Hi group...  Please refrain from using religion or other groupings that may have others feel like they may be judged and/or not included on the basis of their beliefs.  Although this board is not formal "Al-Anon", we do, in fact, welcome everyone from every walk of life, and it is inappropriate to post religious-based messages and/or signatures on our posts here (there are many other forums available to do so).

I am copying a forum submission that addresses this issue rather well, and would encourage everyone to follow these guidelines, and refrain from using this forum as a platform to "spread your beliefs", whatever they may be.

Respectfully,

Tom

Without Labels

By Kathy McE, Washington

When I first came to Al-Anon, I was so full of pain that all I could do was dump my problems in meetings. Soon I heard most members sharing about Al-Anon solutions, saying that they told their woes to their sponsor. I began to see that sharing experience, strength and hope meant talking about how I apply the Al-Anon principles in my recovery.

Early in my program, I was told that something I shared was not "Al-Anon." Confused because I had heard there were no rules in al-Anon, I picked up the Al-Anon Spoken Here pamphlet. The pamphlet showed me why it was so important to leave all of my other affiliations outside of our meetings. It encouraged me to concentrate on the anonymity and equality in our fellowship. It taught me to work my program by supporting Al-Anon unity and by focusing on recovery in meetings. This pamphlet really gave my progress a boost.

Anonymity began to mean more to me than just no last name. After all, Al-Anon had let me enter without any of my outside labels, including job title or profession. No one knew where I lived or if I was a religious person. I dressed as I pleased, not to someone else's standard. By not sharing my profession or my religious preference, I kept myself label-free. My words could stand on their own. People got to know the real me - not just my labels. In Al-Anon meetings, it's important that I wear only the one label that brought me here - "I am a person who has been affected by another person's drinking." That label is the one common denominator that I share with everyone else. It gives me equality.

Now I can see that labels from politics, religion, income, professions, other therapies or memberships in other Twelve Step programs do not apply equally to every member of Al-Anon. If I discussed these topics in meetings I could be a divisive influence, maybe to the point of breaking up my own group's unity.

Al-Anon recovery is important to me. I believe in the spirit and the content of Al-Anon Spoken Here. I'm glad someone's comment caused me to take the pamphlet out of my Newcomer's Packet and read it. Similarly, outside literature probably will not apply to all members either, so it's best if I don't discuss it or refer to it in meetings. Any such discussion might even confuse new members about what is and what is not Al-Anon.

Al-Anon Spoken Here also suggests that members of other Twelve Step programs do not identify themselves as such in an Al-Anon meeting. Now I have many good friends who are members of both Al-Anon and Alcoholics Anonymous, but when I was a newcomer I did not want to have anything to do with alcoholics. I came to Al-Anon to get away from them. The first time I heard an Al-Anon member identify himself as an alcoholic, I almost threw up. I avoided that meeting for a long time. I wonder if other newcomers feel that same way now.

Al-Anon Spoken Here has been a valuable guide in my own personal recovery. I even chaired a meeting with it as the topic. It was great to hear what everyone had to say! What I learned from this one pamphlet encouraged me to get and read all of the wonderful Al-Anon pamphlets. I was 12 months into my program when I started to read every single one I could find. I learned so much from them. Now I plan to read all of them at least once a year-because each year I am more willing and able to learn.

Reprinted with permission of The Forum, Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc. Virginia Beach, VA.