When I first came to Al‑Anon, I was hesitant to speak. My negativity and shame convinced me that I had nothing to offer the group. I would listen to other members share and compare my insides to what I perceived to be their outsides. It took me a long while to acknowledge the fact that …
Knowing that I was not alone, that other members of Al‑Anon were in the same situation as I was, struggling with the same disease, allowed me to deal with the shame and guilt associated with the disease. It also allowed me to share more easily and understand that, in asking others for help and in …
I had been attending Al‑Anon for over a decade when my relationship with my father imploded. I started thinking of my father as an alcoholic, even though I never saw him drunk or passed out. My recognition of his evening and weekend drinking patterns reminded me that it doesn’t matter when, what, or how much …
