Al-Anon Family Groups
Oakland County, Michigan
Strength and Hope for Friends and Families of Problem Drinkers
Alateen: Hope and Help for Younger Family Members and Friends of Alcoholics
It’s very difficult when a parent, stepparent, grandparent, friend, sibling, or anyone else in one’s life has a drinking problem. It affects how young people are treated and it shapes their world. Alateen meetings are where teens can find support and understanding from people their own age who are going through similar difficulties.
Alateen is part of the Al-Anon Family Groups; Al-Anon meetings are for anyone affected by someone else’s drinking. If there’s no Alateen meeting available to you, you are always welcome to attend an Al-Anon meeting.
You are invited to listen to teens talk about Alateen, read the Alateen newsletter, or take a quiz to help you decide if Alateen might be for you.
Click here to visit the WSO Alateen website
KOMIAC
I find it funny that some Al-Anons don’t know what that word means. KOMIAC stands for Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana Alateen convention. But to us teens, it means a whole lot more than just one word. For the teens that have experienced KOMIAC, they know it gives all of us hope for the future. It shows that kids who live in different states can have a deeper connection with each other, and that some people can have with people they have known for their whole lives. We may only see these kids for three days out of the year, but we use those days to the fullest. Anyone that has attended a KOMIAC knows if you do get sleep, you don’t get much, and losing a couple of nights of sleep to make lifetime connections is worth it over a lot more stuff in our lives.
One year I was at KOMIAC, and I heard a fellow teen say that he looks forward to KOMIAC more than he does any other holiday out of the year. And when I heard him say that, it made me think; and I 100% agree with him! For a teen that has been told that they were not worth anything and put down their whole life, to experience all the love and compassion they should have been given, they get overwhelmed. But at the same time, they are the happiest in their lives, because they are around people who love them unconditionally and will support them in any and everything they do.
In my opinion, KOMIAC was the single best experience in my life. Being asked to be co-chair of KOMIAC 37 was a complete honor. Being asked to be in charge of something that big was very nerve-wracking. But at the same time, it instilled confidence in me because people thought I was the best choice for the job. After all is said and done, KOMIAC 37 was amazing to me personally, and hearing it from other teens that were from different states gave me faith that I did my job to the best of my abilities and the teenagers were happy with how it went and made it all worth it.
For any Al-Anon member who has thought about becoming an Alateen sponsor, please talk to one that has been to KOMIAC. The sponsors that go will say the same thing as we would. It’s an experience you can’t explain. You have to experience it for yourself.
In conclusion, I’ll leave you with this: “Love, Strength, and Hope”. I’ve learned that these three words can help anyone. But without Love, you can’t have Strength; and without Strength, there can be no Hope.
Sincerely,
J.D.