Sunderland Al-Anon Family Groups

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Sunderland Al-Anon Family Groups Sunderland Al-Anon family group: Al-Anon is the sister group to AA (Alcoholics Anonymous). It supports all friends and family members of alcoholics.

We meet every Thursday at St. Gabriel' Church Hall 7.30-9pm. Just walk into the room, you will be welcome

31/07/2026

Topic
denial, blame, excuses, rationalisation, justifying:

Alcoholism is a very difficult disease to deal with. The person is often unaware how ill they are, and the above defences keep them from knowing the full truth of their situation. The alcoholic is in fact 'psychologically deaf', unreachable and unteachable. All these parts of the illness are known by AA and its sister organisation for families Al_Anon.
The endless repeating conversations and cycles you find yourself in with the alcoholic are a reflection of this. Come to Al-Anon for support.
https://al-anonuk.org.uk/getting-help/find-a-meeting/
tel 0800 0086 811
Locally:
Sunderland face to face an zoom, Thursdays St Gabriels church hall, the barnes room, 7.30-9pm
Durham Mondays face to face and zoom, 7.30-9 Newton Hall community centre, behind abbey sports centre, Pity me, durham.

10/06/2026

topic: new ideas, new thoughts, new behaviours:

In recovery we needs some new thinking, new ideas that can lead to us to feel and behave differently. As this topic says we need new words= magic = healing.

In the alcoholic family there's a few fixed rigid ideas, words that don't work. Despite the mounting evidence of them not working, we continue to use them only more intensely:=

Trying to stop the alcoholic drinking.
A belief that drinking is about lack self control.
Criticism Control Caring for the alcoholic in the belief they will stop in response to this behaviour.

Alanon ideas: stop trying to make the alcoholic not drink: its not within your power, take back power hold boundaries dont enable, start taking care of yourself: even its just to put you in a better position to deal with the alcoholic, get support dont go on alone.....
Come to sunderland alanon st gabriels church hall, st gavriels rd 7.30-9pm

27/04/2026

Topic:
scarcity thinking, or stinking thinking.
alcoholism as an illness is run on fear. The family members are in fear of the consequences for the alcoholic if they keep drinking. The alcoholic uses alcohol to deal with their feelings such as fear. In the alcoholic family everyone fears scarcity or disaster is just about to happen. Everything feels true to everyone. Alanon can help you understand this state of mind and help you move to another way of seeing things.
Come for help every thursday at st gabriels church hall 7.30-9pm

15/12/2025

Step 7: whats our problem, whats not in our to do...
As we have discussed one of the problem s for the alcoholic is 'wrong size'. This process of right sizing is done with the concept of humility. Knowing understanding my limitations, recognising my mistakes. As Eden use to say 'alcoholics know everything and are never wrong'.
The other problem they have (among many) is self will both in creating chaos (I'm gonna do this and I dont care about the consequences) is the self control discipline doesn’t work in stopping them drinking.(white knuckling)....Everyday Eden promised himself he wouldn't drink, by the end of the day the promise would be broken. In the end he felt , accepted 'I'm gonna die this way'.
The answer is to stop trying, 'stop digging' (it's not working the universe is saying) surrender accept help...use your God given feelings to recognise 'what help is helping'.
For the alanon member their wrong size mistake is 'i can heal this alcoholic through my care.....'
Come to sunderland alanon thurdays at st gabriels church hall, barnes room, 7.30-9pm, were shut xmas day and new years day but open first week back in the new year

Address

St. Gabriels Church Hall
Sunderland
SR47TF

Opening Hours

7:15pm - 9:15pm

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