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.
I have never heard of this at any meeting that I have attended. Every groupis autonomous and it is no doubt a part of a particular group format that was developed because a few members had this condition.
I ask because I wonder if what I thought was a toxic issue was really just a chemical sensitivity, and if I am perhaps not alone in recovery in experiencing this. I wonder if my "toxic" issue is really "chemical sensitivity" which is really something else, and if I'm throwing away all my belongings for nothing. I can hope anyway. :)
That often is a public or private area safety request because perfume in general has been targeted for the affect with inhalent sensitivity. I've seen it many times before and never in an Al-Anon meeting. It might be the requirement of the building provider. (((hugs)))
Actually, environmental sensitivities can be very severe. Some folks become very ill with certain chemicals in their environment...perfume, air fresheners, and even ink used in magazines and newspapers.
People who have ES become very ill when exposed to certain things...so that group may have had someone in the group who had ES and implemented that policy.
and even for those of us who don't have ES, just because a perfume smells good to you...well, it may smell terrible to me...especially if you bathe in it before you come to a meeting! This may be that groups' way of preventing perfume enthusiasts from overdoing it...
I've never heard that in a meeting but I can relate because when I worked in the corporate world (work at home now) some days were absolutely horrible having so sit there and smell the over-perfumed co-worker sitting next to me. Some days I'd go home with a horrible headache and I'm not even particularly sensitive to such things.
There is a woman at one of my meetings that wears heavy perfume and I sit as far away from her as possible. I don't want to leave that place with a headache!
