In addition to helping families heal, Al-Anon meetings help loved ones understand that their family member’s drinking is a disease and that they cannot control it. They can, however, learn to change their reaction to it. In the process, they also gain new coping skills and a greater sense of confidence. Using the three Cs of recovery—change, choice, and community—Al-Anon teaches family members how to deal with their loved one’s alcoholism.

Typically, family groups meet once a week to share their experiences, strengths and hopes with each other on a confidential basis. During these meetings, participants sit in a circle so that they can easily listen to one another and discuss the situation. The meeting usually starts with the facilitator who has had an alcoholic in his life telling his story to set the tone for the rest of the meeting. After that, anyone may choose to speak. Some speakers use their stories to inspire others and encourage attendance, while others just want to talk about what is going on in their lives.

Many meetings are held online, either in video format or on chat platforms. These meetings can be a great option for those who have difficulty attending physical meetings, as well as for people living in remote areas where there are no Al-Anon meetings in their vicinity.

However, there are some concerns about virtual meetings. One of these is that they can’t be monitored as closely as traditional meetings. In addition, there are some issues regarding privacy and anonymity. It is important to research the privacy and security policies of any site before deciding to participate in a virtual meeting.

As a non-profit organization, Al-Anon does not require dues from its members. Donations, however, are usually collected during meetings to support the group’s needs, including rent and the purchase of educational resources and materials. Currently, there are more than 41,000 Al-Anon meetings in the United States. Almost all of them are run by volunteers. Most of these volunteers are family members of alcoholics, but some are doctors, lawyers, students, librarians, human resource administrators and civil servants.

At the time of this study, most newcomers and members who had attended Al-Anon for more than six months reported having a better quality of life than those who discontinued or did not attend Al-Anon at all. These gains included learning to handle problems due to the trigger’s drinking; feeling less confusion, stress, and anger; having a better relationship with relatives; having more hope; and having a healthier lifestyle and spiritual life.

Interestingly, the two groups did not differ in gender, race, marital status, employment or education at the time of their baseline survey. Both newcomers and sustained attendees were most often female, white and married or partnered. Those who did not attend Al-Anon at the time of this study were more likely to be employed, have a higher income, and have a higher level of education. However, these differences were not significant when controlling for goals of initial Al-Anon attendance.