finally

I've been reading this forum for several years. I've finally decided that I need more help. I know the concepts (enable, detach, etc.) & maybe I'm living them but I think it would help to talk it over with someone. My husband's getting very tired of the subject.

Several members of my family have drug & alcohol problems. Currently, it is my brother that is causing great unhappiness in the family. I will go into greater detail later, but for now my question is about the difference between naranon & alanon. He has problems with both pills (xanax & others I think) & alcohol. There are a lot more alanon meetings available then naranon. Does it matter which I go to?

Thank you all for posting. I hope you realize that you're helping a lot more people than respond to posts.

Brownie

Welcome finally - Wow - yes somedays I see many more guests online than members - I suppose some guests are members not signed in that just want to read but you "Several years" reading so glad you joined - there are people here that will know the answer to your question - Keep read and POSTING>
(((HUGS)))) I'm a Mom of Addicted daughter.

teke

i'm glad you joined too, serveral yrs, why you wait so long, we all can use your experience too. oh. welcome, glad youre here.

now, i think that they are basically the same alanon are more geared toward alcoholics and naranon is drugs( all kinds). the program is the same only drug of choice is different. same stories same behaviors. i like them both and i'm a recovering addict.

Ann

Both fellowships are very similar, as is CoDA (Codependents Anonymous) my home group.

All these programs are really about us and teach us a better way of living. Many here go to Alanon because there are more meetings and it's easier to get to.

The important thing is getting yourself to any one of the meetings. I promise you that you will never regret doing this for yourself and hope you will find the program as life-saving as I did.

Hugs and Welcome to SR.

greeteachday

Welcome...I'm so glad you have come out of hiding


I agree with everyone that the programs are very similar so whatever works best for your schedule is great. I attend Naranon, but have gone to Alanon as well. It really wasn't a difference in program that lead to my choice...I just really clicked with my home group and found it very comfortable. They, like the folks here, have become family.

I'm glad you are deciding to attend some meetings...You won't regret it!
Hugs.

OurBigSecret

Just wanted to say welcome!
You'll find a lot of help here.
When I was looking for meetings to take my mom to (my brother is an addict, mostly drugs but alcohol too) I was looking for naranon meetings but could only really find alanon meetings (and even those were hard to find, never did find one that was still operating). One person I spoke to said that I could go to an alanon meeting and find help there because, as she said, "addiction is addiction". Meaning they would help us deal with his addiction no matter what it was.
Good Luck and keep posting!

finally

Thank you all for your replies.

Your welcomes & endorsements have given me the nudge I need. I have a meeting time & place picked out for this week.

Your replies have also got me thinking why I haven't taken any action sooner. I'm thinking it was because I didn't really think I was powerless over others. See, I thought I had accepted this. The addict is my brother & I knew I was powerless over him. It's my parents that I didn't accept I was powerless over. They enable & allow him to keep the whole family in turmolt.

I have been trying to educate them for years. I'm not even sure they believe he has a drug problem, as he has serious health issues that everything gets blamed on.

So, it's complicated. At least that's my excuse for taking years to do Step 1.

Putting thoughts to a post is difficult but I can see that it helps to get a better focus on just what my problem is.