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.