Is Al-Anon helpful?

[mama72]

My BPDD17 is in an outpatient substance abuse program. I have been attending the Family Group once a week, as her program requires us to. A few different family group members and leaders have suggested I attend Al-Anon meetings to help heal from the effects of my daughter's BPD.

Have any family members here, found Al-Anon to be helpful in coping with your pwBPD?

Thanks for any input! 

Our objective is to better understand the struggles our child faces and to learn the skills to improve our relationship and provide a supportive environment and also improve on our own emotional responses, attitudes and effectiveness as a family leaders

[mom2bpd]

  Nice to meet u, mom72.  I was attending Al-anon first due to a family members alcoholism.  It has helped with my uBPD because it's all about how we didn't cause it, can't cure it, and can't control it.  Also al-anon taught me to set boundaries with the alcoholic and that comes in handy with the laBOR.

[BabeRuthless]

Mama: My twin sister is a recovering alcoholic (20+ years) and has been diagnosed with borderline features. I started attending Al-Anon in 2012 when I finally realized that my own emotions and caretaking behaviors toward her were out of control. I was almost sick with anxiety and rescuing, over decades.

In Al-Anon, I can look at my role in our relationship dynamics; at my own issues rather than focus so intently on my sister; and be part of a caring community. The program is helping me learn new self-awareness and self-management skills and develop a more consistent spiritual life. I also understand -- at long last -- that I didn't cause, and can neither control nor cure, my sister's alcoholism and her lifelong emotional difficulties.

I also find the 12 steps and related principles valuable and applicable for people in different places in their spiritual journeys, and for those with different views about the nature of addiction as a disease, etc.

Wishing you the best.   

[RockLady]

AA and Al-Anon can also be helpful for substance abuse because it has a relatively stable population. 

RockLady