History

For over 50 years Al-Anon Family Groups have been helping families and friends of alcoholics worldwide.

Started in the USA in the late 1930s as informal meetings by a small group of the close relatives of recovering alcoholics. Al-Anon came to these islands in 1951 with the first group being formed in Belfast.

Since that time Al-Anon / Alateen has grown in the UK and Eire into a network of over 900 self-help groups. They continue to attract new members every day of the week. Al-Anon is truly cosmopolitan being non-religious, non-political and multi-racial.

Al-Anon is and always has been freely available to anyone who is or has been affected by someone else's drinking, including adult children of alcoholics, parents, partners, spouses and other relatives or friends of alcoholics.

Alateen started in the UK & Eire in 1964 and is for teenagers between the ages of twelve and seventeen.

Over the years many members have shared that without Al-Anon they would have found living with the effects of someone else's alcoholism too much to deal with. Al-Anon works by members attending local meetings, at which they share their experience, strength and hope in order to solve their common problems, whether the alcoholic is still drinking or not. Everything that is said is treated as confidential.

There are no fees for membership. Al-Anon / Alateen is a Twelve Step programme which members apply to their lives. They do this by attending meetings, at which they may speak or just listen and by calling other members on the phone.