One thing I changed was I stopped lying about and covering up the situation. For the first time in my life I was able to talk about what was really going on in my life. In Al-Anon, I found a safe place to do so.

I found out that I was not alone; amazingly there were others, many others, who had been down the same paths I had walked. As I listened to their stories, I began to draw from their experience, strength and hope. But I will never forget how I felt when I first walked into that room. I felt that I had finally found a group that "understood as perhaps few others can" what I was going through.

'I Don't Believe Alcoholism Is a Disease'
It may seem like an alcoholic is simply making poor choices, but it gets to a point when drinking becomes a mental obsession and physical compulsion.

A Family Disease:
All members of the alcoholic family must take responsibility for their own attitudes.

Enabling:
Many times when family and friends try to "help" alcoholics, they are actually making it easier for them to continue in the progression of the disease.

Are You Enabling an Alcoholic?
These questions are designed to help you decide whether or not your actions and reactions to the alcoholic might be enabling.