“Al-Anon was formed in the 1950’s by wives of alcoholics, and I think that that is such an important thing to realize: the power that women took to organize for themselves when a whole goddamn culture was calling them every derogatory name out there for doing what any spouse of an addict eventually begins to do, and the power they took in stepping away and freeing themselves from the burdens of another’s addictions. But I mean, I guess self-organizing in the face of cultural devaluation is kind of the story of every empowering organization out there, isn’t it.”
—
The whole thing is awesome, both posts. But I’m quoting this part because it’s extra-awesome. Al-Anon didn’t really do it for me, but the women who founded al-anon are heroes and the fact that they don’t get more respect is a symptom of a larger silence around women and addiction.
(via galesofnovember)
Purely a personal anecdote, I find Al-Anon to be a great, non-religious alternative to Alcoholics Anonymous. While AA claims to not require one to be religious, a lot of the 12 steps seem to require faith. I take issue with a lot of their tenants and think their practices can do more harm than good. No support program is perfect, but I greatly prefer Al-Anon.
(via ifyouseegayme)
(via ifyouseegayme)
