Al-Anon Family Groups

What to expect

Al-Anon members provide meetings in all major towns and cities and are committed to being there for you when you need help. Whatever your relationship with the drinker, you will find other people who have similar stories to tell. You will realise that you are not alone. Listening to the shared experiences of others may help you find the confidence you need to deal with the effects of someone else’s drinking.

Your anonymity is protected by using first names only. You will not be asked to reveal your surname or any other details about your identity or that of the drinker. Anything discussed within an Al-Anon meeting is treated as confidential, including your presence at the meeting.

Al-anon groups are widespread, with approximately 700 (in-person and online) throughout the UK and Eire alone.

For confirmation of time and dates of their meetings, please visit the Al-Anon website.

What they are not
Al-Anon is not a therapy group. They don’t offer counselling or advice or try to explain your experiences.

They are not a religious organisation, and welcome those of all faiths and none, treating everyone as equals. They discourage discussion about religion, politics and other outside topics.

More information

Call the confidential Helpline on 0800 0086 811 (UK residents). The Helpline is manned by a team of friendly and helpful volunteers who are also members of Al-Anon. They will listen and be happy to answer your questions.

UK residents can call free of charge from 10am – 10pm, 365 days a year. Please do not leave a message as, to ensure callers’ confidentiality, they are unable to return calls.

Or if you prefer, email them at [email protected]

Al-Anon meetings are free.

Al-Anon only accept donations from members towards running costs and literature so they can be self-supporting. You only need to give what you can afford.