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.
Hi, I would really like to find some double winner meetings in the OC area. Hoping to find some in HB, NB, CM, FV those kind of areas... Please share any info you have or if there is a website for this kind of info. Thank you!
Anna
-- Edited by AnnaM on Friday 17th of July 2009 12:23:17 PM
Unless specified otherwise, any AA member can attend Al-Anon meetings. I'm not exactly sure if there are specifically double-winner only meetings out there. (But I'm from a small town, so maybe it's different in larger areas).
Did you know there is a Dual Recovery Anonymous fellowship? http://draonline.org/
Also, you might want to ask your local DR's for both AA and Al-Anon and ask them if there are any double winner meetings... get a list of their meetings and check around.
Aloha Anna...I'm of the same experience as Aloha. While we do have Al-Anon open meetings in our area that are religously attended by recovering alcoholics, the meeting is still specifically and open Al-Anon meeting with the caveat that "other program language is suggested against." AA by the way has the same set up. I am a member of both programs and grateful for the double blessing.
It actually bothers me that so many AA members feel they're "not allowed" at an alanon meeting. Alanon is for anybody who is or ever has been concerned about, or affected by, another person's drinking - so most AA members qualified before they even heard of AA.
I've also heard it said this way - that Alanon is about healing relationships - and an AA (just as much as an alanon) needs to heal their relationship with THEMSELVES - so Alanon is completely appropriate for that AA member.
I know there are people who come across really strong about don't say you're an alcoholic in the alanon meeting, that's not what you're here for - and that can put off some AAs. Really it's just about keeping the meeting safe, and keeping the meeting about Alanon. We never know who might be attending a meeting - maybe there's a newcomer there who's a victim of abuse at the hands of an A - the meeting needs to be a safe place for them too.
But an A's EXPERIENCE (and strength and hope) are welcome and valued in any Alanon meeting. We just ask that, if you have to mention your other program, you say something like "I've learned in another program that....", without mentioning AA or being an alcoholic specifically.
There are several double winners in some of the meetings I attend that don't even go that far. They say "I learned when I was working step 3", and which program step 3 was worked in is not essential to the share. One lady I didn't even know was a double winner until 3 minutes before she was going to speak - as the alanon speaker - at an anniversary meeting. She kept it about alanon, and it was fine.
Sure it takes practice. So does everything else we learn in recovery. Every meeting kinda has its own flavor - if you have felt unwelcome at one, do please try others until you find one that's right for you.
Check out the pamphlet called "the alanon focus" - it's all about double winners, and has some great insight.
Anna, I this is, like, a year and a half later, but there's a women's Double Winner meeting at the Canyon Club in Laguna Beach every Saturday morning at 9AM and again on Tuesday evenings at 7PM. Their website is www.canyonclub.org. Hope this helps!
