The
SoberRecovery Glossary of Recovery Terms
Al-anon
Al-Anon is an international program whose purpose is to support
the family and friends of those recovering from alcoholism. It
was founded because it is generally accepted that the family of
an alcoholic tends to be dysfunctional and also needs recovery.
Al-Anon’s program is the same 12 Steps as Alcoholics Anonymous,
but family and friends recognize they are powerless over the alcohol
their alcoholic consumes, and, in fact, are also powerless over
the alcoholic. The basic text of Al-Anon is One Day At A Time
in Al-Anon. Al-Anon members meet regularly to share their experience
strength and hope.
Meetings or groups are found in 115 countries around the world.
They range in size from a few people, to as many as 25 or more.
Most groups meet once a week. Meeting styles include: speaker
meetings where one or two members share the story of their recovery
from a podium; discussion meetings where members share their experience
with a particular topic, and step studies where members discuss
their experience working with the 12 Steps.
Membership in Al-Anon is informal. The only requirement for membership
is that one has a family member or friend who is alcoholic. Anonymity
is taken seriously, protecting both the Al-Anon member and the
alcoholic.
It is important to recognize that Al-Anon is NOT designed to
show someone how to get an alcoholic to stop drinking. Rather,
its purpose is to show family and friends how to recover from
the effects of living in a family with an alcoholic, whether the
alcoholic is in recovery or not.
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