kylersmommy1212,

You Wrote:
We have no Gam-Anon meetings near my home. I've read that Al-Anon can be
beneficial, but I was concerned about a few things. I went to 1 meeting. It was
a very small group, & because of this, I was asked to share. Is it appropriate
to share that you are there as a significant other of a gambler as opposed to an
alcoholic? I felt as though I was crashing the meeting, since my significant
other is not an alcoholic. I think I spent all of my time there hoping to not be
exposed as a fraud, which I know was not the point of me being there at all. For
anyone who went to Al-Anon, how did you handle the situation?

My Response:
Since there are many more Al-Anon groups than Gam-Anon, Al-Anon has always
served as a good substitute for those living in an area where there are no
Gam-Anon meetings. I have never heard of anyone being turned down when they
explain why they are seeking help at an Al-Anon meeting. If you look at the 12
steps of Al-Anon & substitute the reference to alcohol with gambling, they are
very close to being the same as the 12 Steps of Gam-Anon.

My suggestion would be for you to call someone (if you were provided any phone
numbers) & explain your situation. Since it was a small group & if you were not
provided with any phone numbers, I would suggest arriving early for the next
meeting & explaining your situation with someone there. I would be very
surprised if you wouldn't be welcome to participate, based on the past
experiences others have shared.

While I have been to a few Al-Anon meetings myself in the past, in my case I was
there because my ex was co-addicted to alcohol as well as gambling. Make sure
you report back & let us know how you were received when you made them aware of
your situation.

Good Luck & God Bless,
Gary B.


--- In gamanonsupportgroup@yahoogroups.com, "kylersmommy1212"
<kylersmommy1212@...> wrote:
>
> We have no Gam-Anon meetings near my home. I've read that Al-Anon can be
beneficial, but I was concerned about a few things. I went to one meeting. It
was a very small group, and because of this, I was asked to share. Is it
appropriate to share that you are there as a significant other of a gambler as
opposed to an alcoholic? I felt as though I was crashing the meeting, since my
significant other is not an alcoholic. I think I spent all of my time there
hoping to not be exposed as a fraud, which I know was not the point of me being
there at all. For anyone who went to Al-Anon, how did you handle the situation?
>