Frequently Asked Questions about Al-Anon

1. Will Al-Anon respect my confidentiality and anonymity?

Answer: Anonymity is an important principle of the Al-Anon / Alateen program. It is vital that we provide a safe environment for members to share. Everything that is said in the group meeting and member to member must be held in confidence. Traditions 11 and 12 of our program speak to the necessity of safeguarding the anonymity of all Al-Anon, Alateen and AA members at the public relations level. This means, at the level of press, radio and TV, that all Al-Anon and Alateen members are anonymous. Principles above personalities is stressed to assure that no one will use Al-Anon for profit, prestige or power.

2. Can I belong to Al-Anon even if the drinker is not a member of Alcoholics Anonymous, or does not admit to a drinking problem?

Answer: The Al-Anon / Alateen program has but one purpose: to help families and friends of alcoholics. As stated in Tradition 3, the relatives of alcoholics, when gathered together for mutual aid, may call themselves an Al-Anon Family Group provided that, as a group, they have no other affiliation. The only requirement for membership is that there be a problem of alcoholism in a relative or friend.

3. Can I belong to Al-Anon if the problem drinker does not live with me?

Answer: The only requirement for membership is that there is or has been a problem of alcoholism in a relative or friend. Spouses, children, siblings, co-workers, employers and friends can all be affected by someone else's drinking. You need not be living with the problem drinker to seek help and recovery in the Al-Anon / Alateen program.

4. Will I gain understanding and a knowledge of the illness of alcoholism?

Answer: Yes. Al-Anon believes that alcoholism is a family disease. We learn to accept the fact that we, too, suffer from the effects of an illness that we did not cause, we cannot control and we cannot cure. The Al-Anon program provides tools to better understand the problem. It encourages us to read conference-approved literature, attend meetings regularly, practice loving detachment, let go of expectations and resentments, avail ourselves of the support of other members and grow spiritually through working the Twelve Steps adapted from Alcoholics Anonymous.

5. Will Al-Anon help me to realize that I am not alone; that my problem is not unique?

Answer: Yes. No matter what your relationship has been with the problem drinker, we in Al-Anon understand as few others can. We share a common bond: we feel our lives have been deeply affected by another person's drinking. Even though people's situations differ, fear, anger, resentment and loneliness are some of the common effects from the disease.

We meet together to share our experience, strength and hope. You will hear about situations much like your own and identify with the way many of us feel about the affects of alcoholism on our lives. We are all individuals striving to become the best people we can, each in our own way. That way is not the same for each of us, but there is help for everyone whose problem is alcoholism in others.

6. Is this a religious fellowship?

Answer: No. Al-Anon / Alateen is a spiritual fellowship, not a religious one. Members of any faith, or none at all, are welcome and we make it a point to avoid discussion of specific religious beliefs. The Al-Anon program is based on the spiritual idea that we can depend on a "Power greater than ourselves" for help in solving our problems and achieving peace of mind. We are free to define that power in our own terms and in our own way.

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Because of someone else's drinking..

Do I worry because of it?
Do I lose sleep because of it?
Am I ashamed of my situation because of it?
Am I tired, nervous, depressed because of it?
Do I ever feel desperate and alone because of it?
Do I ever feel embarrassed by the drinker's behavior?
Am I short-tempered and frustrated at times because of it?
Am I feeling sorry for myself, inadequate, or guilty because of it?
Do I make excuses for the drinker and take on their responsibilities?

If you can answer YES to some of these questions then Al-Anon may be able to help you.

The San Antonio Al-Anon Alateen Information Service - SAAIS - is the focal point for Al-Anon family groups - AFG - and Alateen programs in the Greater San Antonio and Texas Hill Country areas of Texas providing Al-Anon group meeting schedule, Al-Anon event, contact, Al-Anon literature, and general information. Serving the Al-Anon family groups - AFG - and Alateen in Al-Anon District 12 and Al-Anon District 13 communities of San Antonio, Bandera, Boerne, Bulverde, Canyon Lake, Comfort, Fredericksburg, Floresville, Ingram, Junction, Kerrville, Lakehills, New Braunfels, Seguin, Spring Branch and Universal City, Utopia, Uvalde, and the counties of Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Frio, Gillespie, Guadalupe, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Kinney, Mason, Maverick, Medina, Real, Uvalde, and Wilson of the Al-Anon East Texas Area 53.