Parents of Young Adults Find Support in Al-Anon
Virginia Beach, VA (PRWEB) August 27, 2013 -- As high school graduates prepare to move on to college, many parents are concerned that their young adults will get into trouble with alcohol. These parents can find understanding and support in local Al-Anon Family Groups. “Parents of young alcoholics are the fastest-growing segment of Al-Anon membership,” said Pamela Walters, Information Analyst for the Al-Anon World Service Office.
One anonymous Al-Anon member, Mark, said “I never thought that my daughter was one of those kids who abused alcohol in high school. How could I have known? She was smart enough to keep her drinking a secret, and I was preoccupied with the problems caused by her mother’s drinking.”
“I didn’t anticipate that she would get into such serious trouble with alcohol when she went to college only an hour’s drive from our house. When she was under the influence of alcohol, she did things—and things happened to her—that no parent wants to hear,” said Mark.
“Fortunately, I had attended local Al-Anon meetings, so I was better able to handle the bad news when I got it. I was able to be understanding and supportive, rather than afraid and angry at her for being so irresponsible. As a result, we are closer now than we were when she was in high school,” Mark said.
Al-Anon Family Groups are for families and friends who have been affected by the problem drinking of someone close to them. Nearly 16,000 local groups meet every week throughout the U.S., Canada, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico. Al-Anon Family Groups meet in more than 130 countries, and Al-Anon literature is available in more than 40 languages. Al-Anon Family Groups have been offering strength and support to families and friends of alcoholics since 1951. Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc. acts as the clearinghouse worldwide for inquiries from those who need help or want information about Al-Anon Family Groups and Alateen, its program for teenage members.
For more information about Al-Anon Family Groups, go to http://www.al-anon.alateen.org, or read a copy of "Al-Anon Faces Alcoholism 2014." Find a local meeting by calling toll-free: 1-888-4AL-ANON.
Pamela Walters, Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc., http://www.al-anon.alateen.org/, +1 (757) 563-1600 1672, [email protected]
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