Al-Anon and Alateen

Al-Anon: The 12 Steps

These Twelve Steps, adapted nearly word-for-word from the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, have been a tool for spiritual growth for millions of Al‑Anon/Alateen members. At meetings, Al‑Anon/Alateen members share with each other the personal lessons they have learned from practicing from these Steps.

1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

© Al-Anon’s Twelve Steps, copyright 1996 by Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc. Reprinted with permission of Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc.

Do I need Al-Anon:

Ask yourself the below questions, and if you answer "Yes," you will probably benefit from Alateen or Al-Anon,  

• Feel bothered with one of your loved ones drinking?
• Think that you are constantly worried about the quantity of alcohol consumption by your loved one?
• Are you experiencing financial issues because of someone's alcohol consumption?
• Are you constantly covering up for someone else's drinking problem?

Did you grow up near a Problem Drinker?

A few questions you can ask yourself to get the answer are,

• Do you find a constant need to seek affirmation and approval?
• Do you always find yourself overlooking your accomplishments?
• Do you fear criticism?
• Do you tend to overextend?

Al-Anon Meeting: What happens?

Groups formed for people affected by alcohol abuse of someone close to them are Al‑Anon support groups or programs. So, one can say that alcoholism comes under a 'Family Disease.'

Also, it affects not only the person consuming alcohol but also the people around him. Al-Anon meetings tend to offer a safe place to share and connect among people handling the same with their loved ones. All the members at Al-Anon can freely share at Al-Anon meetings on topics including, but not limited to.

• Past negative experiences
• Healthy coping mechanisms
• Strengths that one can rely on
• Positive experiences give hope.

How to find an Al-Anon or Alateen Meeting?

You can search the Al-Anon Family Groups website to find both Al-Anon and Alateen meetings. You can also use the Recovery HQ Meeting Finder to find both Al-Anon and Alateen meetings: