Although Deborah came from an alcoholic family, and married an alcoholic, she only came to Al-Anon when her son was having problems with alcohol and drugs. And only because a colleague told her of his experience with his son’s problems. He didn’t tell her what Al-Anon was about, he just said “go”. So she did....

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Trigger warning: Diana’s story includes some violent and abusive episodes from her childhood. You can skip forward to about 21:00 to avoid those descriptions. Diana H had a turbulent childhood. Her mother suffered from mental illness. Her house was full of alcohol, drugs, and violence. We talk about how her work in recovery has helped...

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What does it mean to “Surrender to Win”? Have you had this experience? Barb and Spencer dig into these questions. How does this topic of “surrender to win” speak to you? A definition of surrender is “to give up completely or agree to forgo especially in favor of another” What have you given up completely? ...

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Sharing experience, strength, and hope in your voices. Thoughts on apologies and amends. A mother wants to help her adult son who drinks too much. A survivor muses on the possible benefits of trauma. What is this detachment thing, anyway? Learning to talk, trust, and feel when the family “training” was “don’t talk, don’t trust,...

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Saturday morning, I awoke to fresh snow. I had a fairly hectic and noisy time going to the gym, getting ready for the day, etc. Then I stepped out into a lovely, hushed silence. I decided I needed more of that, and later went to a nature area for a walk in the woods. I...

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Today, I’m sharing with you a talk by Peggy G. I hope you’ll enjoy Peggy’s sense of humor as much as I did. Peggy talks about feeling rejected as a child and about getting married early after “finding love in the back seat of a Ford.” She felt she had a “hole in her gut”...

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Men are a minority in Al-Anon. Is this a problem? An asset? What is your experience? Join Spencer and several guests, both men and women, as we share our experience. Some of the topics we address are these: What is your experience as a man in Al-Anon?  What difficulties and challenges have you experienced? Did...

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The only requirement for membership in Al-Anon is that there is a problem of alcoholism in a relative or friend. How many other groups are so inclusive? How does this help you? How is this a challenge for you? Today is MLK day, the celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday. Perhaps naturally, my...

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What is integrity and what does it have to do with recovery? Definitions the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness the state of being whole and undivided “the root of integrity is about doing the right thing even when it’s not acknowledged by others, or convenient for you.” (Psychology Today...

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Is your voice heard, even when others disagree? Why is it important that everyone has an opportunity to be heard? How do you practice listening in your life? Meetings? Family? Work? Concept 5 states “The rights of appeal and petition protect minorities and insure that they be heard.” Spencer and Eric share how this concept...

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