To mark the 33rd Anniversary of Al-Anon (family members and friends of alcoholics), this association will hold a public information talk in Arrecife, which will take place this Saturday, May 26, at 8:30 p.m., in the San Ginés Parish Hall. The objective is to present the vision of a professional expert in drug dependencies such as alcoholism and its consequences, as well as to provide the opportunity to hear the experience of anonymous alcoholics and several family members affected by living with alcoholism and how Al-Anon has helped them manage the situation.
"Alcoholism affects all members of the family, not only physically, but also emotionally," the organization points out, stating that "with the help of Al-Anon groups, the extensive series of effects of alcoholism that are repeated from generation to generation can be ended."
After centuries of cataloging alcoholism as a moral weakness, medical opinion currently considers it a disease, which, like diabetes, can be controlled, but not cured," Al-Anon states. "At first, the alcoholic may control their drinks, but once it becomes an obsession, they can no longer control themselves," they add
"Since alcoholism is a disease," according to Al-Anon, "it is useless to accuse alcoholics of lacking willpower, or to beg them to stop harming themselves and damaging their career, their business, or their family." "Nor should the family members of the alcoholic feel guilty, as they do not cause the disease nor can they cure it. They can try to understand that anger and resentment breed anger and resentment and often provide an excuse to drink more. Love and understanding are the best help. But love and a understanding attitude does not presuppose that one should always be soft, that relapses will be allowed, or that a protective attitude will be adopted," the association points out.
Al-Anon affirms that "protecting the alcoholic from the consequences of the drinking habit is not helping them", but that "this may prevent them from realizing their problem with drinking and the need to be helped". "And the sooner the alcoholic understands the nature of their illness, the sooner they will be on the road to recovery,"
Help for family members of alcoholics
In Al-Anon meetings, according to the association, "experiences, strength, and hope are shared. "We do not psychoanalyze anyone or give them advice," the organization points out.
"Al-Anon pursues only one purpose, to provide help to family members of alcoholics". We adhere promptly to this principle, as our method of recovery is based on sharing experiences. We cannot share what we have not experienced. Time has shown that when other methods of recovery are introduced within our groups, they generally disintegrate or lose their focus and their meetings cease to be Al-Anon meetings," the organization specifies.
Meetings in Lanzarote
Al-Anon groups were created in 1951 in the USA by the wife of the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous "to help people affected by close cohabitation with an alcoholic due to the concern felt by the family members of alcoholic patients who were already recovering in Alcoholics Anonymous".
Today, Al-Anon is present in more than 130 countries around the world, with more than 30,000 recovery groups, the association highlights, noting that "in 1963, a man residing in the USA returned to his homeland, Las Palmas de Gran Canarias, and having learned in the USA of the existence of Al-Anon, he saw the possibility of forming a group with people affected by living with an alcoholic". "This group still exists and belongs to the 300 groups that exist throughout Spain," it adds.
In the case of Lanzarote, Al-Anon holds meetings every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, at 8:30 p.m., in the San Ginés Parish Hall.
