I respect the Al-Anon program. It was there for me because they held to the traditions. It will be there for many others because of that. I would rather they err on the side of caution than become diluted, and eventually fade away. The first tradition of Al-Anon says, "Our common welfare should come first. Personal progress for the greatest number depends upon unity." In other words, I may not personally like everything that is Al-Anon, but in order for Al-Anon to help the most, I have to sometimes put aside my personal feelings for the good of the group.
"A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet." The name of this board is unimportant. What happens here, the recovery, the resources, the caring is what is important. That doesn't change because of the name. A lot of what is here isn't Al-Anon. Like someone said, Al-Anon is a part of recovery, and very important to me. But here we can be free to talk about that and other experiences that have helped us.
Like the Alcoholism board, this board is open to all means of recovery; counselling, other 12 step groups, even our own unique ways of coping. In Al-Anon we don't discuss these things. Not because they aren't all good things, but because it would dilute the message of Al-Anon.
So our little melting pot here isn't Al-Anon, so it is probably a good thing that we don't call it that. Many people think that Al-Anon is the beginning and end of recovery. Here we can have many more opportunities to explore. Al-Anon is a great tool in recovery, but not the only tool available to us. It has been invaluable to me, but so has counselling, other literature, and tools that I have gained outside of Al-Anon. I am glad that we have this freedom. Hugs, Magic