The Al-Anon Family Groups are a fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength, and hope in order to solve their common problems. We believe alcoholism is a family illness and that changed attitudes can aid recovery.

Al-Anon has but one purpose: to help families of alcoholics. We do this by practicing the Twelve Steps, by welcoming and giving comfort to families of alcoholics, and by giving understanding and encouragement to the alcoholic.

The Twelve Steps suggest acceptance of four primary ideas:

1. We Are Powerless Over the Problem of Alcoholism.
When we can honestly accept this truth, it brings us a feeling of release and hope. We can now turn our full attention to bringing our own lives into order. We can go forward to spiritual growth, to the comfort and peace to be gained from the entire program.

2. We Can Turn Our Lives Over to a Power Greater Than Ourselves.
Now that our well-meant aid to the alcoholic has ended in failure and our own lives have become unmanageable, we realize we cannot deal with our problem objectively, perhaps not even sanely. In Al-Anon we find a Power greater than ourselves which can direct our lives into quiet, useful channels. At first this power may seem to be the group, but as we grow in knowledge and spiritual understanding, many of us call it God, as we understand Him.

3. We Need to Change Both Our Attitude and Our Actions.
As we become willing to admit our defects, we begin to see how much of our thinking is distorted. We realize how unwise some of our actions have been, how unloving many of our attitudes. We try to recognize and correct these faults.

4. We Keep Al-Anon’s Gifts by Sharing Them with Others.
This sharing makes Al-Anon the vital, forward-reaching fellowship it is. Our great obligation is to those still in need. Leading another person from despair to hope and love brings comfort to both the giver and receiver.