Al-Anon Family Group - Al-Anon Family Group

DavidG · DavidG

Disease, illness, sickness, malaise. It is cunning and baffling. I have heard the word "dysfunctional" bandied about. I think that that is far too soft a word. Damaging, dangerous, even life threatening, describes it better. I have been involved with my nephew G. His two kids have been taken int...

Fedora · Fedora

I just told AH that I'm getting the kids signed up for counseling. He is Furious. I am standing my ground. I know enough about this disease now to know that my kids are going to need to have tools in place. They're too young for Al-A-Teen. (At least the littler one is). I want them to have someone they can t...

SerenityRUS · SerenityRUS

I'm going to any ways. Basically long story short this has been a year of revelation of how much I get to control myself and not others. My latest run in with my X involved my youngest and an iPad for singing lessons. S/he (cause I'm pretty sure his wife was involved) was very entertaining. They overp...

2HP · 2HP

From the beginning, I was told that "the instructions" for recovery were in the Twelve steps. Sometimes (and especially when nothing feels like its working anymore) I like to re-read the instructions. Many of us are facing challenges this year, and I thought a discussion on the instructions coul...

Geoff · Geoff

I just wanted to say good morning to you all. My wife an I have our couples session today and the previous ones usually end up with us worse off than when we start. We usually right after just talk about it without our therapist and always work it out on our own. I feel like today will be different it will only...

Seahorse7 · Seahorse7

Whenever my AH takes vacation days I know we are in for daily drinking because every day off is a drinking day. And I also expect that at some point during vacation he will lash out at me. This time, we are vacationing at home because of Covid, though we are able to go do things outdoors. I have been tellin...

Enigmatic · Enigmatic

Today's page addresses the loneliness that may come from feeling that no one truly understands what we are going through. We are reminded, however, that we can free ourselves from this at any time by refocusing our mind on blessings, rather than the real or perceived deficits in our life.Nothing has...

Geoff · Geoff

This weekend stared off on a sour note for my spouse and I. I did realize it was all due to me and my attitude. I was letting the what if's control my days and by the end of the week I was in a terrible mood even staurday morning when we have coffee together on the porch and she reads from her daily book it was not e...

Lyne · Lyne

The reading for Monday, 8/31, reflects upon people saying its a nice day when the weather is fine. What we learn in alanon is that the kind of day it is, does not depend upon the weather. Instead, the kind of day we are having is attributed to our attitudes and reactions to what s going on around us. The...

Matoma · Matoma

I am reading all of these posts and thinking do I really want to do this? I feel very naive and, quite frankly, stupid. I started seeing someone last fall. I work with him and knew that he went through a 30 day rehab and 60 day IOP last year, before we started seeing each other. I worked with his family to h...

yanksfan51 · yanksfan51

Good morning everyone: I wouldnt typically start with the Thought for the Day at the end of todays page, but it is such a powerful statement Im thinking about it like bookends for each day, a morning and evening reflection. It reads: In Al-Anon Ive learned to savor the tiny, specific, beautiful momen...

PosiesandPuppies · PosiesandPuppies

Sorry for the late start, MIP Family! Today's reading is from Courage to Change. It speaks about Step 8. "Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all." The author describes Step 8 as "the means to release myself from unrelenting guilt." They go onto say that by m...

DavidG · DavidG

I picked up the three A's here. I was always cautious about not using conference approved material. Maybe hypervigilant, even. So- the three A's appear in a reading for Courage To Change. Through our three daily readers there are over 1000 entries. So there is a fair bit of scope here. I believe that...

Fedora · Fedora

This morning the police called me out of my class to alert me that my AH had been taken to the local jail because of DUI. This is number 2. The city police called the campus police to try to find me. The campus police officer was so kind. The city police officer were so kind. I appreciated that. They had to go...

dragonfly04 · dragonfly04

I haven't posted in awhile and I have been so busy with work lately. It's a busy time right now. I haven't kept up with my readings or self care the last 2 weeks. My feelings are all over the place. My bf is an active alcoholic and it's putting a strain on me. I try not to argue with him. I will excuse myself from...

DavidG · DavidG

Or close to home, anyway. I visited my nephew and his partner yesterday. His partner is going away to rehab. on Monday morning- for 12 or 16 weeks. Their kids have been taken off of them- and they want their kids back. I think they have along long way to go. To use a cricketing term- I am a wee way out o...

Freetime · Freetime

Today's author learned about trust and worthiness from her first Al-Anon sponsor. She learned she could trust her sponsor to be gentle, and also to say what needed to be said. The sponsor helped her overcome her self-doubt. When our author was in despair of ever feeling better, the sponsor pointed...

Geoff · Geoff

2020 has been the worst year for many, but it has been especially terrible for me. I got to start the year off with planning an intervention for my wife. It all started back in fall of 2019 when her father passed away. I had been busy with doing the lions share of taking the kids to sports volunteering for Ho...

yanksfan51 · yanksfan51

Good morning everyone: Todays reading is about the important relationship of sponsor/sponsee in the program. It is written from the point of view of the sponsor, and how seeing the growth in recovery of a sponsee is such a big part of the program. I have not had the experience of being a sponsor, but my...

Iamhere · Iamhere

Today's reading discusses the first 3 steps in our program. The writer was disappointed when the first meeting attended did not give out a 'do/don't list' on how to change the alcoholic. Instead, the 12 Steps were provided. Desperate for change, she opted to give the steps a try. By the second meet...

Maresie888 · Maresie888

In 2008 I was in this program holding on by bare knuckles. I.left the qualifier, was deeply in debt, barely enoloyed and marginally housed. Nevertheless, largeky because of the chaos he created, I left When I.leff the qualifier back then with ni job.and no money the economy took a real downturn. I....

Kokopelli · Kokopelli

While going through the beginnings of divorcing my AH, we have routines from 17 years together, making his lunch, doing his laundry, calling eachother pet names. How do you cope with this? How do you shut this down and tell him he needs to work on getting better. I want to still be his best friend and h...

Kokopelli · Kokopelli

I have my first appointment with the lawyers assistant, a financials appointment, next Thursday. My AH has contacted journey pure and said they cant see him till late next week. He even did a couple things around the house, was shocked. I express how happy I am that he reached out and has an appointment...

Skorpi · Skorpi

Hello MIP! In today's reading, the author reflects on one of the chief symptoms of the family disease of Alcoholism - Denial. The author reflects in wonder about how they didn't see what was happening with the addiction - alcoholism had left messy tracks all through the author's life, and at the time...

AgainAgain · AgainAgain

New to this board but not to Al Anon. I was an active member for five years while my wife was drinking heavily. Ultimately the disease won and she passed away two years ago after 26 years of marriage. Assuming that my issues with alcohol were behind me, I stepped away from my group. Fast forward to tod...

Kokopelli · Kokopelli

Hello, In January 2020 I finally had the courage to speak up to my AH about how unhappy I was in our marriage and that his drinking and depression left me lonely and unhappy. I had told him for the last 3 years that he needed to start cutting back on drinking and start seeing a counselor for his depression...

Enigmatic · Enigmatic

...'by stopping to think: Easy Does It,' so recommends today's ODAT author, along with the questions: 'Have I ever accomplished anything good while my emotions were churning with hysteria? Am I aware that acting on impulse - saying the first thing that pops into my head - defeats my own purposes?'R...

Lyne · Lyne

The reading for Monday, 8/24, discusses the growth value of honesty and candor. We are then able to admit that our behavior, like that of the alcoholic, was not sane or reasonable. If we can do this without shame or embarrassment, we are able to break free. The reminder says that we need alanon not onl...

SunnyFrogs · SunnyFrogs

I'm usually on the receiving end of AH's silent treatment and I absolutely hate it. It makes me feel so insignificant and unloved. Yet,here I am being the one giving him the silent treatment for the 2nd day. I'm not doing it to purposely hurt him though,like he does me. I'm not doing it as a form of contro...

Maresie888 · Maresie888

As you all know this year has been horrendous for me. Moving out of ny aoartment. Staying with an abusive alcoholic who was really verbally abusive when I was ill. Really really ill. Living in a construction zone for a year (still ongoing) . Getting a huge unexpected bill that I had to enoty my.savings t...

Green Eyes · Green Eyes

Hi all! Its great to still see some familiar names on this board, as I havent checked in for a long time. Im now retired as of July 1st, and my husband of one year and I have moved to a wonderful 55+ community in AZ. I feel very blessed. It was 11 years ago that I walked into my first Al-Anon meeting and gave my HP...

iris52 · iris52

I was reading some old posts and decided to google my nickname. I was surprised at what came up. I chose the nick because irises are one of my favorite flowers and 52 is the year I was born.The things that came up for iris 52 are things I am not sure I want people to think I am connected to. Actually I am not rea...

mamalioness · mamalioness

I don't even know where to start, but up the street the guy who used to be my handyman, alcoholic major dropped dead from heart attack last week forensics were out investigating, police, you name it because they had to be shore the body on the porch was not anything but natural causes (pathologist van t...

DavidG · DavidG

Hi y'all... ...I don't just have to come to Alanon when my life is in a state of crisis. I have been through the daily readers any number of times- all three of them. And I read the readings here- regularly. I was in a fog much of my life and often the readings went in one ear and out the other. B...

Lyne · Lyne

My decision to stay married to my A is not an easy life. Although it has important benefits, it is not easy by any means. This union of almost 29 years, brings me back to teachings from Betty, over and over and over again--I cannot force solutions, and I should not have expectations. And it's not that I...

Maresie888 · Maresie888

For me what is critical is to check not only my exoectations but to look at other people's expectations too. It is quite clear to me that all the people I had relationships with had completely unreal expectations of a relatiobship For sone reason (probably because of my own expectations) I jouned...

Enigmatic · Enigmatic

Some arrive at AlAnon with a list of reasons for ill will toward the alcoholic.Today's author suggests that using this list to polish our Martyr's halo and keep unpleasant events fresh in our minds is a harmful practice; neither is it our right or responsibility.Getting rid of such a list daily is bes...

Iamhere · Iamhere

Good morning MIP - apologies for the later than usual post - I have quarantine brain - thought it was Wednesday... Today's reminder: Al-Anon encourages me to examine my thoughts and actions, but this is meant as an act of self-love, not as a weapon to use against myself. When I begin to accept myself exa...

Freetime · Freetime

The slogan Live and Let Live is an instruction to stop obsessing about other people's business, and focus on our own. But how to do that? Once we stop focusing on others, what do we pay attention to? The author of today's page had a hard time with this question. A sponsor suggested to focus on what they h...

Finding grace · Finding grace

I haven't been here in a while, but making a commitment to get back to investing time on my program, and cutting from areas that really don't improve my life. I didn't post here too often, but did do the morning meetings almost every day as grace99. It's been about a year, a lot has happened, but I still sho...

SunnyFrogs · SunnyFrogs

Something I really struggle with is everything feels like a major crisis when it happens. I react as if it is,I behave as if it is,it feels like the end of the world. Most times it's not an actual crisis and I end up feeling (and probably looking ) like an idiot and I am ashamed. I'm not really sure how much o...

Skorpi · Skorpi

Hello MIP! In today's reading the author reflects on a piece of their reality that they didn't want to see: that they could not trust someone they loved. Every time their loved one made a promise, the author would trust them wholeheartedly, and be crushed when the promise was broken. But then, the au...

SunnyFrogs · SunnyFrogs

Years ago,in therapy,my therapist said we all do things,whether good or bad,because of what we get out of them. That if we have repetitive behavior that we want to change we first must understand the purpose it serves. So I've been reflecting on my anger lately, especially my explosive anger. I've b...

DavidG · DavidG

Hi y'all... kia ora koutou... I always had trouble reaching out for help. In my world the parents- the the grandparents always needed help. And they always seemed to have the highest priority. Kids were seen, and not heard- and me, personally always seemed to be a waste of space. Just being present...

Maresie888 · Maresie888

When I first came into.these rooms I was on overwhelm every day. My qualifier was someone who.had been addicted for many years. His addiction had already taken him to some real lows. Furthermore he was completely enmeshed with his mother. That was made clear to me early in the relationshio. I had no i...

Lyne · Lyne

The reading for Monday, August 17, reflects upon what a painful experience the first alanon meeting can be. The writer says that we might have had whirling thoughts, fear, uncertainty, and questions about if this was a good choice. Am I a disgrace, and what if the A finds out? And that is the importan...

DavidG · DavidG

There is a side to me- my dark side; my shadow side. If I was a newcomer I would have a sponsor, or a beginners group to start to deal with this. Through lock-down I have attended a number of zoom meetings- in different places- and got a sense of perspective. I am no longer bright eyed and bushy tailed- a...

DavidG · DavidG

My title idea I say so often. Not so sure if it fits. At the moment- within my unconscious, stuff is surfacing fairly regularly. It don't have words and ideas attached to it. These sometimes come later. A lot of my life i was scared- terrified- of saying things. I had learned that with active al...

yanksfan51 · yanksfan51

Good morning everyone: Todays reading is about Tradition 6: taking care that we are not distracted from our primary spiritual aim in the program. The writer states that the way to ensure we follow the singular purpose of Alanon, to help families and friends of alcoholics, is to focus. We may read ou...

AudreyO · AudreyO

Will someone with admin rights please check the Al Anon step board and remove the spam :(

Lyne · Lyne

Last night my home group celebrated 17 years. I would have gotten my 7 year coin but alas, we were on zoom. I felt disappointed as our celebrations each year are very enjoyable, and I am someone who cherishes my coins representing each year of alanon. I must confess I went to the meeting with a poor atti...

PosiesandPuppies · PosiesandPuppies

"How Important Is it?" That is what the daily is about. This simple slogan. The author recalls that after living in the chaos of an alcoholic relationship, it can be hard to know the difference between a minor inconvenience and a major crisis. This slogan helps many of us to regain some sense of proport...

Paloma Negra · Paloma Negra

Hello again and I'm glad to be checking in with some positive changes but confusing choices are involved. I'm asking for ESH here because I fear that time won't permit me a lot of self examination on this. It's lengthy and I'll try to keep it as short as possible. After 9 years, I've made the terrible deci...

Freetime · Freetime

In Al-Anon, today's author discovered that they had choices -- that if they felt uncomfortable with something, they could try to discover their true feelings before making a decision. Also, with things that truly have to be done but we don't want to, we have to feel our feelings and then do the thing a...

Iamhere · Iamhere

"Sponsorship is a friendship made up of two members learning from one another, two people learning a new way to live - one day at a time." ~~~~ from Sponsorship--What It's All About Today's Reminder: Have I put someone on a pedestal? Am I encouraging anyone to have an exaggerated view of me? Al-Anon he...

Skorpi · Skorpi

Hello MIP! In today's reading, the author reflects on step 3 - turning my will over to a Higher Power. The author feels a true sense of surrender when they take step 3. This sense of surrender is like the one the author felt when their sister was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The author was frustrated by t...

DavidG · DavidG

In the day our town had burgeoning Alanon and AA groups. I helped an AA member to start up a second AA group. It operated in its first years as a combined Steps Group. The gummint were building a huge dam downtime river from here. The workers were state employees- and they had a support and assis...

Enigmatic · Enigmatic

When I am feeling trapped or unhappy with my circumstances, today's reading accurately predicts my tendency to seek change in people and things around me in an attempt to find happiness. Serenity, however, comes only when I make changes in myself by adjusting attitudes that act to keep me chained to...

Lyne · Lyne

The reading for Monday, 8/10, compares alanon to the Bible in regards to how we use our words: The stroke of the tongue breaketh bones. Envy and wrath shorten life. Alanon reminds us that we work to improve ourselves, and to protect ourselves from confusion, anger, and resentment. We are reminde...

Maresie888 · Maresie888

I am in a whole other place on.denial. When I come up.against other people's denial I.am not able to see how long tetm it.is Moreover I am not able to respect it. I spent decades in therapy raging against my.sister's denial. I mean years and years just on my family of origin (which was of course violent...

Topic		Started By	Replies	Views	Last Post
	Dealing to the disease. (Preview) Disease, illness, sickness, malaise. It is cunning and baffling. I have heard the word "dysfunctional" bandied about. I think that that is far too soft a word. Damaging, dangerous, even life threatening, describes it better. I have been involved with my nephew G. His two kids have been taken int...	DavidG	3	540	Sep 3, 2020 by PosiesandPuppies
	AH angry that children are getting counseling (Preview) I just told AH that I'm getting the kids signed up for counseling. He is Furious. I am standing my ground. I know enough about this disease now to know that my kids are going to need to have tools in place. They're too young for Al-A-Teen. (At least the littler one is). I want them to have someone they can t...	Fedora	7	605	Sep 3, 2020 by PosiesandPuppies
	I hesitate to share .. (Preview) I'm going to any ways. Basically long story short this has been a year of revelation of how much I get to control myself and not others. My latest run in with my X involved my youngest and an iPad for singing lessons. S/he (cause I'm pretty sure his wife was involved) was very entertaining. They overp...	SerenityRUS	4	735	Sep 2, 2020 by PosiesandPuppies
	Step One (Preview) From the beginning, I was told that "the instructions" for recovery were in the Twelve steps. Sometimes (and especially when nothing feels like its working anymore) I like to re-read the instructions. Many of us are facing challenges this year, and I thought a discussion on the instructions coul...	2HP	10	683	Sep 2, 2020 by 2HP
	Good Morning to you all (Preview) I just wanted to say good morning to you all. My wife an I have our couples session today and the previous ones usually end up with us worse off than when we start. We usually right after just talk about it without our therapist and always work it out on our own. I feel like today will be different it will only...	Geoff	4	457	Sep 1, 2020 by DavidG
	Backlash over self care (Preview) Whenever my AH takes vacation days I know we are in for daily drinking because every day off is a drinking day. And I also expect that at some point during vacation he will lash out at me. This time, we are vacationing at home because of Covid, though we are able to go do things outdoors. I have been tellin...	Seahorse7	11	629	Sep 1, 2020 by SerenityRUS
	9/1/20 ODAT - Refocus -> Freedom (Preview) Today's page addresses the loneliness that may come from feeling that no one truly understands what we are going through. We are reminded, however, that we can free ourselves from this at any time by refocusing our mind on blessings, rather than the real or perceived deficits in our life.Nothing has...	Enigmatic	3	611	Sep 1, 2020 by PosiesandPuppies
	Self (Preview) This weekend stared off on a sour note for my spouse and I. I did realize it was all due to me and my attitude. I was letting the what if's control my days and by the end of the week I was in a terrible mood even staurday morning when we have coffee together on the porch and she reads from her daily book it was not e...	Geoff	3	502	Aug 31, 2020 by DavidG
	ODAT in alanon, 8/31 (Preview) The reading for Monday, 8/31, reflects upon people saying its a nice day when the weather is fine. What we learn in alanon is that the kind of day it is, does not depend upon the weather. Instead, the kind of day we are having is attributed to our attitudes and reactions to what s going on around us. The...	Lyne	2	567	Aug 31, 2020 by Iamhere
	Do I really want to do this? (Preview) I am reading all of these posts and thinking do I really want to do this? I feel very naive and, quite frankly, stupid. I started seeing someone last fall. I work with him and knew that he went through a 30 day rehab and 60 day IOP last year, before we started seeing each other. I worked with his family to h...	Matoma	13	754	Aug 30, 2020 by Iamhere
	Hope for Today Aug 30 (Preview) Good morning everyone: I wouldnt typically start with the Thought for the Day at the end of todays page, but it is such a powerful statement Im thinking about it like bookends for each day, a morning and evening reflection. It reads: In Al-Anon Ive learned to savor the tiny, specific, beautiful momen...	yanksfan51	2	485	Aug 30, 2020 by Iamhere
	Saturday's Daily 8/29/20 (Preview) Sorry for the late start, MIP Family! Today's reading is from Courage to Change. It speaks about Step 8. "Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all." The author describes Step 8 as "the means to release myself from unrelenting guilt." They go onto say that by m...	PosiesandPuppies	3	458	Aug 30, 2020 by Iamhere
	3 A's and 4 P's... a step 11... (Preview) I picked up the three A's here. I was always cautious about not using conference approved material. Maybe hypervigilant, even. So- the three A's appear in a reading for Courage To Change. Through our three daily readers there are over 1000 entries. So there is a fair bit of scope here. I believe that...	DavidG	2	1256	Aug 30, 2020 by DavidG
	2nd DUI (Preview) This morning the police called me out of my class to alert me that my AH had been taken to the local jail because of DUI. This is number 2. The city police called the campus police to try to find me. The campus police officer was so kind. The city police officer were so kind. I appreciated that. They had to go...	Fedora	9	748	Aug 30, 2020 by Maresie888
	Feelings (Preview) I haven't posted in awhile and I have been so busy with work lately. It's a busy time right now. I haven't kept up with my readings or self care the last 2 weeks. My feelings are all over the place. My bf is an active alcoholic and it's putting a strain on me. I try not to argue with him. I will excuse myself from...	dragonfly04	3	532	Aug 29, 2020 by DavidG
	Charity begins at home... (Preview) Or close to home, anyway. I visited my nephew and his partner yesterday. His partner is going away to rehab. on Monday morning- for 12 or 16 weeks. Their kids have been taken off of them- and they want their kids back. I think they have along long way to go. To use a cricketing term- I am a wee way out o...	DavidG	0	429	Aug 29, 2020 by DavidG
	Courage to Change, 8/28 - Sponsorship (Preview) Today's author learned about trust and worthiness from her first Al-Anon sponsor. She learned she could trust her sponsor to be gentle, and also to say what needed to be said. The sponsor helped her overcome her self-doubt. When our author was in despair of ever feeling better, the sponsor pointed...	Freetime	3	533	Aug 29, 2020 by DavidG
	recovery and infidelity (Preview) 2020 has been the worst year for many, but it has been especially terrible for me. I got to start the year off with planning an intervention for my wife. It all started back in fall of 2019 when her father passed away. I had been busy with doing the lions share of taking the kids to sports volunteering for Ho...	Geoff	14	658	Aug 28, 2020 by Maresie888
	Hope for Today Aug 23 (Preview) Good morning everyone: Todays reading is about the important relationship of sponsor/sponsee in the program. It is written from the point of view of the sponsor, and how seeing the growth in recovery of a sponsee is such a big part of the program. I have not had the experience of being a sponsor, but my...	yanksfan51	13	578	Aug 28, 2020 by Geoff
	Courage to Change 8/27 (Preview) Today's reading discusses the first 3 steps in our program. The writer was disappointed when the first meeting attended did not give out a 'do/don't list' on how to change the alcoholic. Instead, the 12 Steps were provided. Desperate for change, she opted to give the steps a try. By the second meet...	Iamhere	3	438	Aug 28, 2020 by Enigmatic
	Shades of 2008 (Preview) In 2008 I was in this program holding on by bare knuckles. I.left the qualifier, was deeply in debt, barely enoloyed and marginally housed. Nevertheless, largeky because of the chaos he created, I left When I.leff the qualifier back then with ni job.and no money the economy took a real downturn. I....	Maresie888	4	455	Aug 27, 2020 by Maresie888
	Mixed signals (Preview) While going through the beginnings of divorcing my AH, we have routines from 17 years together, making his lunch, doing his laundry, calling eachother pet names. How do you cope with this? How do you shut this down and tell him he needs to work on getting better. I want to still be his best friend and h...	Kokopelli	3	501	Aug 27, 2020 by Maresie888
	Second thoughts (Preview) I have my first appointment with the lawyers assistant, a financials appointment, next Thursday. My AH has contacted journey pure and said they cant see him till late next week. He even did a couple things around the house, was shocked. I express how happy I am that he reached out and has an appointment...	Kokopelli	4	509	Aug 27, 2020 by Maresie888
	Courage to Change August 26 (Preview) Hello MIP! In today's reading, the author reflects on one of the chief symptoms of the family disease of Alcoholism - Denial. The author reflects in wonder about how they didn't see what was happening with the addiction - alcoholism had left messy tracks all through the author's life, and at the time...	Skorpi	5	522	Aug 26, 2020 by JerryF
	Here I go again (Preview) New to this board but not to Al Anon. I was an active member for five years while my wife was drinking heavily. Ultimately the disease won and she passed away two years ago after 26 years of marriage. Assuming that my issues with alcohol were behind me, I stepped away from my group. Fast forward to tod...	AgainAgain	5	470	Aug 26, 2020 by PosiesandPuppies
	When is enough? (Preview) Hello, In January 2020 I finally had the courage to speak up to my AH about how unhappy I was in our marriage and that his drinking and depression left me lonely and unhappy. I had told him for the last 3 years that he needed to start cutting back on drinking and start seeing a counselor for his depression...	Kokopelli	5	584	Aug 25, 2020 by JerryF
	8/25/20 ODAT – We Can’t Lose... (Preview) ...'by stopping to think: Easy Does It,' so recommends today's ODAT author, along with the questions: 'Have I ever accomplished anything good while my emotions were churning with hysteria? Am I aware that acting on impulse - saying the first thing that pops into my head - defeats my own purposes?'R...	Enigmatic	2	450	Aug 25, 2020 by Iamhere
	ODAT in alanon, 8/24 (Preview) The reading for Monday, 8/24, discusses the growth value of honesty and candor. We are then able to admit that our behavior, like that of the alcoholic, was not sane or reasonable. If we can do this without shame or embarrassment, we are able to break free. The reminder says that we need alanon not onl...	Lyne	6	491	Aug 25, 2020 by PosiesandPuppies
	The Silent Treatment (Preview) I'm usually on the receiving end of AH's silent treatment and I absolutely hate it. It makes me feel so insignificant and unloved. Yet,here I am being the one giving him the silent treatment for the 2nd day. I'm not doing it to purposely hurt him though,like he does me. I'm not doing it as a form of contro...	SunnyFrogs	6	661	Aug 25, 2020 by PosiesandPuppies
	Good news (Preview) As you all know this year has been horrendous for me. Moving out of ny aoartment. Staying with an abusive alcoholic who was really verbally abusive when I was ill. Really really ill. Living in a construction zone for a year (still ongoing) . Getting a huge unexpected bill that I had to enoty my.savings t...	Maresie888	6	585	Aug 24, 2020 by Maresie888
	Paying It Forward (Preview) Hi all! Its great to still see some familiar names on this board, as I havent checked in for a long time. Im now retired as of July 1st, and my husband of one year and I have moved to a wonderful 55+ community in AZ. I feel very blessed. It was 11 years ago that I walked into my first Al-Anon meeting and gave my HP...	Green Eyes	2	482	Aug 24, 2020 by Green Eyes
	this is creepy (Preview) I was reading some old posts and decided to google my nickname. I was surprised at what came up. I chose the nick because irises are one of my favorite flowers and 52 is the year I was born.The things that came up for iris 52 are things I am not sure I want people to think I am connected to. Actually I am not rea...	iris52	6	572	Aug 23, 2020 by ClearTheFog
	Oh MY!! its been a while (Preview) I don't even know where to start, but up the street the guy who used to be my handyman, alcoholic major dropped dead from heart attack last week forensics were out investigating, police, you name it because they had to be shore the body on the porch was not anything but natural causes (pathologist van t...	mamalioness	4	482	Aug 23, 2020 by Iamhere
	Just another "common or garden" share... (Preview) Hi y'all... ...I don't just have to come to Alanon when my life is in a state of crisis. I have been through the daily readers any number of times- all three of them. And I read the readings here- regularly. I was in a fog much of my life and often the readings went in one ear and out the other. B...	DavidG	2	601	Aug 23, 2020 by Maresie888
	Lessons Betty taught me (Preview) My decision to stay married to my A is not an easy life. Although it has important benefits, it is not easy by any means. This union of almost 29 years, brings me back to teachings from Betty, over and over and over again--I cannot force solutions, and I should not have expectations. And it's not that I...	Lyne	7	516	Aug 22, 2020 by Maresie888
	Expectations /punushment (Preview) For me what is critical is to check not only my exoectations but to look at other people's expectations too. It is quite clear to me that all the people I had relationships with had completely unreal expectations of a relatiobship For sone reason (probably because of my own expectations) I jouned...	Maresie888	2	510	Aug 22, 2020 by Maresie888
	8/18/20 ODAT - Stop Tending a Garden of Grievances (Preview) Some arrive at AlAnon with a list of reasons for ill will toward the alcoholic.Today's author suggests that using this list to polish our Martyr's halo and keep unpleasant events fresh in our minds is a harmful practice; neither is it our right or responsibility.Getting rid of such a list daily is bes...	Enigmatic	7	589	Aug 22, 2020 by Maresie888
	Courage to Change 8/20 (Preview) Good morning MIP - apologies for the later than usual post - I have quarantine brain - thought it was Wednesday... Today's reminder: Al-Anon encourages me to examine my thoughts and actions, but this is meant as an act of self-love, not as a weapon to use against myself. When I begin to accept myself exa...	Iamhere	4	421	Aug 22, 2020 by Lyne
	Courage to Change - 8/21 - Live and Let Live (Preview) The slogan Live and Let Live is an instruction to stop obsessing about other people's business, and focus on our own. But how to do that? Once we stop focusing on others, what do we pay attention to? The author of today's page had a hard time with this question. A sponsor suggested to focus on what they h...	Freetime	5	673	Aug 22, 2020 by mamalioness
	It's been a long time! (Preview) I haven't been here in a while, but making a commitment to get back to investing time on my program, and cutting from areas that really don't improve my life. I didn't post here too often, but did do the morning meetings almost every day as grace99. It's been about a year, a lot has happened, but I still sho...	Finding grace	17	671	Aug 21, 2020 by Finding grace
	Feeling Like A Crisis VS An Actual Crisis (Preview) Something I really struggle with is everything feels like a major crisis when it happens. I react as if it is,I behave as if it is,it feels like the end of the world. Most times it's not an actual crisis and I end up feeling (and probably looking ) like an idiot and I am ashamed. I'm not really sure how much o...	SunnyFrogs	11	635	Aug 20, 2020 by 2HP
	Courage to Change August 19 (Preview) Hello MIP! In today's reading the author reflects on a piece of their reality that they didn't want to see: that they could not trust someone they loved. Every time their loved one made a promise, the author would trust them wholeheartedly, and be crushed when the promise was broken. But then, the au...	Skorpi	4	466	Aug 19, 2020 by Iamhere
	What I Get From It (Preview) Years ago,in therapy,my therapist said we all do things,whether good or bad,because of what we get out of them. That if we have repetitive behavior that we want to change we first must understand the purpose it serves. So I've been reflecting on my anger lately, especially my explosive anger. I've b...	SunnyFrogs	8	661	Aug 19, 2020 by Iamhere
	Hands up- help! (Preview) Hi y'all... kia ora koutou... I always had trouble reaching out for help. In my world the parents- the the grandparents always needed help. And they always seemed to have the highest priority. Kids were seen, and not heard- and me, personally always seemed to be a waste of space. Just being present...	DavidG	9	496	Aug 18, 2020 by Maresie888
	Daily management (Preview) When I first came into.these rooms I was on overwhelm every day. My qualifier was someone who.had been addicted for many years. His addiction had already taken him to some real lows. Furthermore he was completely enmeshed with his mother. That was made clear to me early in the relationshio. I had no i...	Maresie888	1	512	Aug 17, 2020 by JerryF
	ODAT in alanon, 8/17 (Preview) The reading for Monday, August 17, reflects upon what a painful experience the first alanon meeting can be. The writer says that we might have had whirling thoughts, fear, uncertainty, and questions about if this was a good choice. Am I a disgrace, and what if the A finds out? And that is the importan...	Lyne	2	510	Aug 17, 2020 by Iamhere
	Step 10 and gratitude... (Preview) There is a side to me- my dark side; my shadow side. If I was a newcomer I would have a sponsor, or a beginners group to start to deal with this. Through lock-down I have attended a number of zoom meetings- in different places- and got a sense of perspective. I am no longer bright eyed and bushy tailed- a...	DavidG	0	493	Aug 17, 2020 by DavidG
	The only qualifier I bring to Alanon is myself. (Preview) My title idea I say so often. Not so sure if it fits. At the moment- within my unconscious, stuff is surfacing fairly regularly. It don't have words and ideas attached to it. These sometimes come later. A lot of my life i was scared- terrified- of saying things. I had learned that with active al...	DavidG	2	825	Aug 17, 2020 by Lyne
	Hope for Today Aug 16 (Preview) Good morning everyone: Todays reading is about Tradition 6: taking care that we are not distracted from our primary spiritual aim in the program. The writer states that the way to ensure we follow the singular purpose of Alanon, to help families and friends of alcoholics, is to focus. We may read ou...	yanksfan51	5	467	Aug 16, 2020 by Maresie888
	Spam on the Al Anon Step Board (Preview) Will someone with admin rights please check the Al Anon step board and remove the spam :(	AudreyO	1	509	Aug 16, 2020 by WebHelper
	Home group anniversary (Preview) Last night my home group celebrated 17 years. I would have gotten my 7 year coin but alas, we were on zoom. I felt disappointed as our celebrations each year are very enjoyable, and I am someone who cherishes my coins representing each year of alanon. I must confess I went to the meeting with a poor atti...	Lyne	5	544	Aug 16, 2020 by Maresie888
	Courage to Change 08/15/2020 (Preview) "How Important Is it?" That is what the daily is about. This simple slogan. The author recalls that after living in the chaos of an alcoholic relationship, it can be hard to know the difference between a minor inconvenience and a major crisis. This slogan helps many of us to regain some sense of proport...	PosiesandPuppies	4	485	Aug 15, 2020 by Iamhere
	Moving forward but to where? (Preview) Hello again and I'm glad to be checking in with some positive changes but confusing choices are involved. I'm asking for ESH here because I fear that time won't permit me a lot of self examination on this. It's lengthy and I'll try to keep it as short as possible. After 9 years, I've made the terrible deci...	Paloma Negra	5	685	Aug 15, 2020 by Iamhere
	Courage to Change 8/14 (Preview) In Al-Anon, today's author discovered that they had choices -- that if they felt uncomfortable with something, they could try to discover their true feelings before making a decision. Also, with things that truly have to be done but we don't want to, we have to feel our feelings and then do the thing a...	Freetime	4	498	Aug 14, 2020 by Iamhere
	Courage to Change 8/13 (Preview) "Sponsorship is a friendship made up of two members learning from one another, two people learning a new way to live - one day at a time." ~~~~ from Sponsorship--What It's All About Today's Reminder: Have I put someone on a pedestal? Am I encouraging anyone to have an exaggerated view of me? Al-Anon he...	Iamhere	4	658	Aug 14, 2020 by DavidG
	Courage to Change August 12 (Preview) Hello MIP! In today's reading, the author reflects on step 3 - turning my will over to a Higher Power. The author feels a true sense of surrender when they take step 3. This sense of surrender is like the one the author felt when their sister was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The author was frustrated by t...	Skorpi	5	584	Aug 13, 2020 by Enigmatic
	Old Stuff- learning to live well... (Preview) In the day our town had burgeoning Alanon and AA groups. I helped an AA member to start up a second AA group. It operated in its first years as a combined Steps Group. The gummint were building a huge dam downtime river from here. The workers were state employees- and they had a support and assis...	DavidG	4	526	Aug 12, 2020 by DavidG
	8/11/20 ODAT Changing Ourselves, Not Others (Preview) When I am feeling trapped or unhappy with my circumstances, today's reading accurately predicts my tendency to seek change in people and things around me in an attempt to find happiness. Serenity, however, comes only when I make changes in myself by adjusting attitudes that act to keep me chained to...	Enigmatic	5	570	Aug 11, 2020 by Iamhere
	ODAT in alanon, 8/10 (Preview) The reading for Monday, 8/10, compares alanon to the Bible in regards to how we use our words: The stroke of the tongue breaketh bones. Envy and wrath shorten life. Alanon reminds us that we work to improve ourselves, and to protect ourselves from confusion, anger, and resentment. We are reminde...	Lyne	4	538	Aug 10, 2020 by Iamhere
	Denial denial denial (Preview) I am in a whole other place on.denial. When I come up.against other people's denial I.am not able to see how long tetm it.is Moreover I am not able to respect it. I spent decades in therapy raging against my.sister's denial. I mean years and years just on my family of origin (which was of course violent...	Maresie888	5	580	Aug 10, 2020 by Lyne
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The material presented here is not Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature. It is a method to exchange information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal level.