Originally Posted by honeypig

One of the things I've found in every single Alanon meeting I've attended is that they want to stick to "CAL"--Conference-Approved Literature--and do not allow talk during the meetings about anything that is from a non-Alanon source. What is discussed outside the actual hour of the meeting, of course, is up to the individual.

This used to annoy me no end, since in my opinion, there is a TON of great recovery material that does NOT come from Alanon. Then, through further reading and some meetings where this was a topic of discussion, I came to understand that Alanon, like AA, doesn't wish to "dilute" its own specific message and methods. Yes, they say "take what you like and leave the rest", but they DO NOT say "bring what you like..."

For me, Alanon and SR together made a good combination--each has its own strong points, and each contributed things that the other couldn't. As mentioned, though, some people just don't get much out of an online situation, and so for them Alanon is even more of a lifeline.