When Brimbank resident Pam, whose name has been changed, became affected by her husband’s drinking she felt helpless.
“I was feeling lonely.. I was getting really down, probably depressed,” Pam said.
Pam then decided to seek help. She called Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) for support but was told AA is for people struggling with alcoholism themselves. The man on the call suggested Pam go to Al-Anon Family Groups which supports those affected by someone else’s drinking.
“I found it was such a relief,” Pam said.
North-west resident Julie (not her real name) also attends sessions with Al-Anon Family Groups.
“It was my mum who was an alcoholic. My mum was a professional person. She had quite a high job and in the end she went to work drinking and was called on it,” she said.
Julie said the information she gained at meetings was useful to her situation, especially when learning the definition of alcoholism.
“The first thing I found really helpful was the actual understanding of, ‘okay, my mum’s a sick person,” she said.
“I got information that was very valuable and then I got the message to focus on myself. Al-Anon people said, ‘well you know, your mum’s an adult. She needs to make her own decisions and you need to get on with your life and make some good decisions for you’.”
Sessions with Al-Anon Family Groups usually run for an hour and a half.
“It’s like a roundtable discussion with a leader who will read some literature and then refer to a member, and the members share how they relate to that reading,” Julie said.
“We’re not professional people. We’re just people who’ve lived in those situations.”
Pam said the confidential meetings focus on how to recover from being affected by someone else’s alcoholism.
Pam and Julie suggested new members attend at least six sessions to give them enough time to settle in, but emphasised participants are not locked in to anything.
“We say come to six meetings because there’s no instant answer,” Pam said.
“Al-Anon’s a gentle program. It doesn’t say ‘you must do this or that.’ It’s very much about choices, freedom of choice. So people are treated with dignity and respect.
“But if it’s a dangerous situation we don’t say that people should stay. We suggest that they make a plan in case they have to leave quickly.
“The main reason we’re there is to try to help each other work through our difficulties…and to offer hope, to share our strength and hope, to try to give people a bit of inspiration.”
Al-Anon Family Groups hold sessions on Wednesdays from 1-2.30pm at the Delahey Community Centre, 70 Copperfield Drive, and across the western suburbs and online.
There are also sessions catered towards young people through Alateen.
Al-Anon Family Groups: 1300 252 666
al-anon.org.au
Alateen: 9629 8900
