What happens at a meeting?
Almost all of us had questions before coming to our first meeting, but we all took that small step to recovery and decided to come. Many of us still come back years later because the meetings help us heal and offer hope. Please read the questions below to understand what happens at a meeting. Please feel free to email us if you have any additional questions. Perhaps we can help you decide if Al-Anon is for you.
REMEMBER … YOU ARE NOT ALONE AND
THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE!
Who are the group members?
Al-Anon has thousands of members from every walk of life. No matter
what your relationship to the alcoholic, you will find someone else in a similar
situation. We all have husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters,
sons, daughters, grandparents, great grandparents and close friends who are
alcoholics. We all share a common bond: to heal from the affects of another
person’s drinking.
Where are the meetings held?
Meetings are held at local schools, churches and hospitals. Meetings
are held 7 days a week, both day and night. Meetings offer a safe place where
people can come and talk about dealing with the effects of alcoholism in a
friend or loved one.
How are meetings set-up?
All meetings start at a specific time; most last about an hour or so;
some have no formal closing time. You can come into a meeting or leave anytime
you choose. Many members come early to greet newcomers and talk to friends, and
stay after the meeting to socialize and answer questions. Newcomers walk away
from a meeting with Al-Anon literature, which has lots of useful information
about dealing with alcoholism in a relative or close friend, and a list of local
meetings, together with a list of phone numbers of members in the group who they
can contact between meetings, if they need help.
Do you have to say anything?
Talking at a meeting is your choice. You do not have to speak, but
many newcomers have found it helpful to finally share with others what was going
on and how someone else’s drinking is affecting them. You are sharing in a
safe place where your anonymity and privacy will be respected. You talk only
when you feel ready to share. Sometimes newcomers like to talk privately with
one or two Al-Anon members before or after a meeting. Whatever you feel
comfortable with is ok by us.
What is discussed at a meeting?
In general, there is a different topic discussed each week at a
meeting. Topics help us: get in touch with our feelings, detach from the
alcoholic, stop feeling like we’re always the victim, set boundaries with
others, identify abuse, get rid of our anger and deal with our resentments.
Topics also help us: have healthy relationships with others, raise our
self-esteem, face our fears, and deal with our anxiety and depression.
How will a meeting help you?
As individuals go around the room sharing on topics and their own
situations, you may hear a little bit about yourself in their stories. While you
may not identify with everything, in general you will hear others talk about
what you may be feeling. Listening to someone else has helped many of us learn
about ourselves. Please attend at least 6 meetings so you can decide if Al-Anon
is for you. It’s important to find somewhere that you feel comfortable, so we
also suggest that you attend different meetings because each meeting has its own
style and personality.
Will anyone say you’ve been at the meeting?
We place a high importance on anonymity at all our meetings because
this makes our meetings a safe place to share. We only go by first names. No one
needs to know that you are attending meetings, unless you choose to tell them.
What is said in the rooms, what you hear in the rooms, whom you see in the
rooms, stays in the rooms. This is one way we protect our anonymity.
Alateen Home | Al-anon Home | Alateen Member Section | Links