Al-Anon Family Groups is an important source of help for anyone affected by someone else’s drinking. Al-Anon groups are made up of family members and friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength, and hope with each other.
By regularly attending and participating in Al-Anon meetings you will find healthy, positive ways of dealing with the difficulties that result from another’s alcoholism.
Even if the alcoholic continues to drink, his or her relatives and friends can achieve serenity as a result of Al-Anon.
How Will Al-Anon Help Me?
Our personal situations may be different, but we share as equals because of what we have in common: our lives have been affected by another person’s drinking.
Click on the links below to learn more!
Understanding Meeting Designations
Meetings take on the personalities of the members that attend it. There are speaker meetings, discussion meetings, step meetings, and topic meetings. We suggest trying at least six different meetings before you decide if Al-Anon is right for you.
All Al-Anon meetings have designations:
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"Families, Friends, and Observers Welcome”
Anyone interested in learning about Al-Anon may attend meetings with this designation. Students and professionals are also welcomed. Interested individuals are requested to maintain the confidentiality and anonymity of members’ identities.
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“Families and Friends Only"
These meetings are attended by members and prospective members who are affected by someone’s drinking.
Conference Approved Literature
Conference Approved Literature (CAL) is written by and for our members and goes through a thorough review process by numerous Al‑Anon members to assure that the Al‑Anon program message is clear and consistent. Samples from CAL are posted on al‑anon.org.
Anonymity and Confidentiality
Anonymity helps keep the emphasis on principles that can help solve personal problems, rather than on the personal situations that might be part of the problem. No one’s social status, professional standing, or level of education matters at an Al-Anon meeting. Confidentiality ensures that members can speak from the heart at an Al-Anon meeting, because everything said at the meeting stays at the meeting.
Please be aware that confidentiality and anonymity vary from platform to platform. It is the responsibility of the Al-Anon member to understand how to maintain personal anonymity when participating in an online Al-Anon meeting.
Spiritual not Religious
Al-Anon is a spiritual program. Al‑Anon is not allied with any sect, denomination, political entity, organization, or institution; does not engage in any controversy; neither endorses nor opposes any cause. We represent a way of life appealing to all people of goodwill, of any religious faith or of none.
Sponsorship
Sponsorship is a mutual and confidential sharing between two Al‑Anon members. A Sponsor is is someone who willingly shares the experience, strength and hope of the
Al-Anon program.
For more information, see Al‑Anon Personal Sponsors in the Al-Anon/Alateen Service Manual.
Membership Survey
According to the most recent Al‑Anon Membership Survey:
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7 in 10 members have been affected by alcoholism spanning 2 or more generations.
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93% of members’ lives have been very positively affected by Al‑Anon Family Groups.
Anonymity in Al-Anon/Alateen click card
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