AL-ANON Coffs Harbour is welcoming an increasing number of new members who are joining the group, seeking help, support and coping techniques for living with a family member, friend or relative who is drinking (alcohol) too much.

“Our Coffs Harbour Al-Anon has been going for 40 years and is welcoming new members as a result of COVID-related changes in how people are living and sharing their homes,” group spokesperson Julia told News Of The Area.

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“With job losses, businesses going bust and enforced isolation, people are living in stress and distress and turning to, or turning up their consumption of alcohol,” said Julia.

“Can you imagine being at home all day with someone who is drinking too much?”

“If your home is unhappy because someone drinks too much, Al-Anon can help.”

Al-Anon is a support group for people who are affected by other people’s drinking; friends, family and relatives of alcoholics or heavy drinkers.

“Al-Anon and the teenagers’ group, Alateen, is an anonymous program where people can come along to a meeting and talk about their experience or just listen, safe in the knowledge that they can say what they like and it will go no further than that room.”

One of the many empowering mottos of Al-Anon is “who you see here, what you hear here, what you say here, let it stay here”.

“When someone has the floor and is talking, we don’t interrupt, we let them have free rein,” said Julia.

“If you are very distressed because a loved one drinks and you’ve tried everything you can to help them stop, Al-Anon is a program that focuses on ourselves…it’s not about the alcoholic.

“For me it’s a program for life, generally.

“I started coming to meetings many years ago, to help my husband get sober.

“That didn’t work but I am a very different person today than if I hadn’t come to Al-Anon.

“We cannot change others, but we can change ourselves.”

Coffs Al-Anon has two meetings a week: on Mondays at 12.30pm at the Presbyterian Church Hall, 187 Harbour Drive, Coffs Harbour and on Fridays at 6pm at the Salvation Army Hall at 40 Mastracolas Road, Coffs Harbour.

The meetings open with a welcome and for people who have not attended before there’s a giveaway Newcomer’s Pack of conference-approved literature which gives the history, the founding purpose, questions and answers and lays out the steps and traditions.

For more information Julia and/or Judy would be happy to chat through your questions.

Phone Julia on 0408 809 972.

Phone Judy on 0416 025 757.

“We are not aligned with any other entities; we leave all our other hats outside the door; we don’t get into politics or health; and our opinions on the outside world stay outside,” said Julia.

Al-Anon was founded in 1951 and Alateen was founded in 1957 and are international organisations.

By Andrea FERRARI