Local Al-Anon chapter shares resources, invites people to experience peer support

The Steinbach chapter of Al-Anon has been running for over 48 years and group members are inviting new people to join their weekly support meetings. 

For people affected by the excessive drinking of someone close to them, life can be full of anxiety, embarrassment and despair as they guard themselves against the effects of someone else's drinking. 

The group recommends checking out the Al-Anon website to find out more about alcoholism and support groups. There is a quiz you can take that might help you decide if Al-Anon might be helpful for your situation. 

The quiz includes some questions like: Do you worry about how much someone drinks? Do you have money problems because of someone else’s drinking? Do you tell lies to cover up for someone else’s drinking? 

The group says that if you answer ‘yes’ to some of the quiz questions, you are not alone. 

People have found great support through Al-Anon, a safe and confidential place for people who are affected by someone else’s drinking. 

“Al-Anon helps make sense out of the confusion that families experience when living with or having grown up with a problem drinker,” writes one group member. 

Al-Anon uses Twelve Steps, which are adapted from Alcoholics Anonymous, to help members discover that no situation is really hopeless and that it is possible to find contentment and even happiness, whether the alcoholic is still drinking or not. 

Al-Anon is an anonymous fellowship, is fully self-supporting, and believes that alcoholism is a family illness and that changed attitudes can aid recovery. 

The Steinbach Al-Anon Group, which recently celebrated its 48th anniversary, meets every Monday at 7:30pm at the Steinbach Cultural Arts Centre, 304 Second Street (back door, downstairs). Contact person: Marlene 204-326-1172.  

There is also a support group (Alcoholics Anonymous) in Steinbach for alcoholics. AA is a fellowship of people who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. You can find meeting dates and times on the Steinbach Arts Council website. 

In response to Canada's Online News Act and Meta (Facebook and Instagram) removing access to local news from their platforms, SteinbachOnline encourages you to get your news directly from your trusted source by bookmarking this page and downloading the SteinbachOnline app.