Is Al-Anon for you?

Patricia Dunn
Nov 6 · 8 min read

Tuesday night, 7:00 p.m. They scrape their chairs into a circle in the basement of St. Mary’s Church as they do every week.

The room is large and well-lit. The walls are covered with chirpy paintings courtesy of the after-school program. The bright colors and carefree images hang in stark contrast to the weighty discourse the room will next contain.

Jackie’s husband is an alcoholic who ironically left her after twenty years of abuse and manipulation. Her slightly crooked nose tells the story of her violent marriage. Peter has a heroin-addicted sixteen-year-old son who…

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