It is amazing how life can change because of meetings, books, slogans, sponsors, and friends who share their experience, strength, and hope with me. They put the joy back into my holidays. In 2001, Al-Anon celebrates 50 years of helping families and friends of alcoholics recover from the effects of living with the problem drinking of a relative or friend. Similarly, Alateen is the recovery program for young people affected by an alcoholic. There are over 26,000 Al-Anon and Alateen groups in 115 countries.
Most people look forward to the holidays as a time to get together with family and friends.
That's because a member of the family has a drinking problem that can turn their expectations into devastation. Once the problem drinker picks up even one drink, he or she has lost the choice to make responsible and rational decisions. To those affected by the drinker's behavior, the appearance of choosing alcohol as more important than the family is perhaps the most painful and devastating side effect of all. The holidays need not become a shamble due to a family member's alcohol abuse, however. Al-Anon helps families understand that their loved one is not picking up the next drink deliberately to make them miserable.