Al-Anon members are people, just like you, who are worried about someone with a drinking or other addiction problem.

Family members have the opportunity to learn from the experiences of others who have faced similar problems. Teens come together to share experiences to find effective ways to cope with problems. Self-assessment quizzes are designed to help you decide whether Al-Anon or Alateen might be able to help.

Click the link to find out more. https://al-anon.org/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0q6Cuo-w1wIVDGt-Ch2G6AlSEAAYASAAEgIZEfD_BwE

Al Anon meeting finder: https://al-anon.org/al-anon-meetings/

The Nar-Anon Family Groups is primarily for those who know or have known a feeling of desperation concerning the addiction problem of someone very near to you. We have traveled that unhappy road too, and found the answer with serenity and peace of mind.

When you come into the family group, you are no longer alone, but among true friends who understand your problem as few others could. We respect your confidence and anonymity as we know you will respect ours. We hope to give you the assurance that no situation is too difficult and no unhappiness is too great to be overcome.

Our program, which is not a religious one but a spiritual way of life, is based on the Twelve Steps of Nar-Anon. We’ve found that the working of these steps will bring the solution to practically any problem. We urge you to take this program and its twelve steps seriously. It has been as helpful to us as the Narcotics Anonymous program is to the addict. We only ask for the wisdom and courage to see ourselves as we really are, to do something about ourselves with the help of a Higher Power as we understand this, and for the grace to release our addicts with love and cease trying to change them.

Keep an open mind and attend as many meetings as possible. Feel free to share during the meeting. You may ask questions after the meeting. You’ll soon make friends and will feel very much a part of the group.

With the understanding that addiction is a disease, and the realization that we are powerless over it, as well as over other people’s lives, we are ready to do something useful and constructive with our own. Then, and only then, can we be of any help to others.

Click the link to find out more and to find a meeting near you. https://www.nar-anon.org/what-is-nar-anon/

Nar Anon meeting finder: https://www.nar-anon.org/find-a-meeting/

A 12-step programs such as Al-Anon and Narcotics Anonymous suggest, an alcoholic or addict doesn’t change until they reach a “bottom” or are faced with “jails, institutions, and death”. The codependent, contrary to the substance abuser, doesn’t have such cut and dry parameters to inspire a change. Instead their codependency is punished in both mental and physiological ways. They develop symptoms such as anxiety, depression, chronic pain, fibromyalgia, and even heart disease. Honest and open discussions with family members, counselors, psychologists or other skilled professionals can help bring the codependency and its detriment to light. Without recognition change cannot be implemented. Shifting behaviors will benefit both the codependent and the addict. The addict may discover their own path to change once they realize the codependent isn’t readily available to do things for them or to bail them out when they’re in trouble. They will have to face the repercussions of their behaviors on their own.

If any of this hits home to you, as someone you love is suffering from alcoholism or addiction, don’t be afraid to ask for help. It’s ok to seek the gift of recovery for yourself even when you’re not abusing substances. You are entitled to live a happy, healthy and productive life regardless of how those around you chose to live.