All About Al-Anon and Alateen

All About Al-Anon and Alateen More in Addiction Coping and Recovery Methods and Support Overcoming Addiction Personal Stories Alcohol Use Addictive Behaviors Drug Use Nicotine Use Al-Anon and Alateen are two programs that are part of a worldwide fellowship which offers support to families of alcoholics. Al-Anon is designed to help spouses, parents, siblings, and other family members, while Alateen is geared specifically toward younger people living with an alcoholic. Both groups are based on a spiritual, non-religious ethos from which members derive insight from being part of a collective (as opposed to engaging in one-on-one support). While many people turn to Al-Anon and Alateen for help with a loved ones drinking problems, neither are intervention programs. Rather, they recognize that people living with an alcoholic can be traumatized and focus their efforts on caring for those individuals needs. As with Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Al-Anon and Alateen are closely based on a 12-step model (known, aptly, as the Twelve Steps) which is designed as a tool for spiritual growth. History of Al-Anon and Alateen As early as 1939, families began to attend AA meetings along with their alcoholic family members. By actively engaging in the Twelve Steps, many of these people began to see the benefits of incorporating the principles into their own lives and family dynamics. Over time, some of these family groups formed their own independent meetings. In 1948, several of these groups applied to the AA General Service Office to be listed in the member directory. After being denied inclusion, Lois W. (wife of AA co-founder Bill W.) and Anne B., a close family friend, decided to create a committee to help coordinate and service these independent groups. In 1951, Al-Anon was officially established with 56 member groups across the continental United States. They chose the name from the first syllables of Alcoholics Anonymous and, in keeping with the founding principles, adopted the Twelve Steps (and later the Twelve Traditions) in a slightly modified form. The first Alateen meetings, meanwhile, were established in 1957 specifically for members between the ages of 12 and 19. While functioning on their own, these groups are facilitated by an adult Al-Anon member, called a sponsor. Al-Anon and Alateen Twelve Steps The Al-Anon and Alateen Twelve Steps are closely aligned to those of AA. The basic principle of the model is that people can help heal each other but only if they surrender to a higher power. While the Twelve Steps can be a force for good in families who are suffering, there are those who struggle with the spiritual, quasi-religious, male-centric premise of the program. For individual who dont feel comfortable with the spiritual elements of the Al-Anon and Alateen Twelve Steps programs, there are alternatives to the 12-step methodology which do not rely on the concept of a higher power. For those who embrace the Al-Anon and Alateen approach, the 12 steps are broken down as follows: Admitting that you are powerless over alcohol and that your life has become unmanageableBelieving that a power greater than yourself can restore you to sanityMaking the decision to turn your will and life over to the care of God in whatever form that may beTaking a fearless moral inventory of yourselfAdmitting to God, yourself, and others of the exact nature of your wrongdoingsBeing ready to have God remove these defects from your characterActively asking God to remove these defectsMaking a list of all those you have harmed and being willing to make amendsMaking amends wherever possible (except when doing so would cause harm)Continuing to take a moral inventory of yourself and admitting when you are wrongSeeking to improve your connection with God and to pray for knowledge and the power to carry out Gods willCarrying these message to others and practicing these principles in your daily life