Alateen is...

A fellowship of young Al-Anon members, usually teenagers, whose lives have been affected by someone else's drinking.

Alateen's Purpose

Young People come together to...

share experience, strength and hope.
discuss their difficulties.
learn effective ways to cope with their problems.
encourage one another.
help each other understand the principles of the Al-Anon program.

Alateen Members learn that:

compulsive drinking is a disease.
they can detach themselves emotionally from the drinker's problems while continuing to love the person.
they are not the cause of anyone else's drinking or behavior.
they cannot change or control anyone but themselves.
they have spiritual and intellectual resources with which to develop their own potentials, no matter what happens at home.
they can build satisfying and rewarding life experiences for themselves.

Sponsorship

Every Alateen group needs an active, adult member of Al-Anon to serve as a sponsor. The sponsor is an active part of the group, guiding and sharing knowledge of the Twelve Steps and Traditions. Members of Alateen can also choose to have a personal sponsor, who can be another member of Alateen or Al-Anon.

Where Alateens Meet

Alateen members meet in church halls, school rooms or other suitable places (many times in the same building as an Al-Anon group but in a separate room).

Alateen Literature

Members are encouraged to read Al-Anon and Alateen Conference Approved Literature and materials. Written from members' personal sharings, these recovery tools can help them deal with their problems. A list of Alateen literature is available on this site!

Help is here for the asking. If you identify with anything in this site, it is important to know that help and hope for friends and families of alcoholics is just a phone call away.

Reprinted with Permission of Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc, Virginia Beach, VA