Houston Al-Anon | Alateen General Fact Sheet
- Details
-
Hits: 5230
For Houston and Surrounding Areas
Introduction
Al-Anon Family Groups is a community resource providing support to anyone affected by a relative or friend's drinking. There are over 24,000 Al-Anon and nearly 1,800 Alateen groups meeting in 131 countries.
Al-Anon/Alateen Meetings Include
- Open meetings that may be attended by anyone interested in learning about the Al-Anon or Alateen program.
- Closed meetings that are for anyone whose life is or has been affected by a problem drinker.
- Limited access groups which meet in locations where the general membership may not be able to attend (i.e. industrial, military, or school settings).
- Introductory meetings at facilities to introduce Al-Anon/Alateen to newcomers.
Al-Anon:
- Has only one requirement for membership—each member has been affected by someone else's drinking.
- Is a fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics who meet anonymously to share their experience, strength, and hope in order to solve their common problems; adult children of alcoholics, parents, partners, spouses, co-workers, etc. can all find help in Al-Anon.
- Is a separate fellowship from Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Al-Anon is based on the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions adapted from AA.
- Is nonprofessional, self-supporting, spiritually based, apolitical, welcomes all cultures, and is available almost everywhere.
Al-Anon/Alateen Groups DO NOT
- Give advice.
- Indulge in gossip or criticism.
- Discuss members' religious beliefs, or lack of them.
- Endorse or oppose any cause, therapy, or treatment.
- Provide support for problems other than the impact of alcoholism upon the family members.
Alateen
- Is part of the Al-Anon fellowship designed for the younger relatives and friends of alcoholics through the teen years.
- Members conduct their own meetings with the guidance of an Al-Anon member Sponso
- Follows the same Twelve Steps, Twelve Traditions, and principles as Al-Anon.
Al-Anon/Alateen Is Self-Supporting
- Through the voluntary contributions of members; there are no dues or fees for membership. Al-Anon does not accept any outside funds, grants, or donations.
Al-Anon and Alateen Members Are Helped when They
- Attend meetings on a regular basis.
- Make telephone contact with other members.
- Read Al-Anon/Alateen literature.
- Have a personal Sponsor.
- Apply the Twelve Steps of recovery to their lives.
- Become involved in Al-Anon service work.
- Al-Anon/Alateen Is a Program Based upon Anonymity
- The identity of all Al-Anon and Alateen members, as well as members of Alcoholics Anonymous, is protected.
- Confidentiality is allowed to develop from a sense of trust and honesty.
- The focus is on spiritual principles, not personalities, which leads to a fellowship of equals.
Acknowledgements
This document is derived from Fact Sheet For Professionals. Copyright © Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc. 1600 Corporate Landing Parkway, Virginia Beach, VA 23454-5617 Phone: (757) 563-1600 Fax: (757) 563-1655 E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
(external Al-Anon link) Reprinted with permission of Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc., Virginia Beach, VA.