YouMatterMello Zone CaresIndependent support-resource directory
Need urgent help? Use local emergency services for immediate physical danger. In the U.S., call or text 988. Call 988Text 988Outside the U.S. ↗

Independent provider profile

Al-Anon Family Groups

Free peer-led meetings for relatives and friends affected by someone else’s drinking, including local and electronic options.

Required navigation fields verified
Two furry community members compare professional, peer, and family pathways for alcohol support

Decision facts

What to confirm before choosing this service

Schedules and formats vary by local or electronic group. Check the official listing immediately before attending.

Operated by
Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters
Coverage
International; meeting and contact options vary by country
Contact
Local meetings · electronic meetings · phone meetings · meeting-information line
Hours
Varies by meeting; local, global electronic, and telephone options are listed online
Languages
Languages vary by local and electronic meeting. Confirm the individual listing and contact before attending.
Eligibility
Relatives, partners, friends, and others affected by someone else’s drinking. Alateen has separate age and local-safety requirements.
Cost
Al-Anon states there are no dues or fees for membership; it is supported by voluntary contributions. Technology, travel, or literature may create optional costs.

Quick answer

Is this the right kind of help?

It may fit when

Family members, partners, friends, and others who want support for the effects of another person’s drinking.

It is not designed for

Medical care, emergency response, domestic-violence safety planning, or treatment for the person whose drinking is the concern.

Service role: Family and friends mutual support; not treatment for the person drinking

What the service can help with

  • Connects relatives and friends with people who understand the effects of someone else’s drinking.
  • Offers local, hybrid, electronic, and telephone meeting routes depending on the area.
  • Provides a support focus for the attendee’s own wellbeing rather than trying to control or treat another person.

What to expect when you make contact

Getting started

A person searches the official meeting list and checks whether the group is in person, hybrid, or electronic.

During the contact

Members share experience within a peer-led Twelve Step fellowship; meetings are not therapy or professional advice.

What comes next

Anyone concerned about someone else’s drinking may attend the meetings identified by the organization as available to newcomers.

Privacy considerations

The fellowship emphasizes personal anonymity. Individual venue, electronic-platform, camera, registration, recording, and local reporting practices still need to be confirmed.

Privacy rules belong to the outside provider. Read its current terms before sharing information that could affect your decision to use the service.

Accessibility and practical checks

  • Meeting venue, technology, language, schedule, age rules for Alateen, and disability access vary.
  • Confirm whether the meeting is open or closed, whether registration is required, and how confidentiality is described.
  • If drinking is connected with threats, stalking, or violence, use a specialist safety service or local emergency help rather than relying only on a support meeting.

Questions to answer before relying on it

  • Are you seeking support for the impact of another person’s drinking rather than treatment for that person?
  • Does the meeting format, schedule, language, age group, and access fit your needs?
  • Do you also need legal, domestic-violence, child-safety, clinical, or emergency support?

Important limits and safety notes

  • Al-Anon does not diagnose or treat alcohol use disorder and cannot make another person stop drinking.
  • Group culture and local access vary, so trying another meeting can be reasonable when one is not a fit.
  • Immediate danger and abuse require specialist or emergency routes beyond mutual support.

Backup routes

Alternatives to compare

SMART Recovery — individual and family/friends meeting routesNIAAA Navigator — treatment options for an adult who is drinkingPersonal support plan — save safety and backup routes

Original contribution

What YouMatter adds

YouMatter separates support for the affected family member or friend from treatment for the person drinking, then adds cost, meeting-format, privacy, violence-safety, and alternative-route questions.

How this option differs

Best for a person affected by someone else’s drinking. It does not treat that person. NIAAA supports adult treatment selection; SMART offers both individual and family/friends program routes.

Primary-source trail

Official information used for this profile

Each link goes to the provider or program owner. The note beside it identifies which decision fields it supports.

Verification record: Primary sources were manually checked on August 25, 2026 and must be rechecked by October 9, 2026 to remain eligible for indexing. Manual comparison of the official local and electronic meeting finders and current membership material. Services can change sooner; confirm the current official terms before contact.