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.
Hello everyone! I am sure you have heard the start of many post the same way mine will be. I really think I am in the the right place though, after reading a book called women who love to much I finally started to figure out way and who I am. My father was an Acholic and my husband is also. I also have several issue's from my past that I have to deal with. So with this post I am looking for some guidence on what my next step should be I have went to the library and got some books and have been reading some of the previous post on this site to see if this is were I need to be. Thanks for taking the time to read this!
HI and welcome! yep this is the place. You have found a very special alanon support group.
I see you are really doing great getting things to read.
Alanon will teach you to take care of you, and you will also learn that alcoholism is a disease and your A is still a human deserving of love and respect.
Please keep coming here and venting, and or letting us know whatcha learn. There is also a wonderful chat room where there are actual meetings.
One thing about this site is your are safe here.
I love the book,"Getting Them Sober." It taught me so much. love,debilyn
Welcome to Miracles in Progress! This site has helped me so much! I am a healthier person because of alanon. When I chat with people or go to the meetings here I always learn something I can apply in my own life. It is a journey for my own recovery. By changing myself, others in my life have changed too. So the skills I have learned are very valuable. I hope to see you in the chatroom sometimes or more on this board. cdb :)
Hi, You've made a great start . I found Getting them Sober was very useful as well, terrific reading and not to intense , but certainly makes you see things in a new perspective. Keep at it, you always have friends on here.
I've read "Women who love to much" also, it's a great book and helped me to see things more clearly. Another book that helped me understand myself, but is not conference-approved al-anon literature (CAL) is "Codependent No More" my Melodie Beatie, or any of her books or devotionals, such as "The Language of Letting Go".
I love all the Al-anon literature that has been suggested here on this message board, and would like to add some of my own: Paths to Recovery: Alanon's Steps, Traditions and Concepts." When I first came into the program there was a book called: "...In All Our Affairs, Making Crises Work for You", I loved the stories that fellow al-anon members shared in that book, it made me feel so not alone anymore. Better yet are the stories that you can hear face to face in "real meetings." I encourage you to find a home group in your area and attend, eventually find a sponsor and work the steps, you'll find it will change your life as it has mine.
One book to look for at the library isn't specific to Al-Anon or indeed anything other than how to feel better. It's called "Feeling Good" by David Burns. It's small, simple and it really worked for me. At the start of the book, he gives the result of an actual clinical study where a previous edition of the book *on* *it's* *own* was compared against psychotherapy and anti-depressant drugs. On average, the book alone was more effective. After you read the first chapter and hit the line that sucks you right in, you'll understand.
It gives you a basic set of mental tools to help you fight your way out from under depression, and how to find and fix the faulty attitudes that make you feel bad. It's not enough in its own, but if you think of Al-Anon as a wrench, this book is a screwdriver. You need both to fix something.
Welcome and you are in the right place. Sounds like you are also making the right start. Learning everything you can helps with the feeling of powerelessness.
If you can get to face to face meetings you should, they offer a lot of support.
Regardless, keep coming here and read and post, or just vent to people who have been where you are and understand.
Most importantly, take care of yourself, everyday. Our lives are the one thing we can control.
Everyone has a different game plan when they get here, but for me, I started coming to as many meetings as I could make, got some of the books to learn all I could, got a sponsor and started working the steps. This program has taught me so much about myself and who I am as well. Hope to see you soon, Keep coming back it works if you work it so work it your worth it!!! Trina
