Simple Al-Anon Meeting Topics

Simple Al-Anon Meeting Topics Addiction Coping and Recovery Methods and Support Print Al-Anon Meeting Topic: Keep it Simple The Program Itself Is Simple, Not Easy By Buddy T facebook twitter Buddy T is an anonymous writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Learn about our editorial policy Buddy T Updated on May 24, 2018 Glow Wellness / Getty Images More in Addiction Coping and Recovery Methods and Support Overcoming Addiction Personal Stories Alcohol Use Addictive Behaviors Drug Use Nicotine Use To me the entire Al-Anon program keeps it simple. I mean, thats what Al-Anon did for me -- make things seems so much more simple than I was making them. I thought I was in this situation that nobody had ever been in before. I thought I was unique. They told me at my first meeting, If you keep coming back, you will hear somebody else tell your story. I smiled and said, thank you, but inside I was thinking, Yeah, right! He Told My Story The next night there was a Beginners group that was recommended. So, I went and wow! Nothing like the first meeting with only seven people. There were 45 people there! I wanted to find a place to hide in the back But they were all sitting in a big circle. I was too intimidated to say anything, so I shut up and listened for a change. Toward the end of the meeting, a guy raised his hand and started sharing and told my story! I thought we were married to the same alcoholic. He said that Al-Anon had given him the tools to use to keep it simple. The slogans, which sound so simplistic, but really put the principles of the program into easy to remember terms like Mind Your Own Business and How Important Is it? Using the Tools of the Program The Serenity Prayer also gets it down to simple terms: God, grant me the serenityTo accept the things I cannon change,The courage to change the things I canAnd the wisdom to know the difference Can I change this situation or not? Is it my job to change it? Or is it my job just to accept it? Needless to say, when he got through sharing I was hooked on Al-Anon. He made it seem so simple and there was a reason for that. Because when you get right down to it, it is simple - its just not always easy. Keeping Decisions as Simple as Possible Over the years, as I put the principles of the Al-Anon program to work in my life, I found that what it helped me do most was keep things simple. When I have a decision to make, it comes down to a simple question, is it good for me or is it not? The same with relationships. When I have the opportunity to enter into a new relationship, be they social or business-related, I try to keep it simple. Is this relationship going to be healthy for me, or is it unhealthy? Its amazing how uncomplicated choices can be when you break them down to their simplest form. Making Sense of the Insanity It took me many, many weeks to ever speak up in that big beginners meeting even though I was already chairing some of the other meetings I attended. When I finally got up the nerve to speak in that beginners meeting it was because I had gotten to the point where I wanted to share something that would keep it simple for the next newcomer - to try to help them make some sense out of the whole confusing mess. Just as somebody did for me when I first came in. -- BuddyT