The Al-Anon Program
A spiritual path for those affected by someone else’s drinking.
What Is Al-Anon?
Al-Anon Family Groups are a fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics who share their experience, strength, and hope in order to solve their common problems. Al-Anon is not allied with any sect, denomination, political entity, organization, or institution.
The program is based on the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, adapted from Alcoholics Anonymous. Members discover that they are not alone and that they can find contentment and even happiness, whether the alcoholic is still drinking or not.
Is Al-Anon for Me?
If a relative, friend, or coworker’s drinking is affecting your life, Al-Anon may be able to help. You don’t need to wait for the alcoholic to seek help before you begin your own recovery.
Millions of people are affected by the excessive drinking of someone close. The following questions may help you decide whether Al-Anon is right for you.
If you answered yes to any of these, you are not alone. Al-Anon can help.
Take the full self-quiz at al-anon.org ↗Find a Meeting
Al-Anon meetings are free, confidential, and open to anyone affected by someone else’s drinking. Meetings are held in person and online around the world.
There are no dues or fees for membership. You will never be asked to pay, and your attendance is completely anonymous.
How the Program Works
Al-Anon has no therapists and no mandatory course of treatment. Instead, the program rests on four interconnected pillars—each one essential, none sufficient on its own.
The Twelve Steps
A spiritual framework for personal growth. The Steps help members honestly examine their own attitudes and behaviors—not to fix the alcoholic, but to find freedom for themselves.
Explore the Steps →The Fellowship
Regular gatherings—in person and online—where members share experience, strength, and hope. The fellowship is where isolation ends and recovery becomes real.
Find meetings →The Literature
Conference-Approved books, pamphlets, and daily readers developed by Al-Anon members for Al-Anon members. The written wisdom of millions of families who walked this path before you.
Browse literature →Service
Giving back to the fellowship that gave so much to you. Service—from making coffee to sponsoring newcomers—is how members keep what they have by giving it away.
Learn about service →Common Questions
Is Al-Anon a religious program?
No. Al-Anon is a spiritual program, not a religious one. Members are encouraged to find a “Higher Power” of their own understanding. There is no doctrine, no creed, and no requirement to believe anything in particular.
Is my privacy protected?
Yes. Anonymity is a foundational principle. What you share in a meeting stays in the meeting. Members use first names only, and no one will contact you unless you ask.
What about young people?
Alateen is part of the Al-Anon family, designed for younger members (ages 13–18) affected by someone else’s drinking.
Related Fellowships
Al-Anon is part of a wider family of twelve-step programs. These related fellowships may also be helpful on your journey.
Daily Paths is an independent project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc. For official Al-Anon information, please visit al-anon.org.
Your Daily Companion
Al-Anon provides the framework for a new way of life. Daily Paths is designed to be your daily touchstone—helping you apply the Twelve Steps and recovery themes to the moments when you need them most.
