I Learned To Trust Again

As a young child growing up in an alcoholic home, I had a recurring nightmare. Over and over, the dream woke me up in terror.

In my dream, I peered down from my upstairs bedroom window in the dark of night. My father was driving away with a strange woman whom I didn’t know. My mother was yelling out the door after him to get out, get out! Even after waking, tears would stream down my cheeks and I would tremble with fear.

I heard someone in the program say, “I was awakened by an alcoholic disturbance in the home, and I never slept well again until I got help.” That was true for me, too. I found the help I needed many years later in Al-Anon.

I came to understand that the dream was the result of decreasing trust in those I depended upon, because of the increasing problem of alcoholism in our home.

In Al-Anon, I slowly and gradually learned that it was okay to trust again. By going to meetings regularly, working the Twelve Steps, and sharing with a Sponsor, I discovered three things: God was not out to get me, I really did have worth, and I could rely upon selected others not to hurt me.

My friends in Al-Anon were not only thriving themselves, they were growing and developing healthy living skills. I was attracted to that and still am today.

In Al-Anon, I learned to trust God. I kept my side of the street clean, and I carried the message I had been given to those who were still struggling. All this helps me to trust more and more.

I sleep safely and in peace most of the time now. In Al-Anon, we share our shattered dreams of the past today, so that it may help all of us to trust our future dreams for a bright and safe tomorrow.

Greg W., Minnesota