Alateen is for young people (under 20 years old) whose lives have been affected by someone else’s drinking. The following questions will help you decide whether or not Alateen is for you.
- Do you have a parent, close friend, or relative whose drinking upsets you?
- Do you cover up your real feelings by pretending that you don’t care?
- Are holidays and gatherings spoiled because of someone’s drinking?
- Do you tell lies to cover up for someone else’s drinking or what’s happening in your home?
- Do you stay out of the house as much as possible because you hate it there?
- Are you afraid to upset someone for fear it will set off a drinking bout?
- Do you feel nobody really loves you or cares what happens to you?
- Are you afraid or embarrassed to bring your friends home?
- Do you think the drinker’s behavior is caused by you, other members of the family, friends, or bad breaks in life?
- Do you make threats such as, “If you don’t stop drinking / fighting, I’ll run away”?
- 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?
- Do you feel that if your mom or dad loved you, they would stop drinking?
- Do you ever threaten to – or actually do – hurt yourself to scare your parents into saying, “I’m sorry,” or “I love you”?
- Do you believe no one could possibly understand how you feel?
- Do you have money problems because of someone else’s drinking?
- Are mealtimes frequently delayed because of the drinker?
- Have you considered calling the police because of the drinker’s abusive behavior?
- Have you refused dates out of fear or anxiety?
- Do you think your problems would be solved if the drinking stopped?
- 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 three or more of these questions then Alateen may be for you. Click here to find a meeting close to you, or contact the Area Alateen Coordinator (email Area53AAC@gmail.com). Or if you want to stay low-key for now, consider downloading the Al-Anon Family Groups app on your phone, and search for Alateen meetings you can call in to – see here for more information.