AL Anon (Alanon) 12 Step page:
with Al Anon art, music, prayers
& VIDEOS.
"What is Al Anon?"
If asking you probably are best to forget this Internet thing and go to a local meeting! http://www.al-anon.alateen.org/local-meetings
Al Anon (Alanon) is a fellowship for relatives of alcoholics (and addicts, - or see Nar Anon) who
share their experience, strength, and hope in order to solve their
common problems. They practice the Twelve Steps.
"Al Anon Meeting finder."
Al Anon logo symbol and link to fellowship website
Long page with many offerings!
(Click step # for Step Tour)
The 12 Steps are suggested for the alcoholic or addict and their loved ones alike!
Step 1. We admitted we were powerless —that our lives had become unmanageable. (Step 1 Inspirational QUOTES)
Step 2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to Sanity.
Step 3. We Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we
understood Him.
Step 4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
Step 5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature
of our wrongs.
Step 6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
Step 7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
Step 8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make
amends to them all.
Step 9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do
so would injure them or others.
Step 10. (We) Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
Step 11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us
and the power to carry that out.
Step 12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to
carry this message, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
Al Anon humor
No one's too sober to do step-work!
Some Al Anon art & humor ...
Alcoholism Al Anon a family disease. Parker Lanier
Al Anon Declaration
Let It Begin with Me. When
anyone, anywhere, reaches out for
help, let the hand of Al-Anon and
Alateen always be there, and – Let
It Begin with Me.
Step 1 cartoon by Skuds Mkinley
Your Editors Favorite AA Writing, relevant to AL Anon or families
CS Lewis quoted
Out of evil much good has come to me -
By keeping quiet, repressing nothing, remaining attentive and accepting reality, taking things as they are and not as I wanted them to be, unusual knowledge has come to me-unusual powers as well, such as I could never have imagined before.
I always thought that when we accepted things they over powered us in some way or other. This turns out not to be true at all. For it is only be accepting them that we can assume an attitude towards them.
So now I intend to play the game of life, being receptive to whatever comes to me; good and bad, sun and shade, for ever alternating -and in this way accepting my own nature with its positive and negative sides. Thus everything becomes more alive to me. What a fool I was...how I tried to force everything to go according to the way I thought it ought to be.
letter from C.G.Jung: authors favorite, an influence on Bill Wilson forming AA, 1930s via letters
By keeping quiet, repressing nothing, remaining attentive and accepting reality, taking things as they are and not as I wanted them to be, unusual knowledge has come to me-unusual powers as well, such as I could never have imagined before.
I always thought that when we accepted things they over powered us in some way or other. This turns out not to be true at all. For it is only be accepting them that we can assume an attitude towards them.
So now I intend to play the game of life, being receptive to whatever comes to me; good and bad, sun and shade, for ever alternating -and in this way accepting my own nature with its positive and negative sides. Thus everything becomes more alive to me. What a fool I was...how I tried to force everything to go according to the way I thought it ought to be.
letter from C.G.Jung: authors favorite, an influence on Bill Wilson forming AA, 1930s via letters
Stepwork cartoon the 12 steps by Benben the Fishermans Friend
Al Anon, Alanon, Alateen Meetings Finder: Community-based Al-Anon Information Services and Web sites Or call 888-4AL-ANON (888-425-2666)
Lindy R. on Step 2, "Crazy"
Al Anon member Lindy often turns her music into a personal story...
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Lois Wilson
Al Anon founder
 Lois Wilson Al Anon founder |  Lois Wilson on her and Bill's Harley Davidson |
What are the 12 steps?
Few know that the 12 steps were originally written as a guide from a loving father to a young son, specifically from an abbot to a young monk. Benedict, a hermit, monk and mystic, wrote the first and very similar version some 1500 years ago, on humility. All versions since are a spiritual ascent to a spiritual awakening. They are for an average person. Families and all members, young and old alike, have worked the 12 steps for over a millennium. (Click for the 1500 year page and VIDEO)
Now, via the talents of Bill WIlson, the AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) co-founder we have yet another version, for recovery. Wilson was nothing less than a modern visionary. He saw that the only remedy to a spiritual disease (alcoholism, and now as in NA - 'addiction' too) was to be a spiritual cure. All AA literature is based on this one last sentence, per the written records of Wilson.
The 12 steps while being spiritual are not religious. They are a logical guide to personal growth leading to all new personal happiness based on freedom from our destructive selves. "This freedom comes from the power to change" See our book series for our quote book that motivates, The Twelve Steps Quotes c 2011/2012)
The 12 steps offer not only "monks to drunks" and addicts too, a means to new personal power, but also a means for anyone, especially the families of those affected by the disease, a means to growth and peace of mind.
For the Al Anon member, this may be the power to forgive, endure, pray for, love or understand the afflicted loved one. In any case, the 12 steps are core to the program because they work!
Now, via the talents of Bill WIlson, the AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) co-founder we have yet another version, for recovery. Wilson was nothing less than a modern visionary. He saw that the only remedy to a spiritual disease (alcoholism, and now as in NA - 'addiction' too) was to be a spiritual cure. All AA literature is based on this one last sentence, per the written records of Wilson.
The 12 steps while being spiritual are not religious. They are a logical guide to personal growth leading to all new personal happiness based on freedom from our destructive selves. "This freedom comes from the power to change" See our book series for our quote book that motivates, The Twelve Steps Quotes c 2011/2012)
The 12 steps offer not only "monks to drunks" and addicts too, a means to new personal power, but also a means for anyone, especially the families of those affected by the disease, a means to growth and peace of mind.
For the Al Anon member, this may be the power to forgive, endure, pray for, love or understand the afflicted loved one. In any case, the 12 steps are core to the program because they work!
Parker Lanier Alcoholic Outside Artist
We thought we would supply a sampling of our original 12 step art for the families affected by the disease, in a unique gallery. We will try to focus on step 1 and healing, hope and the spirituality of recovery.
We offer spiritually priced step-work journals (blank but illustrated) for you or your loved ones. These are not workbooks full of others thoughts...to help inspire you & organize writing on your steps.
The 12 Steps, ancient history illustrated by our videographer Rick Steinberg. The 12 Steps of Humility by Benedict in 520 AD.
From an AL Anon blog,
some words that moved us:
When I came to Al-Anon I saw myself as a victim. I had been harmed. I wanted justice, and justice meant that those who harmed me should be punished. That was my perception.
Others did not always see things as I saw them. In my alcoholic home I was seen as the problem rather than the one who was victimized. Others wanted justice. To them, justice meant I should be punished.
I felt confused when others did not see things as I saw them.
Al-Anon’s Eighth Step taught me to make a list of all those I had harmed and become willing to make amends to them all.
Fortunately I had worked the previous steps. By then I realized growing up in an alcoholic home distorted my perceptions. I realized my marriage relationship had been impacted by my past experiences growing up in alcoholism. I learned feelings were not right or wrong, good or bad. They just are. What made them right or wrong was how I responded to them.
What were my thoughts and beliefs about my feelings? My thoughts and beliefs were distorted.
I learned that what I believed was not always true.
Who should go on my list? Who had I actually harmed?
http://al-anonfamilygroups.org a wonderful blog post by Chris R.
Note: The Dilemma of the Alcoholic Marriage, an Al‑Anon sanctioned book can help with the unique problems of applying the Twelve Steps to their relationships.
For Books See Al Anon
some words that moved us:
When I came to Al-Anon I saw myself as a victim. I had been harmed. I wanted justice, and justice meant that those who harmed me should be punished. That was my perception.
Others did not always see things as I saw them. In my alcoholic home I was seen as the problem rather than the one who was victimized. Others wanted justice. To them, justice meant I should be punished.
I felt confused when others did not see things as I saw them.
Al-Anon’s Eighth Step taught me to make a list of all those I had harmed and become willing to make amends to them all.
Fortunately I had worked the previous steps. By then I realized growing up in an alcoholic home distorted my perceptions. I realized my marriage relationship had been impacted by my past experiences growing up in alcoholism. I learned feelings were not right or wrong, good or bad. They just are. What made them right or wrong was how I responded to them.
What were my thoughts and beliefs about my feelings? My thoughts and beliefs were distorted.
I learned that what I believed was not always true.
Who should go on my list? Who had I actually harmed?
http://al-anonfamilygroups.org a wonderful blog post by Chris R.
Note: The Dilemma of the Alcoholic Marriage, an Al‑Anon sanctioned book can help with the unique problems of applying the Twelve Steps to their relationships.
For Books See Al Anon
The Al Anon or AA 12 Steps, Illustrated in a meditation: From deep space, back to earth. From the Hubble Telescope.
For deeper Al Anon / Nar Anon spirituality see our 12 step, step 3 prayers page!
100's more original 12 step art images are on our 12 step art page, Tattoos page too. Also our serenity prayer page is most relevant to Al Anon/Alanon members. All presented by our non-profit co-op of artists, editors, videographers.
Step One cartoon for free download- YOU FILL IN THE WORDS as an Al Anon member, saying what you need to! Leave it on a pillow! With love!
Some ancient writings that might hit home...
John Peacocke has translated an 18th century Sri Lankan text on 'Equanimity'
(the quality of being emotionally calm, balanced and even, especially when confronted with difficult situations) as follows:
"This life is but a play of joy and sorrow
may we remain undisturbed by life's rise and fall.
I care deeply about you,
but you are the owner of your actions and their fruit,
and sadly I can not keep you from distress." from Vince Cullen
(the quality of being emotionally calm, balanced and even, especially when confronted with difficult situations) as follows:
"This life is but a play of joy and sorrow
may we remain undisturbed by life's rise and fall.
I care deeply about you,
but you are the owner of your actions and their fruit,
and sadly I can not keep you from distress." from Vince Cullen
Challenged to do step-work by an Al Anon sponsor?
Al Anon members, like anyone else are challenged to write on their steps!
A "first" of anything is a beginning, and so it is with the steps: The First Step is the beginning of the recovery process. The healing starts here; we can't go any further until we've worked this step. Some ... choose to work Step One in a more systematic fashion. Our reasons for formally working Step One will vary from member to member...
Whatever the case, it's time to do some step work: to engage in some concrete activity that will help us find more freedom... Our hope is to internalize the principles of Step One, to deepen our surrender, to make the principles a fundamental part of who we are. (Per one 12 step fellowships literature)
 Woman's stepwork journal for writing on your steps! |  Step-work journal men's |
Big, 8.5" x 11" Journals, order here
We have a disease that tells us we might not have a disease...
The disease
Our goal is to make 12 step
"step-work" spiritual fun!
Illustrating and pondering the principles via the arts, quotes, music, prayer, videos, tattoos
IS step-work!
"step-work" spiritual fun!
Illustrating and pondering the principles via the arts, quotes, music, prayer, videos, tattoos
IS step-work!
This Website is neither endorsed nor approved by Al Anon, Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., or the Narcotics Anonymous G.S.O. It is provided by our non-profit co-op; 12 Step Publishing to reach out to the alcoholics and addicts families who still suffer, and to provide both specific information to the AA / NA, Al Anon / Alateen and Nar Anon Communities such as links, general information and local meeting schedules.