DETACHMENT

Alcoholism is a family disease. Living with someone who has the disease is too devastating for most people to bear without help. Detatchment, a recovery tool for the family in Al-Anon, has helped members to help themselves. In Al-Anon, family members learn that individuals are not responsible for another person's disease or recovery from it. They let go of their obsessions with another's behavior and begin to lead happier and more manageable lives, lives with dignity and rights; lives guided by the Power greater than themselves.

IN AL-ANON A PERSON LEARNS:

• Not to suffer because of the actions or reactions of other people.
• Not to allow themselves to be used or abused in the interest of another's recovery.
• Not to do for others what they should do for themselves.
• Not to manipulate situations so others will eat, go to bed, get up, pay bills, etc.
• Not to cover up for another's mistakes or misdeeds.
• Not to create a crisis.
• Not to prevent the crisis if it is in the natural course of events.

Detachment is neither kind or unkind, nor does not imply evaluation of the person or situation from which we are detaching. Detachment is simply a means for a person to recover from the adverse affects on their lives of living with someone afflicted with the disease of alcoholism.