Welcome Newcomers
Many of us arrived at the doors of Al-Anon feeling hopeless and with lives filled with chaos. For the millions of people affected by the excessive drinking of someone close to them, every day can be fraught with bitterness, sadness and fear as they guard themselves against the effects of drinking.
But there is hope! Through the program many of us have found a serenity we never thought was possible. We suggest you attend at least 6 meetings and then decide if Al-Anon is right for you. Don’t be scared, the people at the meeting understand what you are going through, and we are here to help!
District 10 Loudoun has many meetings in the Loudoun/Fairfax area, and they are all unique. There is even a special 30-minute Saturday morning meeting dedicated specifically to newcomers! (9:15am, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 605 West Market Street, Leesburg, VA)
The Three Legacies
Al-Anon has three sets of guiding principles that are referred to as our Three Legacies. These Legacies were adapted from Alcoholics Anonymous.
The Legacies:
Recovery through the Twelve Steps
Unity through the Twelve Traditions
Service through the Twelve Concepts of Service
In Al-Anon and Alateen, we discovered new ways to look at some of the same situations and hope was restored. Al-Anon is a worldwide fellowship of more than 600,000 relatives and friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength and hope in order to solve their common problems.
Is Al-Anon for you?
Al-Anon members suggest you ask yourself the following questions:
Do you worry about how much someone else drinks?
Are routines frequently upset, vacation plans canceled, or meals delayed because of the drinker?
Have you refused social invitations out of fear or anxiety?
Does it seem as if every holiday or vacation is spoiled because of someone’s drinking?
Do you have money problems because of someone else’s drinking?
Have you been hurt or embarrassed by a drinker’s behavior?
Do you tell lies to cover up for someone else’s drinking?
Are you afraid or embarrassed to bring your friends home?
Do you feel that if the drinker loved you, he or she would stop drinking to please you?
Do you think that if the drinker stopped drinking, your other problems would be solved?
You will find help.
Al-Anon is a safe, confidential place where it is understood how people can love and hate the alcoholic at the same time. Al-Anon helps to make sense out of the confusion that families are consumed with when living with or caring for a problem drinker. Through its Twelve Steps, adapted from Alcoholics Anonymous, Al-Anon members learn to focus on themselves and turn negative situations into positive energy that is physically, mentally and spiritually nurturing.
“One of the wonderful benefits of working the Al-Anon program is learning how to relax. Until now, most of my life sped by in a frenzy of activity. School, work, projects, obligations, all helped me focus outward. That way I didn’t have to rest long enough to feel how frightful my home life was,” writes an Al-Anon member.
A member from New York also writes: “Little by little, I made a life of my own. I started by going on mini-vacations, visiting friends for a weekend. Before Al-Anon I was afraid to do anything. I was scared of my own shadow. The program has given me confidence, self-worth, a renewed faith in a Higher Power and much gratitude.”
Al-Anon is not a religious program. It is fully self-supporting. There are 27,000 groups worldwide, including more than 2,800 Alateen groups for teenage members. If you are concerned about someone else’s drinking, make it your resolution to contact Al-Anon or Alateen.
For information about attending a meeting, click on this Meetings link for information about a meeting near you.
For more information on Al-Anon, navigate to the Al-Anon Family Groups World Service Homepage:
English: al-anon.org/welcome
Spanish: al-anon.org/bienvenida
French: al-anon.org/bienvenue