Al-Anon takes aim at Paragould, Arkansas

Al-Anon, the offshoot cult started by Lois Wilson to funnel prospects into her adulterous husbands cult Alcoholics Anonymous around the time he was courting Helen Wynn, the Grapevine Editor he ended up giving 10% of his royalties from all sales of the "Big Book" at his death, is targeting Paragould, Arkansas to aid in making prospects "hit bottom" following the Jellinek curve by having them disassociate from the people they are trying to indoctrinate. Note how they are cleverly avoiding responsibility for the breaking up of marriages to make the prospect "hit bottom" quickly and saying they don't recommend it, just other Al-Anon members do. (For Lois Wilson and the story of Al-Anon see, "Lois Wilson - A Tribute to Al-Anon" http://orange-papers.org/forum/node/593)

Al-Anon helps those who live with alcoholics

By Amy Hitt
Special to The Daily Press
Published: Sunday, August 5, 2012 12:06 PM CDT

Most people are familiar with Alcoholics Anonymous, also known as A.A., but not everyone has heard of the alternative group, Al-Anon.

According to Al-Anon Family Groups (al-anon.alateen.org), the purpose of Al-Anon is to provide “strength and hope for friends and families of problem drinkers.”

“Your thinking just gets so out of whack when you live with an alcoholic, because usually alcoholics can’t control themselves, so they try to control everybody else,” said a local Al-Anon group member. “The goal of Al-Anon is to bring you back to sanity.”

Wishing to remain anonymous, the female member quoted from Al-Anon’s 12 Traditions, “Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, films, and TV.” She attends Al-Anon meetings while her husband goes to A.A. Like A.A., both men and women attend Al-Anon.

“So many people won’t get help because they don’t want people to know," she added. "Anonymity is something Al-Anon and A.A. stress."

Al-Anon’s 12 Steps and Traditions are also the same as A.A.’s. One of the Traditions states that anonymity is their spiritual foundation and reminds them “to place principles before personalities.”

“I knew I needed help, but I didn’t know where to find it,” said the Al-Anon member from Greene County who continued her story of how she finally chose to reach out to a Jonesboro Al-Anon group for help dealing with a husband with alcohol problems. “We did an intervention, and my girls and I left. What they tell you at Al-Anon is, ‘We cannot give you advice about what you should do in your personal life. We can only tell you what we did, and maybe something we did will help you.’”

Her family was able to reunite after her husband became a “recovering alcoholic” thanks to the 12 Steps and Alcoholics Anonymous.

When the Al-Anon member’s husband was asked about his opinion of the Al-Anon program he said, “It’s the same set of principles as we have at A.A., and that same set of principles can be applied to any problem…Actually applying the steps and honestly and faithfully working through them causes you to relieve yourself of a lot of burdens…It’s a continuing process.”

He went on to say, “A lot of people think if they could get their family member’s problem fixed everything would be fine.”

His wife agreed.

“People will come to Al-Anon because they want to fix the alcoholic in their lives, but when they get there, they realize, ‘Oh, I’ve got to work on me,’” she said.

The couple talked about how groups like Al-Anon and Alcoholics Anonymous are comprised of people who would not ordinarily mix, but who have come together on common ground. They also described the groups as autonomous and self-governing.

“Anybody can lead an Al-Anon meeting,” the woman said. “I’ve been going for three years, and I led my first meeting last Tuesday. We start with a moment of silence, followed by the Serenity Prayer, and then we read the 12 Steps and Traditions,”

She added the meetings had a particular opening and closing with a middle that focused on any topic (enabling, codependence, etc.) chosen from one of the traditional Al-Anon publications.

“This is a spiritual program,” she said. “My understanding of God has changed so much in the last three years.”

Her husband talked about how both programs spoke of surrendering to a higher power but had been structured to serve individuals who might not be comfortable with the idea of God or religion.

“A lot of people’s understanding of God is of a God who is hostile to them,” he said. “One of the things that the 12 Step Program allows people to learn is that’s not a true concept of who God is. It’s been very powerful in a lot of people’s lives.”

“It also helps to find an Al-Anon sponsor,” his wife added. “A sponsor is someone who works with you one-on-one and helps you go through the 12 Step Program, and then once you go through it, you can turn around and help others. This year a lady asked me to sponsor her. When you help others, it helps you, too. It’s a good program.”

When asked what she would tell someone who is living with an alcoholic, the female Al-Anon member simply said that going to the meetings and listening was what helped her. She concluded, “At the end of every meeting, we hold hands, and we say the Lord’s Prayer, and then we say, ‘Keep coming back. It works if you work it.’”

Local Al-Anon/Alateen group meeting times and places are available at the following websites: ar.al-anon.alateen.org and jonesboroalanon.org. According to Al-Anon Family Groups, Alateen is for young Al-Anon members, usually teenagers.

Source: http://www.paragoulddailypress.com/articles/2012/08/05/local_news/doc501... Copyright © 2012 Paragould Daily Press

Paragould, Arkansas with a 2010 Census population of 26,113 has nine meetings to choose from and need help filling the rooms.

Green County Group
Griffin Methodist Church
524 East Court Street
Paragould, AR 72450
870-597-2966

Monday 12:00 PM CBBS
Tuesday 12:00 PM C, 12X12
Tuesday 6:30 PM O
Wednesday 12:00 PM OD
Thursday 12:00 PM OD
Friday 12:00 PM OD, 12X12
Friday 6:30 PM O
Saturday 2:00 PM O
Sunday 2:00 PM O

Source: http://www.arkansascentraloffice.org/cities/Paragould.htm
Arkansas Central Office of Alcoholics Anonymous
7509 Cantrell Rd, Suite 106
Little Rock, AR 72207
Hotline: 501-664-7303
Business: 501-664-6042