Al-Anon Members Say “Al-Anon Saved My Life”
Virginia Beach, VA (PRWEB) July 16, 2015 -- More than 8,500 Al-Anon members recently took part in a membership survey to share how participation in Al-Anon meetings has improved the quality of their lives. As part of the survey, respondents were given the opportunity to provide comments about the benefits they have experienced as a member of Al-Anon. Of the 5,875 comments received, overwhelmingly, “Al-Anon saved my life” was most frequently cited.
“Al-Anon saved my life and the lives of others around me,” said an anonymous respondent in the survey. They continued, “I was so angry with my alcoholic that I actually thought of killing him and myself. Out of desperation I went to an Al-Anon meeting, and in that meeting I met people who were laughing and seemed to be at peace, even though they had lived with or were living with an active drinker. I wanted that peace too. So I kept going back.”
Another anonymous respondent said, “I no longer recognize the depressed, anxious, and fearful man who first came into Al-Anon. My outlook in almost every area in my life has changed for the good. I believe Al-Anon saved my life.”
Respondents in the survey also answered questions about how their health has improved after attending Al-Anon meetings. Across the board, in all areas of health covered in the survey, including mental, physical, and emotional health, participants reported improved well-being.
More than one in three Americans report they have experienced alcohol-related family trouble, according to a Gallup poll* conducted in July 2014.
Al-Anon Family Groups are for families and friends who have been affected by a loved one’s drinking. Nearly 16,000 local groups meet throughout the U.S., Canada, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico every week. 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 problem drinkers 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 al-anon.org and read a copy of Al-Anon’s annual public outreach magazine “Al-Anon Faces Alcoholism 2015.” Find a local meeting by calling toll-free: 1-888-4AL-ANON.
*http://www.gallup.com/poll/174200/reports-alcohol-related-family-trouble-remain.aspx
Pamela Walters, Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc., http://www.al-anon.alateen.org/, +1 (757) 563-1600 Ext: 1672, [email protected]
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