The commemoration took place at the premises located at number 74 on Francesc Layret Street, where the members of the non-profit group gathered to reflect on their cooperative work. Since its inception, the association's sole purpose has been to offer comfort and mutual aid to the relatives of people living under the effects of alcoholism.
“"I thought it was normal for my husband to drink too much. When we got married, I thought he would change, but on the contrary, it got worse. He had a double problem: alcohol and gambling."
Attendees agreed that Al-Anon's help is transformative. In addition to Pepi, who recounted her experience as a relative, Àngel and David, directly affected by alcohol, also participated, expressing their satisfaction with the recovery process. David, who became addicted to alcohol as a teenager, explained how the illness affected his personal life, including a divorce, and how the association has helped him change.
“"Here we are a group that helps each other mutually. We all have the same problem, which is living with an alcoholic. We follow the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous but adapted to us. We use tools provided by the program and help each other."
Al-Anon was legalized in 1951 in the United States, when awareness was raised about the collateral damage alcoholism causes to family members. Currently, the organization has about 25,000 groups spread across 130 countries, with approximately 300 of them in Spain.
The Cerdanyola group meets every Tuesday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. to discuss how their relatives' illness affects them. The association is maintained thanks to voluntary donations from its members, and anyone who needs to benefit from this therapy can contact them without paying a fixed fee.
