Is Al-Anon For Me?

Millions of people are affected by the excessive drinking of someone close to them. The following questions may help you determine if Al-Anon is for you.

DID YOU GROW UP WITH A PROBLEM DRINKER?

Do you constantly seek approval and affirmation?
Do you fail to recognize your accomplishments?
Do you fear criticism?
Do you overextend yourself?
Have you had problems with your own compulsive behavior?
Do you have a need for perfection?
Are you uneasy when your life is going smoothly, continually anticipating problems?
Do you feel alive in the midst of a crisis?
Do you still feel responsible for others, as you did for the problem drinker in your life?
Do you care for others easily, yet find it difficult to care for yourself?
Do you isolate yourself from other people?
Do you respond with fear to authority figures and angry people?
Do you feel that individuals and society in general are taking advantage of you?
Do you have trouble with intimate relationships?
Do you confuse pity with love, as you did with the problem drinker?
Do you attract and/or seek people who tend to be compulsive and/or abusive?
Do you cling to relationships because you are a afraid of being alone?
Do you often mistrust your own feelings and the feelings of others?
Do you find it difficult to express your emotions?
Do you think someone’s drinking may have affected you?

ARE YOU TROUBLED BY SOMEONE’S DRINKING?

Do you worry about how much someone else drinks?
Do you have money problems because of someone else’s drinking?
Do you tell lies to cover up for someone else’s drinking?
Do you feel if the drinker loved you, he or she would stop drinking to please you?
Do you blame the drinker’s behavior on his or her companions?
Are plans frequently upset or canceled, or meals delayed because of the drinker?
Do you make threats, such as, “If you don’t stop drinking, I’ll leave you”?
Do you secretly try to smell the drinker’s breath?
Are you afraid to upset someone for fear it will set off a drinking bout?
Have you been hurt or embarrassed by a drinker’s behavior?
Are holidays and gatherings spoiled because of drinking?
Have you considered calling the police for help in fear of abuse?
Do you search for hidden alcohol?
Do you often ride in a car with a driver who has been drinking?
Have you refused social invitations out of fear or anxiety?
Do you sometimes feel like a failure when you think of the lengths you have gone to in order to control the drinker?
Do you think that if the drinker stopped drinking, your other problems would be solved?
Do you ever threaten to hurt yourself to scare the drinker?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, Al-Anon or Alateen may be able to help. Find a meeting now

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