Are you a member of Al-Anon?

If your loved one is an alcoholic or addict and has gone for treatment or he or she joined Alcoholics Anonymous, then chances are you have heard of Al-Anon. According to Al-Anon’s website:

At Al‑Anon Family Group meetings, the friends and family members of problem drinkers share their experiences and learn how to apply the principles of the Al‑Anon program to their individual situations.

They learn that they are not alone in the problems they face, and that they have choices that lead to greater peace of mind, whether the drinker continues to drink or not.

Sponsorship gives members an opportunity to get personal support from someone more experienced in the program. These relationships are voluntary. Members ask another member to be their Sponsor when they believe that person will be suitable as a mentor in applying the program.

Al-Anon was formed in 1951 by Anne B. and Lois W. Lois was the wife of Bill W., the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. The good news is that if you do attend Al-Anon or Alateen you know that you can find a meeting in almost every town across the United States and Canada and if you are traveling internationally there are meetings from Argentina to the Virgin Islands.

Social Media and Al-Anon/Alateen

We are happy to share with you that Al-Anon has a Facebook page, a Twitter account, LinkedIn profile and a YouTube channel. No doubt these four social media avenues and Al-Anon’s website are helpful for people wanting to learn more about Al-Anon/Alateen; however, what does one do if they do not have access to the internet, or a smartphone and they need or want to find a meeting?  How about some old-fashioned technology…a phone!

Al-Anon announces new automated telephone feature

This week the Al-Anon World Service Office announced that meeting information for the United States and Canada will now be just a phone call away 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!

Simply dial 1-888-4AL-ANON (1-888-425-2666).

Previously information available by phone was restricted to normal business hours Monday – Friday 8:00AM-6:00PM ET.  In the press release, Pamela Waters, the Information Analyst at Al-Anon’s World Service Office, explained:

“We are very excited to offer around-the-clock service to our callers seeking Al-Anon meetings to deal with a friend or loved one’s alcoholism. We’ve always had local Al-Anon meeting information available 24/7 on our Web site, but some people do not have internet access, or they prefer to receive the information by phone. With the new automated feature of our telephone service, we can transcend the boundaries of time zones and the working hours of our telephone operators.

Our live operators remain available during the business hours of our World Service Office in Virginia Beach, Virginia, but the automated service can now fill in on nights, weekends, and holidays, when help may be needed. Whether a caller locates an Al-Anon meeting by speaking to one of our staff members during business hours, or by the automated service, meeting information is available in English, Spanish, and French.”

Younger family members who are affected by someone’s drinking can continue to get information about meetings by calling the Al-Anon’s staff phone operators during regular business hours.

Learning about 12-Step Meetings

In addition to the multiple treatment modalities utilized at Cottonwood Tucson, each patient is strongly encouraged to regularly participate in 12-step meetings as part of the ongoing recovery process.

The term 12-step derives from, and forms the core of, the self-help program of recovery developed by Alcoholics Anonymous in 1935. Currently, over 100 self-help groups have adapted the 12-step as basis of their programs of recovery.

Patients are introduced to the 12-step process through a group called Introduction to the 12-Steps, and then regularly attend both community based and campus based 12-step meetings.

Meeting options address a variety of recovery issues and include Alcoholics Anonymous, Cocaine Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous, Al-Anon, Debtors Anonymous, Anorexia and Bulimia Anonymous, Sex and Love Addicts, Sex Addicts Anonymous, and Nicotine Anonymous.

Additionally, some patients are offered Lawyer specific AA meetings, Physician specific AA meetings, Young Adult 12-step meetings, and Gay and Lesbian specific 12-step meetings. Attendance at community based 12-step meetings aids in the development of community integration and utilization of supportive resources in recovery.

Here’s to serenity and 12-Step Meetings.