One day I was following an other Alanon member to her home so our daughters could play together. There was a car crash on the highway and we were stopped for a few minutes.Later she told me "I was afraid it was my (alcoholic) mom"(in the crash). I had been scared it was my daugther's dad who is a heroin addict.
There is help for both of us in Alanon and as time goes by I think less and less about the fact that it is for families of alcoholics. When I started attending it did bother me.I didn't know if I belonged. I wanted to be able to say "my boyfriend is a drug addict" I had been spending so much time covering it up I just needed to let it out. Tell people. Free myself from my terrible secret. I didn't want to pretend he was an alcoholic or be vague about it.
After my 1st Alanon meeting a lady asked me "how often does your husband drink?".It made me feel very uncomfortable, my heroin addict boyfriend used every single day of course.
Now I love my Alanon meetings. I don't even think about the fact that it is for families and friends of alcoholics anymore. I go to work on myself. Heal myself.
I think a lot of people there think of drug use as a worsening of the disease of alcoholism.
I only went to one Naranon meeting and there was only 2 persons other than me that day. Very nice people but I didn't feel like it brought me the peace my Alanon meetings bring me.not because it's a bad program but it was such a small meeting. I also much prefer the Alanon literature which I recommend, starting with "how alanon works for families and friends of alcoholics".