30 Al-anon Meetings
Al-Anon is a 12 Step programme that is based on the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous. It is a support group for people who have loved ones who suffer from the disease of alcoholism. My sister suggested I attend a meeting about a year before I actually did. I put it on the 30 before 30 list to get myself going to meetings and to put in the work to recover and give myself a better existence.
The first meeting I attended, I listened to a group of strangers tell me my life story. They were talking about their experiences, a few details were different from my own, lots of them had it a lot worse than me, but I was filled with a liberating feeling of community and sameness, which is strange because most of the time in life we strive to be unique, different and special.
I’m not sure how much I will write about this. I think I will just include pictures of the readings from the first 30 meetings I attended and not my shares about the topics.
After attending my first 3 meetings Sydney went into Covid Lockdown for 4 months. I tried a few Zoom meetings but didn’t feel the same connection although they are very helpful when I can’t physically get to a meeting. As of writing this post (4 October 2022) I have not started the 12 Steps or approached anyone to be my sponsor, although these things are on my list of things I’d like to achieve.
Today I went to a meeting with my regular group. I cried through another member’s share, not because of the sadness of the topic but because of how closely I related to the human experience he was going through. Al-anon has taught me a lot, but something I learn week after week is that there is always more to learn and there is real hope when you meet with, listen to and empathise with the experiences of the people around you.
The below excerpts are from Al-Anon literature ‘Courage to Change’, if in reading them you relate to any themes and have a loved one who suffers from alcoholism, please reach out to me or find an Al-Anon meeting to attend, walk-in newcomers are especially welcome. Google Al-Anon Meetings in your area to find both physical and online groups. If you’re in the Sydney area go to this website https://al-anon.org.au/meetings to find a meeting or read more about the programme.
There are Anonymous 12 Step meetings for a wide variety of experiences, if you are struggling with a different substance or behavioural addiction; narcotics, alcohol, sex, co-dependencey, gambling, then try and find the right meeting for you. Most can be found easily with a Google search.
As most programmes are based on the now secular (atheists welcome) Alcoholics Anonymous programme, meetings open and close with the Serenity Prayer. It’s a powerful request to a Higher Power, a God of your own understanding, to keep you present from moment to moment in this chaotic, upsetting, joyous, terrifyingly beautiful existance called life.
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.