What Is Al-Anon and Alateen?

Al‑Anon is a mutual support program for people whose lives have been affected by someone else’s drinking. By sharing common experiences and applying the Al-Anon principles, families and friends of alcoholics can bring positive changes to their individual situations, whether or not the alcoholic admits the existence of a drinking problem or seeks help.

Alateen, a part of the Al-Anon Family Groups, is a fellowship of young people (mostly teenagers) whose lives have been affected by someone else’s drinking whether they are in your life drinking or not. By attending Alateen, teenagers meet other teenagers with similar situations. Alateen is not a religious program and there are no fees or dues to belong to it.

NEW! Groups Can Add & See Upcoming Speaker Meetings Here

Announcement

UPCOMING TOWN HALL MEETINGS

April 4th or 29th
Join one or both meetings
Please feel free to share your feedback on accepting permanent electronic-only groups into their service structures

Has Your Life Been Affected By Someone Else’s Drinking?

If someone close to you, such as a family member, friend, coworker, or neighbor, has or has had a drinking problem, Al-Anon may help.

To help you decide if Al-Anon could help you, we offer three simple self-assessment quizzes:

  • For adults who have been affected by someone else’s alcoholism
  • For adults who grew up with and affected by someone else’s alcoholism
  • For teens who have been affected by someone else’s alcoholism

The questions in these quizzes are not meant to judge anyone or to assign labels to important people in our lives. The purpose of the questions is simply to help decide whether Al-Anon or Alateen might be able to help.

If you wish to speak to an Al-Anon member please call our 24 hour answering service: +1 (800) 619-4630. Para Espagnol, +1 (800) 619-4630 x802.

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Please click on the picture below to listen to podcasts of members own stories

WSO AL-Anon Family Groups social media feeds

Hearing the Words that Helped Me to Listen

At my first meeting, I was angry. I had been ordered to attend meetings and thought I didn’t need to go. I sat in my first few meetings with my arms folded across my chest thinking, “What do these people have in common with me?”

Then we read pages 28 and 29 of How Al‑Anon Works for Families & Friends of Alcoholics (B-32). I sat up in my chair, uncrossed my arms, and listened for the first time. “We lose the ability to say ‘no.’” That did it. I realized the people in the meeting were just like me. They did understand my struggles. Now I look forward to meetings. Those strangers are now friends, even the newcomers.

By Misty C., California

The Forum

Reprinted with permission of The Forum, Al‑Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc., Virginia Beach, VA.

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