Al-Anon Family Groups Support All Relatives and Friends of Problem Drinkers During September National Recovery Month
Virginia Beach, VA (PRWEB) September 30, 2014
September National Recovery Month brings hope to families and friends who have been affected by their loved ones’ drinking.
The annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health, from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), reports that nearly one in twelve adults in the U.S. had a substance use disorder in the past year. “Conservative estimates indicate each alcoholic seriously affects the lives of at least four people,” according to Pamela Walters, Information Analyst for Al-Anon Family Groups. “Al-Anon offers local support to anyone who has been affected by someone else’s drinking,” Walters said.
Anonymity is an important principle of the Al-Anon program, making Al-Anon a safe place to seek help. Steven is an anonymous Al-Anon member who compared his emotional life—before attending local Al-Anon Family Group meetings—to a wrecked car left to rust in an open field. “I was looking for a quick fix to my problems,” Steven said, “But if I got a new car, I would have driven it right back into the same demolition derby that was my marriage, because that was all I knew.”
In Al-Anon, however, Steven found the instructions to slowly fix what had been broken. “It is a slow process,” Steven said, “but I know it’s worth every bit of effort I put into it.” Steven’s recovery story, “I swapped the demolition derby for a leisurely ride,” is in the September issue of Al-Anon’s “Forum” magazine.
Al-Anon Family Groups are for families and friends who have been affected by a loved one’s drinking. Nearly 16,000 local groups meet throughout the U.S., Canada, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico every week. Al-Anon Family Groups meet in more than 130 countries, and Al-Anon literature is available in more than 40 languages. Al-Anon Family Groups have been offering strength and support to families and friends of problem drinkers since 1951. Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc. acts as the clearinghouse worldwide for inquiries from those who need help or want information about Al-Anon Family Groups and Alateen, its program for teenage members.
For more information about Al-Anon Family Groups, go to al-anon.org and read a copy of Al-Anon’s annual public outreach magazine “Al-Anon Faces Alcoholism 2015.” Find a local meeting by calling toll-free: 1-888-4AL-ANON.