The material presented
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to exchange
information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal
level.
I am going to attend my first al-anon meeting tonight. I am excited and scared all at the same time. I have been extremely depressed lately. I am hoping these meetings will help me out of this depression.
I never really wanted to go to al-anon meetings, but I think I need them. This is not something I envisioned for my life, but here it is. I guess I have to deal with it.
I seems like Al-Anon is going to take a lot of time, which I do have. i hope this does not sound selfish, but even if I had the time this is not really where I would like to spend it.
I am a teacher so I would maybe like to spend it planning lessons, planning healthy meals for my kids, exercising, it seems like anything else. Before all this happened I use to go to Weight Watcher meeting also, I might like to go there. Al-Anon is not one of the places that I really want to spend time at unfortunately.
However I think I really need it, because my mental health has been frightening me lately. I hope Al-Anon can help with this.
When you find the right meeting I think it may give you enough energy to do more of the other thing you'd like to be doing. Remember that all the meetings are different. They say to go to six before you decide they're not for you. (Not six meetings of the same one necessarily -- partly six at different times and/or places -- so you get a good sense of the people and what kind of meeting they have.) Many people hit a great one their first time and even though they may feel a little shy or awkward, they know they've found a home and people who understand. My first meeting was pretty discouraging - nobody was managing the meeting and everyone was supposed to go around and say something but the first three people talked so much they used up the whole time. It was very boring and badly run. Even so someone very nice came up to talk to me afterwards and encourage me to pick up the literature, take the phone list, etc.
I hope your meeting is wonderful and that you'll find what so many of us have found in Al-Anon.
I am very glad to hear you are making it to a meeting, I love meetings and they changed my life for the better! Sending you love and support on your journey!
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Sending you love and support on your journey always! BreakingFree
Al-Anon/Alateen Family Group Headquarters, Inc. 800-344-2666
" Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional."
"Serenity is when your body and mind are in the same place."
Your post made me smile today , trust me Al-Anon is where I intended to be either but thank God I swallowed my pride and showed up for the 6 meetings suggested to me many yrs ago .. I was not big on asking for help or sharring what was going on in my life with strangers but there is a magic that happens once your in those rooms all of a sudden your with people who understand exactly how you feel and you feel safe for the first time in a long time . this program gave me the life I wanted with alot of extra bonuses thrown in .. give us a try you have no idea where this program can take you . Louise
Ah, the legendary first meeting. Well at least you're going for the right reasons. Keep in mind most of what I talk about is what not to do. And actually I don't think I'll share what I was going to share because I don't want to discourage you, but its true you'll meet people like me there and you should never judge Al-Anon on the basis of one or two of its members. Ok, I'm being cryptic. Having one of those days.
And no BreakingFree you're not seeing double. I reverted back to my original nick. Nice to see youre still here Abby.
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Not all my days are priceless, but none of them are worthless, anymore.
My home group Al-Anon meeting is my favorite time of the week. I look forward to Thursday night. It may sound strange and I would have NEVER thought I would feel that way.. but in the beginning I would drag myself to meetings and now I want to go. I hope you can just find a meeting where you leave feeling a little better than you did when you went in.
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Michelle!
No one can take away your peace of mind unless you let them.
well I found the meeting to be very, very helpful to say the least!!
All the meetings in my city have AA meetings in the same building. I thought that was interesting. Also, it was interesting to see all different types of people there. Everyone was really nice and helpful
Hope your first meeting is a positive experience for you. If not, trying other in person meetings can make a difference. If you keep an open mind and give it a fair chance, you might grow to like it. I hear some people say what a great experience their first meeting was. People were kind to me at my first meeting but I thought it was just a big whine fest. If it wasn't for the loneliness I felt with my husband (at that time) in rehab and my compulsion to find answers to sober him up once and for all, I likely wouldn't have ever gone back. And then there was the hugging. Geez! ;) Well, all these years later I am still attending Alanon meetings because I always seem to hear something I need to hear and my homegroup is just like family to me. I'm glad I stayed. Looking forward to hearing how it goes for you. TT
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Surround yourself with people and elements that support your destiny, not just your history.
((((ttpurtee))) There you go a good first meeting I hope you heard the "Keep coming back" "message. I was difficult on the program when I first arrived and I was thinking it was hard on me. I did hear the suggestion to do 90 meetings in 90 days which I followed thru on plus about 12 more. There were 439 meetings a month in the tri-valley area of both AA and Al-Anon so I couldn't very well use an excuse that they were too few to get to.
I heard my first promise in the early meetings which they made at the end of every meeting..."If you keep and open mind you will find help". It came thru and still does.
Good choice and follow thru. And you got a book...Yay!! ((((hugs))))
I'm sooo glad you took the risk and went. Keep coming back!!! Already got some serious ESH I got nothing to add .. lol :)
Hugs P :)
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Stepping onto a brand-new path is difficult, but not more difficult than remaining in a situation, which is not nurturing to the whole woman.- Maya Angelo
Just a little over one month ago I attended my first Al-Anon meeting. I spent the whole meeting crying. Fortunately there were plenty of Kleenex available. Since then I have been saying the serenity prayer, the three C's (I did not cause it, cannot control it and cannot cure it). I have carefully considered what is my business and what is the business of the alcoholic in my life.
I have been reading my books, attending a bunch of on-line meetings and the six face-to-face meetings. I am so much calmer, happier, and serene. My higher power has been here for me. I also have been journaling furiously. I feel like I have my mind back again. I cannot recommend the program highly enough.
