Serenity Prayer:
God, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change
courage to change the things I can
and the wisdom to know the difference.
FREE DOWNLOADABLE COPY OF THE AL-ANON SERVICE MANUAL (2022-2025): https://al-anon.org/for-members/members-resources/manuals-and-guidelines/service-manual/
FREE DOWNLOADABLE AL-ANON PAMPHLETS
https://al-anon.org/for-members/members-resources/literature/downloadable-items/
and
FREE DOWNLOADABLE COPY OF AL-ANON FACES ALCOHOLISM - HELP AND HOPE:
https://al-anon.org/for-members/members-resources/literature/magazines/
I have never been a drinker, but I have had to face the fact that I was powerless to stop my young son from drinking. What was it like for me to admit I was powerless over alcohol? It was sickening and terrifying. There was so much damage, and some continues today. I have had to learn how to live with the possibility that my worst fears might come true. I mean truly live, not just spend my time hunkered down in dread or trying to protect him. I love him, but I do not owe him the sacrifice of the rest of my life.
He is the only one who can decide to change his drinking, and my involvement in that distracts him from facing reality. I did feel I was to blame and that my inadequate parenting contributed to his drinking, but I could not control or cure it. However, he makes the decision every time he buys and drinks alcohol. Every time he deals with the results of drinking, it is up to him to decide how his priorities might change. Accepting my powerlessness was hard, but this is my reality as a parent. The wording of Step One, “We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable,” encourages me and helps me to recognize that I am not the only one facing this situation and finding a way to live fully despite it.
By Anonymous
The Forum, October 2025
Reprinted with permission of The Forum, Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA.
According to social media research, nearly 3.5 billion people now use social media and are spending an average of nearly 2.5 hours every day on social networks. With stats like those, it’s no wonder that social media can be a great place to carry Al-Anon’s message of help and hope.
But before we as individuals start tweeting and posting, we need to consider the impact it may have on our personal anonymity as well as Al-Anon as a whole. As expected, we have members on both sides of this pendulum. Some are very cautious while others are more accepting when it comes to social media.
On page 122 of the 2018-2021 Al‑Anon/Alateen Service Manual (P-24/27), the “Digest of Al‑Anon and Alateen Policies” states, “Members maintain personal anonymity in all forms of public media including press, radio, films, TV, the internet, as well as other ways of reaching the public.” So how can you carry the message on social media and maintain personal anonymity? By liking or sharing Al-Anon WSO content to your network but not commenting about your Al‑Anon membership. The act of liking/sharing alone does not break your anonymity; Facebook is public so anyone, regardless of their relationship to Al-Anon, is free to like/share our content. We have several professionals and professional institutions who engage with our content on a regular basis.
Not commenting about your Al-Anon membership is key. If we publicly declare our membership on social networks, we risk becoming the “face” of Al-Anon, and any statements we’ve made or photos we’ve shared on social media, any time in the past, could potentially draw Al-Anon into controversy. We must remind ourselves that maintaining our anonymity is how we safeguard our program.
So, while it’s safe to hit the Like and Share buttons, we want to avoid comments stating that we are grateful members of Al-Anon—leave that for the rooms.
For more information, go to: https://al-anon.org/blog/maintain-your-anonymity-on-social-media/?utm_source=intheloop&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20190904ITL&utm_term=EN-textlink1_Read-more_&utm_content=/blog/maintain-your-anonymity-on-social-media/
Please follow the links below to the Al-Anon World Service Organization's main web page. There are free podcasts available there on basic Al-Anon topics.
https://al-anon.org/newcomers/first-steps-al-anon-recovery/
TOPICS INCLUDE:
Did we cause our loved one to drink?
What does it mean, our lives became unmanageable?
Why did I feel afraid to go to my first Al-Anon meeting?
How did I feel at my first Al-Anon meeting?