Al-Anon Family Group Homepage

District 12 of Southern Illinois

What is Alateen?

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

PURPOSES OF ALATEEN
Young People Come Together To:

share experience, strength and hope with each other.
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.
learn how to use the Twelve Steps and Alateen's Twelve Traditions.

ALATEEN MEMBERS LEARN:

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.

Is someone's drinking bothering you?
Alateen is for you. Alateen is for young people whose lives have been affected by someone else's drinking. The following 20 questions are to help you decide whether Alateen is for you.

Is Someone's Drinking Getting to You?

Yes No

1. Do you have a parent, close friend or relative whose drinking upsets you?

2. Do you cover up your real feelings by pretending that you don't care?

3. Are holidays and gatherings spoiled because of drinking?

4. Do you tell lies to cover up for someone else's drinking or what's happening in your home?

5. Do you stay out of the house as much as possible because you hate it there?

6. Are you afraid to upset someone or fear it will set off a drinking bout?

7. Do you feel nobody really loves you or cares what happens to you?

8. Are you afraid or embarrassed to bring your friends home?

9. Do you think the drinker's behavior is caused by you, other members of your family, friends, or rotten breaks in life?

10. Do you make threats such as, "If you don't stop drinking, fighting, I'll run away?"

11. Do you make promises about behavior, such as, "I'll get better school marks, go to church or keep my room clean" in exchange for a promise that the fighting and drinking will stop?

12. Do you feel that if your mom or dad loved you, he or she would stop drinking?

13. Do you ever threaten or actually hurt yourself to scare your parents into saying "I'm sorry," or "I love you?"

14. Do you believe no one could possibly understand how you feel?

15. Do you have money problems because of someone else's drinking?

16. Are mealtimes frequently delayed because of the drinker?

17. Have you considered calling the police because of the drinker's abusive behavior?

18. Have you refused dates out of fear or anxiety?

19. Do you think your problems would be solved if the drinking stopped?

20. Do you ever treat people (teachers, schoolmates, teammates, etc.) unjustly because you are angry at someone else for drinking too much?

If you answered yes to some of these questions, Alateen may be able to help you.
Reprinted with permission of Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc., Virginia Beach, VA.

Last updated on: 03/13/2008