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Last updated February 26, 2008 |
Al-Anon and Alateen
Family Groups
of
Al-Anon's monthly magazine, The Forum,
contains many personal stories of inspiration,
three of which are made available each month on the
Internet by authorization
of the Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters,
Inc.
Subscribe to The Forum or to read more articles published this month
Breaking My Denial By Craig M.,
The Forum, March 2006
Concerns about my
wife's drinking prompted me to seek help for our two young daughters and
myself. With the help of an Employee Assistance Program at work I received a
referral to speak with a children’s social worker. I remember how
embarrassed I was taking my girls to seek such assistance. It was very
difficult for me to admit our family wasn't perfect, but the sheer act of
walking into the social worker's office began the process of breaking my denial
about the problem I instinctively knew our family had to face.
The social worker's
first words after I shared my story were, "You didn't make your wife
drink. You aren't that powerful!" Under other circumstances, I may have
found her remark insulting, but not that time. I was so grateful to hear those
words that I began to cry.
The social worker
recommended I attend Al-Anon. After pulling a local meeting list from her
files, she said, "Why, there's a meeting tonight, as a matter of
fact." I remember thinking that was a marvelous coincidence. Of course,
later I learned there were meetings in my town every night of the week. It was
difficult waiting three hours for the meeting time to arrive.
I didn't say much
during my first meeting. As the members were sharing, I convinced myself that after
I left the social worker's office, she called all of them, told them my story,
and scripted the entire meeting for my benefit! Of course, that hadn't
happened, but how else could I explain how total strangers were sharing things
about themselves that sounded so much like me?
When I first heard
a member read the words of the Fifth Tradition, I knew I was home. "Each
Al-Anon Family Group has but one purpose: to help families of alcoholics. We do
this by practicing the Twelve Steps of AA ourselves, by encouraging and
understanding our alcoholic relatives, and by welcoming and giving comfort to
families of alcoholics." That's exactly what Al-Anon has done for me for
over seven years.
Today I have a
Sponsor, I work the Twelve Steps, I read Conference Approved Literature every
day, I attend meetings regularly, I'm involved in service at the group and
district levels, and it is my privilege to sponsor guys who are doing the same.
Our daughters attend Alateen and we have sobriety in our home. And it all began
with the words, "Why, there’s a meeting tonight."
Reprinted with permission of The Forum, Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc., Virginia Beach, VA.