About Al-Anon
Al-Anon members are friends and family of people who are problem drinkers. Alateen is the same program for younger people.
Many who come to Al-Anon and Alateen feel hopeless — wanting their lives to be different, but unable to make it happen on their own. Members are parents, children, spouses, partners, siblings, friends, employers, employees, and coworkers of alcoholics. What we share is a common bond: our lives have been affected by someone else’s drinking.
In meetings, members share their own experience, strength, and hope. You will meet others who share your feelings and frustrations, if not your exact situation. Together, we learn a better way of life — and find happiness whether the alcoholic is still drinking or not.
Self-check #1 — Are you troubled by someone’s drinking?
Millions of people from every walk of life are affected by someone else’s drinking. If you answer yes to any of the following, Al-Anon may be able to help:
- Do you worry about how much someone drinks?
- Do you have money problems because of someone else’s drinking?
- Do you tell lies to cover up for someone’s drinking?
- Do you feel that if the drinker cared about you, they would stop to please you?
- Do you blame the drinker’s behavior on their companions?
- Are plans, meals, or events frequently upset because of the drinker?
- Do you make threats — “If you don’t stop drinking, I’ll leave”?
- Do you secretly try to smell the drinker’s breath?
- Are you afraid to upset someone for fear it will set off a drinking bout?
- Have you been hurt or embarrassed by a drinker’s behavior?
- Are holidays and gatherings spoiled by drinking?
- Have you considered calling the police out of fear of abuse?
- Do you search for hidden alcohol?
- Do you ever ride in a car with a driver who has been drinking?
- Have you turned down social invitations out of fear or anxiety?
- Do you feel like a failure because you can’t control the drinking?
- Do you believe that if the drinker stopped, your other problems would be solved?
- Do you ever threaten to hurt yourself to scare the drinker?
- Do you feel angry, confused, or depressed most of the time?
- Do you feel no one understands your problems?
Even one yes is reason enough to try a meeting. Find a Meeting →
Self-check #2 — Did you grow up with a problem drinker?
If someone close to you — a family member, friend, or coworker — has a problem with alcohol, these questions may help you decide whether Al-Anon could help:
- Do you constantly seek approval and affirmation?
- Do you fail to recognize your own accomplishments?
- Do you fear criticism?
- Do you over-extend yourself?
- Have you struggled with your own compulsive behavior?
- Do you need things to be perfect?
- Are you uneasy when life is going smoothly — always anticipating problems?
- Do you feel more alive in the middle of a crisis?
- Do you still feel responsible for others, the way you did for the problem drinker?
- Do you care for others easily, but find it hard to care for yourself?
- Do you isolate yourself?
- Do you respond with fear to authority figures and angry people?
- Do you feel that people, or society, take advantage of you?
- Do you have trouble with intimate relationships?
- Do you confuse pity with love?
- Do you tend to attract — or seek out — people who are compulsive or abusive?
- Do you cling to relationships because you fear being alone?
- Do you often mistrust your own feelings, or the feelings of others?
- Do you find it hard to identify and express your emotions?
- Do you think someone’s drinking may have affected you?
Self-check #3 — For young people (Alateen)
Alateen is for young people whose lives have been affected by someone else’s drinking — even if the drinking has stopped, or the alcoholic no longer lives at home.
- Do you believe no one could possibly understand how you feel?
- Do you cover up your real feelings by pretending you don’t care?
- Do you feel neglected, uncared for, or unloved?
- Do you tell lies to cover up the drinking or what’s happening at home?
- Do you stay out of the house as much as possible because you hate being there?
- Are you afraid or embarrassed to bring friends home?
- Has someone’s drinking upset you?
- Are mealtimes, birthdays, or holidays spoiled by drinking or reactions to it?
- Are you afraid to speak up for fear the drinking or fighting will start again?
- Do you think the drinker’s behavior is your fault, or someone else’s?
- Do you make threats such as, “If you don’t stop, I’ll run away”?
- Do you make promises in exchange for a promise that the drinking will stop?
- Do you feel that if the drinker loved you, they would stop?
- Have you ever threatened or hurt yourself to scare the drinker?
- Do you or your family have money problems because of drinking?
- Are you scared to ride in a car with the drinker?
- Have you considered calling the police because of abusive behavior?
- Do you avoid dating or close friends because they may find out about the drinking?
- Do you think your problems would go away if the drinking stopped?
- Do you sometimes treat teachers, friends, or teammates unfairly because you’re angry about someone’s drinking?
Local Alateen meetings
- Together We Can Make It Alateen — Temple Beth Am, Kindergarten Room, 7205 Royal Palm Blvd, Margate. Tuesdays 8:00 PM
- It’s All About Me Alateen — Shepherd of the Coast Lutheran Church, 1901 E. Commercial Blvd, Ft. Lauderdale 33308. Mondays 7:00 PM
- Recovery Now Alateen — St. Benedict’s Episcopal Church, 7801 NW 5th Street, Plantation, FL 33324. Fridays 7:00 PM
Not ready to attend a meeting yet?
There are many reasons people hesitate before their first meeting. When you’re already stretched thin, trying something new can feel like one more thing — and it can be easier to imagine continued difficulty than to imagine a real solution.
If you feel anxious about coming, you’re not alone. Showing up anyway is often the first of many steps toward recovery.
- You don’t have to decide whether to become a “member.” Just visit a few meetings and listen.
- There are no dues or fees. Al-Anon is supported entirely by voluntary contributions from members.
- Al-Anon keeps no membership list and takes no attendance. Come as often or as rarely as you like.
- You can share your first name only — or nothing at all.
What to expect at an Al-Anon meeting
- Mutual support, not advice. Everyone shares as an equal. Everyone in the room has experienced a problem with someone else’s drinking.
- You’re free to speak — or just listen. You can share, say “I pass,” or simply listen. Meetings have no cross-talk; ask questions before or after, or attend a beginners’ meeting.
- Try at least six meetings. Every meeting is different — give the program a fair look before deciding.
- Al-Anon is not a religious program. Meetings held in religious buildings are not affiliated with that religion.
- Anonymity is core. What’s said in a meeting stays in the meeting.
Common questions from newcomers
How will Al-Anon help me?
Members share their experience, strength, and hope. You’ll meet others who understand your feelings — and learn a better way of life, whether the alcoholic is still drinking or not.
How do I find a meeting?
District 189 has over 25 meetings every week. See the Meetings page. For Northern Broward County call (954) 491-1915. Anywhere else, call 1-888-425-2666 or visit al-anon.org.
Do I have to say anything?
No. It’s your choice. You’re welcome to just listen and learn.
Will anyone tell people I was there?
No. Anonymity is a foundational principle.
How much does it cost?
Nothing. Most groups pass a basket for voluntary contributions.
Is this a religious fellowship?
Al-Anon is a spiritual fellowship, not a religious one. Members of all faiths — and of no faith — are welcome.
What is alcoholism?
Alcoholism is a progressive disease of compulsive drinking. It can be arrested but not cured, and total abstinence is the only known way to arrest it. It affects everyone close to the drinker.
How does alcoholism affect families?
Alcoholism is a family disease. Those closest to the alcoholic often take on the blame, guilt, and shame that belong to the drinker, and become as caught up in the drinking as the alcoholic is in alcohol. Al-Anon helps us recover.