FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Al‑Anon is a mutual support program for people whose lives have been affected by someone else’s drinking.

By sharing our common experiences and applying the Al-Anon principles, we can bring positive changes to our individual situations. We come together to learn about a better way of life, whether or not we are living with an active alcoholic, and whether or not the alcoholic acknowledges their problem.

Al-Anon’s program of recovery is based on the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions as adapted from Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).

Many of us come to Al-Anon lonely and in despair, feeling hopeless and unable to believe that things can ever change. Nothing we have done so far has made any difference. We come to Al-Anon because we want and need help.

Al-Anon members are people who have been affected by someone else’s drinking. We are parents, children, spouses, partners, brothers, sisters, other family members, friends, employers, employees, and coworkers of alcoholics.

No matter what our specific experience has been we share a common bond: we feel our lives have been affected by someone else’s drinking.

We come together to share our experience, strength and hope in order to solve our common problems.

Many of us come to Al-Anon in despair, feeling lonely, hopeless and unable to believe that things can ever change. Nothing we have done so far has made any difference. We come to Al-Anon because we want and need help.

At Al-Anon we meet people who understand us as few others can. Here we can talk about our feelings and frustrations but also share our experience, strength and hope with each other to learn ways to respond to our challenges.

Al-Anon’s program of recovery is based on the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions as adapted from Alcoholics Anonymous (AA.) We learn how to apply the principles of the program to our own lives and gradually we see that our lives improve. We discover that we can find happiness whether the alcoholic is still drinking or not.

Al-Anon Family Groups is a spiritual fellowship, not a religious one. We refrain from discussion about specific religions. Members of all faiths or of none are welcome. Our Twelve Steps suggest that we find a “Power greater than ourselves” who can help us solve our problems and find serenity. We are free to define that power in anyway we wish.

Growing up in a home where one or both parents are alcoholics can have life-altering effects on children, with long-lasting emotional and psychological scars.

Alateen is for teenagers affected by alcoholism in a family member or friend. There are many legal requirements that ensure that Alateen meetings are safe for these young people. In Israel, unfortunately, there are so far no Alateen meetings. However, teens are welcome to join Al-Anon meetings. For more information about Alateen, click HERE.