LINN — A newly formed Al-Anon Family Groups chapter in Linn held its first meeting last Monday at the Osage County Anti-Drug Community Action Team (OC-ADCAT) office to add another resource for helping people overcome challenging circumstances.

OC-ADCAT Executive Director Lorie Winslow said the goal is to provide a welcoming place where family members and friends affected by alcoholism can find support, understanding, and encouragement from others who have faced similar experiences.

“We have plenty of space, and community outreach is what OC-ADCAT is all about, so this was a perfect fit,” said Winslow.

While Alcoholics Anonymous focuses on recovery for the alcoholic, Al-Anon is designed to help family members and loved ones navigate the challenges that addiction can bring into their own lives.

At last week’s meeting, participants explored a concept many described as one of the most difficult lessons they have faced: learning to detach with love.

Members took turns reading about detachment, a principle described not as abandoning someone in need, but as learning the difference between helping and enabling.

One reading compared detachment to maintaining a safe distance from a beehive. Participants discussed how stepping back from another person’s destructive behavior can be an act of self-preservation rather than rejection.

Several members shared personal experiences illustrating that lesson.

One participant described the struggle of watching an adult child battle alcoholism. For years, the parent attempted to solve problems, provide assistance, and shield the child from consequences. Eventually, the parent learned that recovery would not begin until the family stopped trying to control what they could not change.

“He did not start to get well until we left him alone and let him,” the participant said.

That sentiment ties directly to the Serenity Prayer, and the 12 Steps.

Al-Anon is a spiritual fellowship, not a religious one. According to online information at al-anon.org, members avoid discussion of specific religious doctrine, and those of all faiths (or of none) are welcome. The Twelve Steps ask members to find a “Power greater than ourselves” who can them help solve problems and find serenity. Each member is free to define that power in his or her own way.

Another reading described “detachment with love” highlighted by a situation involving a loved one who repeatedly fell out of bed while intoxicated. Rather than lifting the person back into bed, the family member covered them with a blanket before returning to sleep.

Participants noted the example illustrates a key distinction within the program. Detachment does not mean indifference. It means caring about another person while accepting that their choices remain their own.

One member shared the experience of helping a sibling enter treatment after a severe struggle with alcoholism. The participant recalled being told they needed to “let her fail safely,” advice that initially seemed harsh but later became an important part of understanding recovery.

The individual explained that providing support meant helping the sibling access resources and treatment while recognizing that long-term success would ultimately depend on the sibling’s decisions.

Others reflected on how alcoholism can affect entire families. Participants discussed how easily family members can become consumed by another person’s behavior, moods, or decisions.

Through Al-Anon, they said they are learning to focus on their own well-being rather than allowing someone else’s actions to dictate their lives.

The discussion also expanded beyond addiction.

One participant noted that detachment applies to parenting as well, explaining that children must sometimes be allowed to make their own decisions and experience both successes and failures.

Another member reflected on years spent working with young people and families in crisis, describing the challenge of wanting to solve problems for others while recognizing that growth often requires people to face consequences and make choices for themselves.

Throughout the evening, participants repeatedly returned to a common theme: recovery and healing cannot be forced.

Many described years spent trying to fix loved ones before realizing that meaningful change must come from within the individual struggling with addiction.

One reading summarized the idea by stating that detachment means allowing others to experience both the satisfaction and disappointment that come from their own decisions.

While the stories shared varied widely, participants emphasized that the purpose of the group is not to judge, criticize, or offer advice. Instead, members share experiences, strength, and hope with one another while learning healthier ways to respond to the challenges addiction creates within families.

The new Al-Anon group meets Mondays at 7 p.m. at the OC-ADCAT office in Linn.

Call 573-810-3483 for more information.