I just have to share my joy that I finally convinced my parents to go to their first AlAnon meeting last night!
I'm an only child, which I think has impeded their ability to draw boundaries about my alcoholism, even though I'm 36 and live 400 miles away -- they try to make it THEIR problem, rather than accepting that they can love and support me while recognizing that it is ultimately MY problem.
They also don't "get it" about alcoholism -- they have repeatedly told my best friend things like, "Oh once she gets a job and starts dating someone I'm sure she'll be less depressed and won't need to drink." They don't recognize that I have a disease that I will need to be vigilant about and manage for the rest of my life. Difficult life circumstances surrounding my past relapses have been *excuses* to drink, not *reasons* why I drank.
I'm so optimistic that AlAnon will help with both of these issues, helping preserve my mental health, but more importantly, their own.
If anyone else has parents who have had positive experiences with AlAnon please share, or of course, if you have any advice around this it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for listening. I hope everyone has a great weekend!
GG, Great news and thanks for sharing it. I hope your parents continue with Alanon, cuz' its a great program.
I can only pray ( or wish somedays ) that my parents would go. But to be perfectly honest .. they both need AA and NA. Divorce, Moms a pill popper in denial for 35+ yrs, and Dad is maintaining drunkeness. I love them both so much.
So, after I myself was a year sober, my sponsor suggested Alanon for me, and it works too, just like AA !!
