AL-ANON.
Clearly AL-ANON is based on AA’s 12 steps, 12 traditions, and has a slightly altered preamble and 12 concepts. Unlike the other groups, I watched only one of the ANON groups. It was interesting to see the differences in the challenges each audience faces. AA focused on alcoholics. NA focused on narcotic addictions and ANON focuses on family members of alcoholics. The overriding authority of the group is a focus on God and a leader’s purpose is to serve, not govern (AL-ANON, 2021). The only prerequisite for membership is that individuals have someone who has a relative or close friend who has a problem with alcoholism. That being said, in the meeting I attended, the leader specifically stated that participants had to be related to or a friend of someone with an addiction problem – not just alcoholism. I am not certain if this was just this one leader, if this is a trend to expanding the user base, or if this is a consistent practice. Nonetheless, the purpose of the group was to help families and friends of alcoholics by providing resources and a support platform for understanding the disease of addiction.
In ANON, the participants talked about how frustrating it was to have a spouse or someone you love go through relapse. One woman’s story stopped me in my tracks. This participant stated her husband had been in rehab thirteen times and she explained the sense of hope and hopelessness that coincides with each relapse and rehabilitation completion. On the thirteenth completion of rehabilitation, her husband relapsed again. This time, she shared with the group, that she “asked him why he didn’t just go ahead and kill himself all at once since that would be so less painful for her than going through this each time – and then he attempted suicide”. She talked about the guilt and her desire to “cut him loose”. Other participants, upon their sharing time, made a quick statement about how they have been in a similar situation and offered her an olive branch. This one story and the reactions of support highlighted the groups deep emotional connection and the link of that connection to their mental health. Families are not only negatively impacted by alcoholism, but they are also a critical component for an alcoholic’s successfully recovery (McCrady & Flanagan, 2021). Families report having psychosocial problems, depression, anxiety, additional responsibilities at home, social isolation from others, labeling and judgement from society, and emotional volatility (McCrady & Flanagan, 2021). During the session I observed, family members expressed these very concerns and further validated McCrady’s & Flanagan 2021 study.
One thing I found extremely helpful is that these ANON meetings could be completed live via chat rooms or zoom live video or electronic messaging groups. These different forums had different software requirements and a different process for signing up. To maintain anonymity I can see how these other groups would be more inviting. However, participants in the online group also blocked their cameras and altered their user name so people could not identify them but still contact them. Even though participants want to remain anonymous, they also request sponsors and support from others and asked to be contacted and provide their username or handle by which they can be contacted. I followed up with one person who asked for a friend and found it to be an emotional conversation. I explained I was a student and could not provide therapy, but that I was abused and experienced my own set of challenges and would be happy to be there for them, without judgement, a safe space to talk. They have actually contacted me back and I am honored to be able to have a positive impact on someone’s life. My father is an alcoholic, my grandfather was an alcoholic, my grandmother was an alcoholic and I saw the violence, mood swings, threats, verbal/emotional/financial abuse and recall it vividly. None of them admitted having a problem and growing up I did not know of these types of groups. But, I have learned a lot from my new ‘friend’ and I hope she feels the same way about me. Everything happens for a reason – one day at a time.
Word Count: 704
References
Alcoholics Anonymous. (2021). 12 Steps of Analon.
Https://www.
intherooms.com
or
www.al-anon.
org
Alcoholics Anonymous. (2021). 12 Traditions of Analon.
Https://www.
intherooms.com
or
www.al-anon.
org
Alcoholics Anonymous. (2021). 12 Concepts of Analon.
Https://www.
intherooms.com
or
www.al-anon.
org
McCrady, B. S., & Flanagan, J. C. (2021). The role of the family in alcohol use disorder recovery for adults. Alcohol research: current reviews, 41 (1), 06.
Https://doi.org/10.35946/
arch.v41.1.06
