Why I “Keep Coming Back”

I believed that my alcoholic husband was physically sick, so I took him to doctors. I couldn’t believe it when the doctor said, “He’s drunk.” I had denied what I’d seen, smelled, and heard—opening cans and vanishing bottles—and now I could no longer deny that alcohol was the problem. I went to my first Al‑Anon meeting and was greeted with welcome, kindness, and patience. The people there understood what I could not say out loud—that I was afraid and felt unwanted, unloved, and alone. They simply told me to “Keep Coming Back” over and over, until I believed that they really wanted me to come back. I did, and many years later, I am still going to meetings on a regular basis. I have found serenity—a calm acceptance of what life brings—and the tools with which to help me live this thing called life.

By Patti N., California

The Forum, October 2019

Reprinted with permission of The Forum, Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters., Inc., Virginia Beach, VA

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