My Alanon group suggests that you go to 6 meetings before you make a decision. I cried nonstop in the beginning - and said nothing. I could relate to what people were saying - their hurts and fears - and it scared me. What I tried to do was "just shut down" - but I kept going to meetings every day, because I was so desperate to get some relief.
I also thought that they were going to tell me how to keep the addicts in my life from using. The idea of looking at myself - and that there was help for me - made absolutely no sense.
Slowly it all started to make sense. 25 years later it has changed my life. And I have a very good life - whether or not the addicts in my life are clean or not.
Love in recovery,
Jody Hepler
