frankie49097

I'm new here, so...Hi, I guess!

My husband is a recovering alcoholic who has been sober for about 6 months. (His longest ever!) Although I'm very proud of his accomplisment, and the dedication he's demonstrated towards his recovery (working his steps, going to meetings, etc...) I find myself in a bit of a strange place. Because I've been out of state taking care of a sick family member for the better part of five months, I'm afraid that I don't really know how to deal with his recovery. I admit that I've distanced myself from his process, in part to ensure that it is "his own", but also partly to protect myself from the disapointment of too many cycles of relapse.

Anyway, I was talking with my friend (whose father is 26 years sober and still very involved in an active recovery) about how I didn't really know how to be a good wife to a recovering alcoholic, and how I was feeling alienated from him since he (with my most sincere blessings) became so involved in AA. She suggested that Al-Anon might be a good place to start.

I guess I always thought that Al-Anon was a place for people whose lives were affected by people who drank....is it also a place for people who are learning to live with a loved one who no longer drinks? It seems silly and petty to complain or be concerned about things that have happened since he stopped drinking...I mean after all, isn't that the main objective? But I begin to wonder if there isn't some sort of recovery process that I'm supposed to go through myself...from someone who was an enabler (active or not) to someone who can be a supporter?

I don't know if this is the right forum to reach out for help in this matter. If not, I hope you'll forgive me on the basis that I'm kind of new to this. But if you can give me any advice, I'm all ears...

Thanks for hearing me out,

Frankie