In the beginning, it was hard for me to see what the traditions had to do w/me and my problems. The traditions tend not to be something that newcomers are terribly interested in, since they are usually just trying to survive, I think. I know that I needed a certain degree of recovery before I could be concerned about the mechanics of how the groups work and how Alanon as a whole works.
I've been involved w/Alanon and SR for not quite 3 years, and there is a world of difference in how I understand recovery in general and Alanon in particular between March of 2013 and now. I'm sure I'm still only scratching the surface and have plenty to learn as I move forward.