might set off a drinking bout or angry outburst.
  • You have considered calling the Police because of a drinker’s behaviour.
  • You feel everything would be OK if the alcoholic stopped drinking.

Is your life disrupted by someone’s drinking?

The alcoholic’s behaviour can disrupt your home life. You may be experiencing:

  • Missed or irregular mealtimes.
  • Late or disrupted bedtimes.
  • Money problems.
  • Missed appointments and social occasions.

Do you get the support you need at home?

Do you find yourself:

  • Covering up your feelings, pretending you don’t care.
  • Feeling you are unloved or not cared for.
  • Blaming yourself, other members of the family, friends or life circumstances for the drinker’s behaviour.

Did you grow up with a drinker?

  • Did you grow up with parents, siblings or even a close family friend who was a drinker? If you did, you could still be suffering as a result of those experiences.
  • Whether your relationship with a drinker is in the past or present, Al-Anon is for you.

Al-Anon Helpline

   Talk to a member in confidence
   7 days a week
   Free-phone

Contact Us

Al-Anon Family Support Groups

Dubai:
Shivani: +971 55 118 8532
Nicky: +971 58 546 0509
Alton: +971 58 594 3611

Email us: alanonuae@gmail.com

Alateen:
Elle: +971 52 268 9042

Useful Links

For free daily readings:
www.todays-hope.com

For free al-anon podcasts:
www.therecoveryshow.com

Alcoholics anonymous UAE:
www.aauae.net

What is Al-Anon?

Al-Anon is a group for people who are worried about someone with a drinking problem; who gather together to share experience, strength and hope with each other. It was started in the USA in the late 1930s and has since spread to different countries in the world. Al-Anon is non-religious, non-political and multi-racial. Al-Anon is available, free of charge, to anyone who is or has been affected by someone else's drinking, including adult children of alcoholics, parents, partners, spouses, other relatives and friends of alcoholics.

Who Are Al-Anon Members?

Al-Anon members are people just like you and me–people who have been affected by someone else’s drinking.

ALATEEN:

What is Alateen? Young people aged 8-19 who have been affected by someone else’s drinking are invited to share experience, strength and hope with each other. Alateen is a place where members come together to:

  • Share experiences, strength, and hope with each other to find effective ways to cope with problems.
  • Discuss difficulties and encourage one another
  • Help each other understand the principles of the Alateen program through the use of the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions

Alateen is not a place:

  • For teenagers seeking help for drinking or drug problems or a therapy program
  • To complain about parents or anyone else.
  • A social hangout.

How does Al-Anon work?

There is no magic formula that enables you to help someone stop—or cut back—on his or her drinking. Alcoholism is a complex problem, with many related issues. But Al‑Anon can help you learn how to cope with the challenges of someone else’s drinking.

It may be that you could help matters by changing some of your own behaviors and finding a healthier way to respond to these challenges. Again, there are no easy answers.  But Al‑Anon meetings offer the opportunity to learn from the experiences of others who have faced similar problems.

While simple problems may have simple solutions, the solution to complex problems is more difficult to explain. Al‑Anon simplifies a complex problem by suggesting a “One Day at a Time” approach, which takes things one step at a time.

At every Al‑Anon meeting, you can hear people explain how Al‑Anon worked for them. That may be the best place to start to learn about Al‑Anon—One Day at a Time.

Al‑Anon members come to understand problem drinking as a family illness that affects everyone in the family. By listening to Al‑Anon members speak at Al‑Anon meetings, you can hear how they came to understand their own role in this family illness. This insight put them in a better position to play a positive role in the family’s future.

Some research shows that when problem drinkers enter a recovery program, their chances for success are improved when they are supported by family members who are in a family recovery program such as Al‑Anon.