I've been to 5 or 6 meetings over the last few months, and just recently made the commitment to come at least once a week. I came to my first meeting in complete desperation, having just had another blow out argument with my husband, an active alcoholic / addict. The cycle was the same, he would be drunk when I got home from work, I would get mad, he would get defensive and angry, I'd say something hurtful, he would storm out and continue the drinking and drugging until late into the night, and sometimes not come home until early the next morning. This time, instead of sitting home anxious, angry and worried about him, texting and calling him with no response, I found a meeting.

Walking through the doors, I was terrified. Then a lovely sweet woman named Joanne, looked at me and smiled, asking, "Do you need a hug?" Shocked at myself, I said yes. That was the beginning. At first I heard all this talk at meetings about "keep coming", "it works, if you work it", and so on. Honestly, I thought, these people are nuts. How can sitting here and saying slogans for an hour make my husband stop drinking and using drugs?

Then slowly, I started really listening, and reading the literature. I bought a copy of "Courage to Change". I read and reflect on it everyday. I learned that I have a choice in how I react . I can be part of the insanity, yelling and cursing, sayting hateful things, threatening to leave or kick him out. Or I can let him make his own choices and suffer the consequences and stop trying to control everything.

And you know what? For the first time in a long time, I feel some peace in my life. I turn to my higher power regularly. My husband and I have talked a bit, about what I'm learning at Al-Anon. I can see that his is listening, and that he sees a change in me. He hasn't stormed out drunk in almost a month. He is still drinking, and I won't say things are perfect. LOL. But I can say that meetings help.

I am a grateful member of Al-anon.